The San Francisco call., 1896-10-15
JORDAN MAY FIGHT BACK
The Courts as a Last Chance
Against a Paving
Job.
There Will Be a Row in the Board if
the Work Is Attempted to Be
Put Through.

Some members of the Board of Super
visors are considerably excited over what
they declare is barefaced job on some
body's part, and if it passes the Street
Committee of the board at to-day's meet
ing there is sure to be trouble when the
Supervisors meet next Monday. Only
after the board adjourned Monday was it
discovered that the Supervisors had voted
in favor of the so-called job, as it had
come up in various resolutions. Being
street work and having passed through the
customary course. no particular attention
was paid to it until the facts were pointed
out.
Then the Supervisors not on ''the in
side saw that they had been voting for
the paving of streets in a Richmond tract
with bituminous rock. On inquiry they
found further that the same tract has not
a single house upon it, but is graded,
fenced ard the roadways macadamized,
severed and curbed There are eight
Iarze blocks in the tract, and these are
surrounded by twenty-five blocks" or
streets, each one being the length or width
o. the rectangular Tieces of real estate
constituting the tract. To lay bitumlnous
rock upon these streets would cost ali the
way from $75. 900 to 100000, for it would
then become necess sary for the land owner
!. TO either first make sewer connections
with the lots, or later to cut up the con-
crete and bitumen every time a house
would be built.
A protest was filed against the proposed
work last week, and if it is not favorably
considered the case will be taken into the
courts and there fought to finish.
The tract in question is familiarly known
as the Jordan tract" 1t lies imme-
diately west of Laurel Hill Cemetery. and
includes the territory from California
street to Point Lobos avenue and from the
cemetery to First avenue. Rich avenue.
running parallel to California street,
divides it into two parts. while the prop
erty faces on five transverse streets-Wil-
hanson street, Com monwealth avenue,
Jordan avenue, Michigan avenue and
First avenue.
At last Mondays meeting of the Board
of Supervisors a bid was passed calling
for the paving with bitumen of California
street. fronting on the Jordan tract.
About that part of it we have no objec-
ton to offer" remarked Secretary Cross
man of the Jordan Company yesterday.
"Mr. Jordan is away in the East, ana
those people have simply taken advantage
of his absence. He does not object TO
paving with bitumen in front of the tract
either on California street or Point Lobps
avenue, though there is not house on
that long frontage but when it comes to
bitumjnizing streets in new and unin-
habited tract he protests decidedly.
"This thing was started on bogus
petition from bogus improvement club.
We examined into the matter very
carefully and found that the club does not
exist. The names on the petition we
Ifound did not belong to people in the dis
itrict. To make this improvement, for
which there is no reason, would cost US
Nabout $75, 900 or more. 1t is an injustice
20 attempt such proposition"
Supervisor Dimond declares that he will
fight this matter. 81 believe this is the work
ofsome street contractors" said he, "and it
certainly is preposterous. Mr.. Jorda n,
she owner OF the property, owns bltumen