Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-22
Citizens Exercised Over the Conta-
gious Disease Hospital Site.
INDIGNATION MEETING PLANNED
Strong Views on the Subject by
Interested Residents.
COMMISSIONERS ATTITUDE

Star of the purchase was the talk Of the
| city today, and all Of the property owners
in that section have agreed to- combine and
fight the issue in the courts IL necessary.
A number Of the property owners called
upon the Commissioners today and ex-
pressed themselves in strong language
| against the selection. One of the strongest
arguments advanced was that of Mr.. Som
erville, president of the Mount Pleasant
Citizens Association. He said, among 9TH
er things, that there would be meeting
on Tuesday, and the voice of the citizens
and property owners in that section Of the
city would be heard. The site chosen was,
possibly have been selected. 1t was near
the 7th street road, which was one Of the
most widely travelled thoroughfares In the
District.
was being rapidly improved, and the build
ing OF a hospital would be the very worst
thing that could possibly happen to Its
development He had been assured by
several prominent Congressman that no
appropriation would ever be passed for
the building OF hospital on that site.
Continuing, he said the people owed The
Star debt OF gratitude for getting at the
facts in connection with this hospital site.
Perhaps 1t was not too late for the citizens
to thwart the Commissioners.
A Strong Position.
While, OF course, 1t Is admitted on all
sides that the Withholding Of congressional
appropriations will embarrass the Com
missioners in the building Of q hospital,
yet when 1t is remembered that they al
ready have $S,OOO available from the Daisy
Chain Guild for this purpose, and the fact
that every one Is awake to the necessity
OF a hospital for the treatment of con-
tagious diseases, the Commissioners have
considerably the best OF the affair.
They are determined to give the city a
contagious disease hospital, and the mat
ter has gone too far now. 1t Is said, for
them to turn back AS has already been
stated in The Star, this property was ac-
quired last June, nearly six months ago,
the title has passed and the money has
been paid for It, The property belongs to
the District of Columbia. and was pur-
chased with the appropriation passed by
Congress for the specific purpose or site
for contagious disease hospital. The
case is not parallel one to that OF last
year, when the property opposite the jail
was purchased, for the deed at that time
had not passed to the District and the
owners were willing to revoke the trans
action. 1t seems to be generally under
stood that the property holders In the VI
cinity will get out an injunction to prevent
the Commissioners from taking any further
steps in the matter. The Commissioners,
foreseeing this action, have fortified them
selves, and are ready to go into court to-
morrow and answer any bill that may be
presented.
the land in question, Attorney Thomas was
sent for, and, with the Commissioners,
went over the whole ground from legal
standpoint He was requested by the Com
missioners to prepare a bill In answer to
a supposed injunc ton, and this he did, the
Commissioners adding additional argu-
ments to those presented by their attorney.
An Indignation Meeting.
The Commissioners today declined to be
interviewed on the subject, and would give
no information as to their probable course
in the future. They expected opposition;
in fact opposition would have arisen, no
matter where the hospital was located,
and they are not prepared to meet the OBJ
jections. 1t was the work Of the board of
Commissioners, acting as board, all of
the Commissioners being present, SO they
are equally responsible for what has been
done.
1t is understood that at the meeting on
Tuesday of the Mount Pleasant Citizens
Association Senator John Sherman will
preside Invitations have been sent to all
of the prominent property holders in that
section to be present and participate in
the discussion.
This meeting will be attended by the
members not only Of the Mount Pleasant
Citizens Association, but also by those
of the Brightwood and Columbia Heights
Associations, which Mr.. Somerville esti-
mated today had an aggregate member
ship of 200. To a Star reporter he said
that all property owners. men Of standing
in the community and the influence that
they can WELD upon the question is very
great
Calls 1t Outrageous.
"It is an outrage" he said, "that the
law-abiding and decent people who have
already settled in this vicinity should now
be threatened with the danger which the
warden OF the jail acknowledges is pre-
serted to the inmates of the Jail and work
Nv ha {r,ff af h.
hospital. / cannot understand why law
abiding citizens should be subjected to
contagion more than criminals and va
grants.
1.-The citizens of Mount Pleasant are very
much in earnest about this matter, and in
tend to leave no stone unturned in their
efforts to sidetrack this movement. The
location of the hospital as selected by the
Commissioners will threaten a great deal
of valuable property, and will lower the
values of many improvements that have
already been made. 1t affects two schools,
the colored orphan asylum and Garfield
Hospital, and majority of the building
operations now going on and projected at
Mount Pleasant are located in this imme-
date vicinity"
Would Make Pnupers.
Mr.. N. f. Young was greatly indignant
over the action of the Commissioners, and
he predicts a lively time when Congress
shall meet and the Commissioners shall
ask an apr opriation to build a hospital
II am inclined to think" he said, that
they will find that the citizens of Mount
Pleasant have a good deal of influence with
Congress when 1t comes to such question
as this, and l predict the hospital will
never be located on the site which they
have selected. Congress will surely look
into the matter and am confident that the
Commissioners will find themselves blocked
in their effort to establish the hospital on
Pleasant Plains. 1t is more than an out
rage, and there is hardly q word to ex-
press my sentiments The establishment
of that hospital at the place named would
make paupers in hour Of scores Of men
who are struggling to pay for the little
holdings in which they have invested all
their capital"
Was Surprised.
Mr.. H. l.. Crawford, who has his home in
Mount Pleasant, looks at the question more
citizen of Washington than as a resi-
dent Of the locality in question. Il am not
in the real estate market to sell my prop
erty," he said, land so 1 do not regard
the proposition from a financial point Of
view. Nor do l think I am near enough
the site to be in any danger Of contagion
But, as a citizen, / am confident the Com
miSsioners have made mistake in going
into largely populated, popular section OF
ho cit which 10 jtab Iy fyoipC IN oroxv