The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-04
To OPEN RIVER STREET.
strong Petitions TO Council On This
subject by Business Men.

The effort 20 compel the Central rail-
road 10 complete its River street track
from It's present terminus on River street
TO a junction with the Savannah. Flor
ida and Western tracks. on the eastern
side OF the city, has taken q new turn.
IT is very probable that Il The Central
railroad does not, the city VIII take steps
TO open River street. and thus clear the
road for the railway track, when i Wil
be an easy matter 10 make a connection
between the railway systems, whether
the Central railroad wants 1t or not.
Since his discussion OF the matter. be-
fore the committee Of the whole last
week. Capt Purse. manager Of the
freight bureau, has been quietly at work.
The result OF his work was seen yester-
day In TWO petitions presented by him to
the city council. on this subject. one
petition is from the lessees and owners
of wharf property abutLug on River
street. and the other Is from business
men generally. The two petitions are
signed by almost every business nrm OF
any standing IN the city. The petition
signed BY Che property owners and les
sees on River street, reads as follows;
The undersigned owners and lessees OF
property abutUng on River street. be
tween Bilbo canal and the savannah and
OgeechC6 canal, respectfully pray your
honorable body 20 take such immediate
steps as viii insure the opening or River
street through the properties OF the Sa-
Vannah steam Rice MIL Company, JOnn
ROurke ana others. so that intercourse be-
tween the extremes OF the city on the
water front may be secured without, as
at present, the necessity Of climbing the
steep grades at Lincoln and East Broad
streets, and the gas house hill for ac-
complishing this result.
Your petitioners feel that the opening of
this street as prayed for, viii not only
materially add to the value Of their prop
erty and the tax revenues of the city but
HNu /. IN orr
cessity, in which the entire city Is most
deeply Interested.
Your petitioners, therefore respectfully
ask that this petition receive your at
tentiOn at once. so that the expense OF
opening the street may not be embdr-
raised, as heretofore, by expensive inn
which it is necessary to open il in order
to secure continuous transit
This petition is signed by thirty-two
lessees and owners, including John
Rourke & Son, and other property own
ers through whose property the street is
desired 20 be opened. The petition q the
the importance Of taking steps to open
River street as requested by the property
owners and lessees on that street, has l24
signatures, including not only every mer-
chant Of prominence on Bay street but
the leading retail merchants on BrOugh-
ton and other streets
Capt. Purse, in his letter accompany
ing the petitions, lays stress upon the
imperative necessity Of such action by
the city IN the interests OF It's commerce
and urges il as the simplest remedy for
several evils now complained Of.
The petition was referred to the COM
mttee of the whole, which will meet
Thursday afternoon for the purpose of
giving il especial consideration. Presi-
dent Conner and the attorneys of the Cen
tral railroad will also be present at that
time TO represent the interests of the
company. The petition is very faVOrably
regarded by the members OF council, and
there is very little doubt that the line of
action suggested in the petitions Will be
aGonfp1