Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-02
Is That a Fact1
Editors Journal:


arrived home, last night, and find it
currently reported, on the street, that some
OF the opposition to the new city building
state that Vickery is in the scheme in or
der to get chance to invest bis money
| Now. does any one really believe that to
be facts / should think the average
citizen might look around and examine
the tax lists and see where seven -eighhs
| OF what am really worth is already in
vested. l had, in ready money to invest,
| last spring, S5000-nO more nor no less.
took it into my head to build block n
Water street and cottage at Ocean Poir t.
The result will be, az tie end of the year,
L shall have expended $40. 600. Now. how
could l do this, without withdrawing
some OF my present Investments? | could
see no other way. and have been doing
SO. AS we are about putting in $50, 600
worth of new machinery, Icould not ho Q
to draw anything from the firm. Meth,
have l SO drawn any. Only three weeks
| since sold 6 per cent. securities to tie
amount of sis, 600 and am putting it into
per cent building as do not expect
! TO get over per cent. on the investments
in the new block that am building. If
any one will take lease of it at that
figure, l shall be happy to accommodate
him. And to finish the block. more 6
per cent. investments have got to be pulled
down. So you see, Mr.. Editor, that
whatever l invest in the new city build
Ing has got to come from the same source,
| and at the same sacrifice
Furthermore, | don't see on what
ground these self-imposed guardians of
| Augusta should make any such state
ments. l remember, not many years age,
when the blackened ruins of the Mansion
house. right in the centre of the city and
on the principal street, stared these guar.
dams in the face for several years. and
they did not make any move to make any
improvement there, or to fill up the i'm
mense gully there, which had become the
receptacle for dead cats and dogs At
that time, 1 had built several houses,
and had barely money enough to make
the purchase, but did it. then looked
around to see how could possibly develop
it, Charles f. Nash was mayor at the
time, and l told him If he would extend
Weston street across the south part of the
lot, 1 would fill up that gully and put it
into building lots and build thereon.
Mayor Nash took me at my word and
built the street, and is entitled to good
deal of credit for SO doing, and enabling
me to develop the lot An incident oc-
Cured at that time worth relating
When the mayor first commenced on the
fill to build the street, one of our good
old constitutional fellows came riding
along and accosted the mayor thus:
Hello Nash, what are you doing
theref"
'Going to build street across from
State to Chapel street. replied the mayor
"WeIl, WELL" says our constitutional
friend why don't you bridge it? 1t won't
cost one-quarter as much as it Will to fill
up that immense gully.
well, y says the mayor, Mr.. Vickery |
says that if will build the street by Ill |
ing across, he Will fill up Mansion hous9 |
gully, and build houses thereon
No doubt he believed tle whole thing
unconstitutional, and sang out, laughing |
and shaking at the mayors credulity;
Why, Nash, you, nor |, nor any ons |
now living in Augusta, will live long
enough TO see Mansion house gully put |
into building lots and ne whipped up |
his horse and rode away Now, how did |
this wise mans predictions come out?
Why, Mayor Nash kept right along and |
finished his task. Then the owner took |
his turn at the wheel and put 40, 600 |
square yards of filling in the gully, and |
In three years from tho day that our con-
friend made his predictions, |
there were nine dwellings two stables |
and my publishing house on that square
l suppose our friends who are opposed to
the new city building for fear that their |
taxes may Re seven cents higher, would |
declare the whole thing unconstitutional |
We have heard that cry every time any |
public improvement has been |
but | take notice that all |
such schemes have been consummated,
and in due time all have been pronounced |
good
Now, just a word about the part have
taken in this movement l went Into 1t |
at the instigation of my fellow citizens
and ] shall now be in it till they tell me
that they do not want 1t The arguments
and means used to kill the proiect. does
no credit to the authors. In settling it,
our citizens must bear in mind that if de
featcd, it will settle the city building
matter for a quarter of Il century. If it is
| hope to always be on
the unconstitutional side Of every public
quest ion affecting the welfare of our be-
loved city.
If the opponents of the new city build
ing think they are more Jealous than for |
the good OF the city, will make them
this offer: | will be one of 10 or any other |
number they may decide, to build the city |
building and make Augusta a present of |
it Now. that may be unconstitutional, |
but | make the offer in go,d faith and |
will abide by it. Before next Saturday |
comes. expect to see an array of figures !
that Will startle the community-in fact, |
we have had some Of them, and they are
sitting up nights now making more.
But, seriously my good friends of the
opposition, let rs have friendly, fair |
fight, at the polls, Saturday, and when
the smoke clears away, and the verdict of
our citizens is recorded, let neither side |
indulge in hard words, but look around |
us and see whera we can further heautify |
and build up our beloved, and most pros
porous city in the State.
p. o. Vickery.
Augusta, Sept. ] 1895