The herald., 1897-10-28
Will Be Resurfaced De-
spite Opposition
MAJORITY PETITION PREPARED
AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE
COUNCIL NEXT MONDAY
Yrotestants Withdraw Their Opposi-
tion and All Is Lovely-More
Names to Be Secured

Spring street is to be resurfaced. In
spite of the protest which, when filed
several weeks ago, seemed to put an end
to all hope of having this very necessary
Improvement made, the city council Will
+ now be asked to order the work, and be-
hind the request will be the support OF
citizens owning majority of the 'front.'
age along that thoroughfare. The pro-
test has been overcome, and more than
enough signatures have been secured to
new petition for the work than is neces-
sary to have it done. Many of those who
signed the protest have been led TO
change their minds in regard to the mat
ter, and have affixed their signatures to
the new petition which will be presented
at the next meeting of the council. The
matter will now proceed as it would have
done had there been no protest.
When, after the protest against the
work had been filed, it was discovered
that there were many inaccuracies in 1t,
several enterprising men went to work
to try to annul the protest by securing
to a new petition for the work the sigma
lures of sufficient number Of those
who had signed the protest to make up
majority of the frontage. Little was
said about this effort. as it was not de-
sired to arouse the opposition to action.
and each Of the protestants was seen and
quietly asked to sign the new petition.
Whenever it was found that a man was
still opposed to the work he was not
urged to change his views, but when
reasonable man was approached, the
necessity for the work was pointed out
to him. 1t was not an easy task, by any
means but lot by lot was secured, until
late yesterday afternoon the names ap-
pearing on the petition presented a ma
jority Of the frontage. Even then the
exact figures were not announced, for
there are several other property owners
whose signatures will be secured to the
new petition in a few days, and the
frontage they represent will bring the
total to several hundred feet more than
the necessary majority.
According to actual measurements
made by the city engineer there is total
frontage on Spring street of 10,793.70
feet. OF this a majority is 5,366.90 1t
10 known that the new petition repre-
sents about 5400 feet, and as it is there is
enough to more than make up the ma
jority. 1t is expected that when the Pc
tition is ready for filing, the total 'front.'
age represented upon it will amount to
5000 or more feet. In the work of secur-
ing signatures it was discovered that
the names of some of the property own
ers had been signed to the protest with
out their authority or knowledge, and
when asked to sign for the resurfacing
they willingly did so. Others We're found
who had signed through misunder-
standing of what was intended, and still
others, after careful consideration, had
decided to change their position in re-
gard to the matter. The new petition
will be presented at the next meeting of
the council, and the necessary ordinances
will be adopted as soon as possible 1t
is the opinion of Street Superintendent
Drain that the work will be completed
before Christmas. The credit for the
victory of the public-spirited portion of
the people belongs to the street superin-
tendent and to Messrs. Robert and D. C.
McGarvin and Fred Eaton.