Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-27
LEAF FROM HISTORY.
Why the Extension of Washington Street Was Never Ordered.-PrOperty Owners Would Have to Sell Their Homes to Pay the Bills.

Street Was Never Ordered.-PrOperty
 Owners Would Have to Sell Their
 Homes to Pay the Bills.
 Editor of the DEMOCRAT:
 Dear Sir--As a constant reader of your paper I see that you take deep inter- est in the progress and improvement of certain sections of the city which have been neglected for several years especially Dublin street near the Merlden depot. hope the present city government will lay out some of the public appropriations in in the eastern part of the city. We pay our taxes and think we should have our share of the improvements.
 And now that the extension of Washing ton street to Dublin street is in fair way of being accomplished. few words from an ex-councilman may throw some light on how the work on the street vas post poned. Some people seem to think that 1t was the fault of the council at that time, and in order that the council may guard against certain shrewd politicians who may try to lay the matter on the shelf foI few years more, and for information for the council I give the facts and figures for what has been done to extend Washington street to Dublin street.
 In 1889 the board of road commis  James F. Donahue for said extension, and- both branches Of the court of common council approved the report and the mat ter was referred to the board of compen- sation for the assessment of benefits and damages arising therefrom. His honor, Mayor Boughton. was very much in favor of the new street The board of road commissioners made a second report of the survey and layout of the street on Mo- vember i, 1889. This report was accepted and adopted by both branches of the city government. A report from the board of compensation was often called for at the meetings At a meeting held August 4. 1890. the board made the report as fol- lows:
 On the assessment of benefits and dam ages arising from the layout of Washing ton street, from Baldwin street, casterly to Dublin street. assessing and determining that the city pay each of the following per sons for damages accruing to them and each of them by reason of the proposed public improvement the sums written op- poslte their respective names to wit:
 Mrs Margaret A. Dougherty, $5OOOO Mrs Ann Deevey, 16'eO Mrs Bridget Flynn, 32O.O Waterbury Buckle Go, 425.OO
 Total amount of damages, $1 LOO
 And that each of the following named persons pay to the city of Waterbury for benefits accruing to them by the proposed public improvement the sums written op- poslte their respective names to wit. Mrs Margaret A. Dougherty, $2.37O.O Mir James J. Wall, 2,O32 .OO Estate of Thomas Donahue, 1,Sl6.OO Mrs Bridget Flynn, 347 OO Mrs T. Halpin, l66 OO Waterbury Buckle Co, l46.OO Matthew Bowman, 14O.OO Total amount of benefits, 7.Ol7.OO
 After the report was read tue advocates of the proposed new street felt amazed and thought 1t an outrage on the part of the board of compensation to assess the people 5 G97 over their damages and in order to make some inquiry into the actions Of the board of compensation the report was laid on the table for one month, and commit tee of two was appointed to investigate and report at the next meeting. The committee WAS waited upon by several of the property holders on the line of the road who begged of the committee not to let the council order the work done, ns they could not or would not pay such ItI St' dNNtSSLltniS u 'hC Sll9 lOA One of them said he could not sell his land and that he would have to sell hls house in order to pay hls assessment and begged of us to stop it for the present. The com mIitee reported the action of the property holders on the line of the street to the council and the matter was postponed ac- cording to their wishes.
 Respectfully.
 AN EX COUNCILMAN.