The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-12
WANT MORE IMPROVEMENTS.
WHAT SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS
HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.

/
Way Through, and None OF Them
Paved-OnIy one Policeman by
Day and Two by Night for the En-
tire sectiOn-They Think the City
Would Make a Good Investment In
! Raising Property Values by Put
ting some Much Needed Improve
ments There.
The residents and property owners OF
the southern section Of the city are not
at all satisfied with the treatment they
have had at the hands Of the city govern
ment for the last two years, or since the
time their section came within the city
| limits.
The Southslde Improvement League has
not accomplished all that the residents Of
that section have desired. partly for the
reason no doubt that It has been looked
upon as a sort of political organization,
which they state emphatcally it is not.
! but an organization formed simply for the
purpose Of giving weight TO the demands
of the sections for things which they as
| sert are absolute necessities.
| A representative of the Morning News
took a drive over the entire south side
yesterday with one of the best known resi-
! dents OF that section, and not only evi-
dences of needed improvement, but evil
| dences Of neglect were seen on almost
every hand. One OF the worst features
apparent IL pointed out just after
! crossing Anderson street, that is the bad
| condition OF the unimproved property 1t
is everywhere grown up in weeds from one
to four feet in hight, presenting a care
f,e
not altogether calculated to make ready
sales of property in that section to home
seekers. The residents of the section
would like to see an ordinance passed by
the city requiring owners of this property
to keep the weeds cut and the places
clear. If the weeds were cut once or
twice a year It would suffice. and would
make that section look more like a part
of the city to which 1t belongs, than like
a part of the country, az its present APP
pearance indicates.
Perhaps the worst complaint which the
people OF the south side have
is their nearly entire lack of
sewers, and the necessity Of
using dry wells. as Is the case with al
most every house south of Anderson
street. This condition of affairs they con-
slider likely to be the cause OF disease al
any time and II is danger which they
! feel Is now constantly hanging over them.
IN the next place all DuL a very rev OF
| the houses are without a water supply.
| There is a water main running part of
| the way across Second street, and another
| on Eighth street, but it Is out OF the
question for the great majority of prop
| erty owners in the southern section to
| make such long connections as are re-
| quired to reach the water mains. The
| consequence is, all but a very few of
! the residences to which comparatively
| long connections have been made are
| without water.
Another source Of great annoyance and
| much complaint to the residents OF that
| section is the streets. South of Anderson
! street not half the streets in either direc-
| ton are opened up entirely through the
| section. There is no paving at all on any
of these streets, with the exception of
| Bull street, which was shelled when the
| city bought It, and along this street count
| less weeds are growing, as is the case
| on all of the unoccupied property in the
| section.
The condition of the streets is such that
| It is a hard matter for a vehicle to set
| around and know anything about where
| it is at" First street is a street in
! name only, Second street is OPEN Third,
| Fourth and Fifth streets are closed, and
| are practically useless as streets In their
| present condition. Sixth street is OPEN
| Seventh street is not open directly west
| of Bun, and the other cross streets are
only partially opened.
OF the streets running north and south
! from the Ogeechee road east. Burroughs
! and West Broad streets are closed at An
! dersOn street, Montgomery and Jefferson
| streets are open, Barnard is closed, and
| Whitaker to all practical purposes is
| closed Bull street is open, and the other
| north and south streets on the east side
| are open within few blocks of the city
limits. Mulberry avenue is what should
! be a continuation of First street. But as
IL is now it is a short alley with only one
| outlet running into the Ogeechee road,
and so narrow that some time ago a fence
| had 10 be torn down to let the hearse Of
| a funeral procession get in and out. Next
| to this going south comes Grapevine ave
| nue., which should be a continuation of
! Second street, but this too is a little mar
| row short alley way, where people are
| cooped up without water or sewerage.
These are a few examples of the condition
| of the streets around that section. The
worst condition of affairs is on the west
side of Bull street Everything is in
somewhat better shape on the east side
but the residents there have by no means
secured what they want in other respects.
and what thy state they absolutely need.
The position the south side people take
lis that the city should not put on friHs
until 1t has something to stick them onto.
| Why spend thousands of dollars they ask
for a colonial park and for paving South
Broad streets where property values can
be increased TO no extent to speak of
when that money spent on necessities in
the southern section OF the city where
they are needed would increase the vaIua-
ton of every dollars worth of property
located there.
II Is not q matter OF pOlltCS, or any,
thing like it," said Mr.. s. Krouskoff. in
speaking of the situation, 'fbut a question
of necessity. The city government shouId
not look upon the Improvements put there
as a matter of expense. but a matter of
investment. That Is practically the only
way in which the city can expand, and
that is where property valuation are go
ing to increase Every dollar invested
will increase the value of the taxable prom
erty in that section. We do not ask for
it all a once, but we should have gradual
improvements. We ought at least TO have
sewers and water for of these we are in
absolute need"
Attention was called also to the mea gre
police protection in>the southern section.
There is only one policeman by day and
two by night between Anderson and
Twelfth streets and between East and
West Broad streets. The residents by no
means consider that this affords them am
pie protection for their families when the
men are away in the day time or in the
evening.
Some of the residents of that section saw
they are confident the city officials who
have directly in charge the matter Of these
needed improvements would look after