The record-union., 1894-06-08
HICKSVILLE ROAD SQUABBLE.
Shall the Old Thoroughfare be
Abandoned
The Supervisors wrestle Another Day
with the Problem-Postponed
for Argument.

After disposing of some minor matters
the Board of Supervisors yesterday took
up the report OF the viewers in the mat
ter of the proposed abandonment of the
old road leading from the Hicks grade to
the old town of Hicksville. The viewers
reported in favor of the formal abandon
ment of the old road.
There was read petition from ID. ID.
Cantrell and others asking that the road
be abandoned, also remonstrance from
ether residents of the locality.
While these were being. read quite
number Of residents of the locality entered
the board-1oom. They were chiefly Ia
dies, and it was quite apparent that there
was more behind the matter than the
mere matter of the convenience of the
travelling public.
Mrs. Alice NJ. Valensin was present to
urge the granting of the petition and the
cceptance Of the report of the viewers.
She had no counsel, but the opponents OF
the proposed change in the little strip OF
road had Judge Mckune and Hiram w.
johnson thereto conduct their side OF the
hearing.
Mrs. Valensin was subjected to long
examination at the hands OF the lawyers,
during which considerable feeling was
manifested on both sides. The discus
sion threatened to cover wide range. but
Chairman Morrison interposed the obJec-
ion that the present hearing was upon
he petition and remonstrance then be-
ore the board. He found some difficulty,
however, in holding the lawyers down to
the facts before the board, and the result
was a very animated crOSS-tlre between
them and Mrs. Valensin.
Finally Chairman Morrison got control
of the situation and asked Mrs. Naiensln
tsome questions regarding the effect OF the
lclosing OF the old road. She said the MAN.
fenance of the old road, by dividing her
rand, caused her considerable damage in
sarming her land. The old road does not
un past the postoffice, nor the railroad
tation, which are at Arno.
n The matter was resumed at the alter
Doom session, the first witness being Mr..
onaIdson, farmer in the vicinity of
Arno. He said the closing Of the old road
would benefit Mrs. Nalensin by throw
ing her land all together. it being now
divided. The two roads run side by side,
and both are unnecessary. he did not
see how the closing of the old ROAD could
be any detriment to the residents OF
HicksVille, as the new road runs by it.
In response to questions by Mrs. Val
ensin. Mr.. Donaldson said that direct
road to the railway station would en-
hance the value OF property in Hicks
vile. II he lived there, and one OF the
roads had to be closed he would prefer TO
have the old one closed. He did not see
how the people in that part OF the county
could get along without the new road.
Mrs. Kreuzberger. daughter OF Mrs.
johnson who owns hotel at Hicksville,
said that Mr.. Donaldson had told her that
he favored the closing of the old road if
it would injure MIR. Hansen, the Hicks
vile blacksmith.
rEaf q
during which Mrs. Kreuzberger and
Mrs. Nalensin had warm interchange
of words.
Mr.. Heating, a farmer of that neighbor-
hood, said the closing OF one OF the roads
would be an advantage, and in his opin
ion the new road to the station was the
best for all the people OF that section. He
traded at Hicksville, and always went
there by the new road, and would do SO
if both roads remained open.
To Mrs. Kreuzberger the witness said
the closing OF the old road would injure
Mrs. Johnson's business to some extent.
In reply to Mrs. Nalensin he said 1t
would injure the latter more to keep it
open.
Judge McKune then took turn at the
witness, who admitted that, going from
the north, 1t was little farther to Hicks
vile by the old road than the new one.
Stephen Moroney, one of the petition
fed that in his opinion it would be an
injustice to Mrs. Valensin not to have
one of the roads closed. 1t put nobody
to any Inconvenience to use the new road |
in going to Hicksville, though a tritie
farther for those going from the north.
The presence of the railroad station at !
Arno should enhance the value of all |
property in the neighborhood. One road |
there is enough.
Hiram w. johnson asked Mr.. Moroney |
if the closing of the old road would injure /
anyone at Hicksville. and he said it might
slightly affect the business done there. |
But it also injured Mrs. Valensin to
keep it open through her property.
Z. McInerney, who lives five miles |
east of Hicksville. said the closing of the |
old road would not Inconvenience him or
his neighbors. Us abandonment would |
not, in his opinion, benefit Hicksville, |
but it would benefit Mrs. Valensin's |
land.
Thomas Loring. resident of this city. |
but who owns property south of Hicks |
vile. preferred the new road. The clos |
ing OF the old road would benefit Mrs. |
Valensin, but might iDjuriously affect |
persons in Hicksville. If there is to be |
but one road he wanted the new one.
Replying to Mrs. KreuZberger, Mr.. !
Loring said that only three or four per-
sons and ten acres of land at Hicks |
Vile would be affected, while on the |
other hand hundreds of acres of land |
were involved.
This closed the testimony of the wit
nesses for the petitioners, and Mrs.
Kreuzberger was called as a witness for
the other side. She said the closing OF
the old road would injures her mother,
Mrs. johnson, who depends on her busi-
ness of furnishing meals to travellers
She rents property to another person for
a saloon. The closing of the old road
would shut off the general travel, and
only friends would patronize those there.
She declared that Mrs. Johnson was not
benefited by the new road, but it had, on
the contrary, diverted much of her patron
age.
George @. Bates, former Supervisor,
was called and Lawyers McKune and
johnson endeavored to have him testify
in regard to proceedings had in 1889, but
Chairman Morrison ruled it out Mr.
Bates said that if he owned property in
HicksviIle, and the old road should be
closed. he would feel like giving it away.
There was great deal more that Mr..
Bates said. but it was irrelevant to the