The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-02-18
All Evidence In tbs Lake Joyce Condemna-
lion Proceedings is In
MATTER WAS ExHAus1lYELY ARGUED
Three Hours nnd n Half Consumed
The Complicated Situation Ex.
= plntncd- Hung Fire on The Fem
trcss Asscssmcnt-e'0u commission yyill
Formulate n Report Tuesday.

- y W. Aoih WIZ PROBABLY be made
acquainted with the price they are ex-
pected to pay for Lake Joyce, more gen.
orally known by the less dignified name
or Joyce pond. The matter is now en-
tirely In the hands Of the Commission
ers appointed by Judge Woodhouse,
George N. Sneed, w. w. Sawyer and III.
e. Shipp. -
All evidence is in and all argument
has been made in the condemna ton pro-
ceedings that have been dragging along
during the past month or six weeks wa 9
finished yesterday -Four expert Wit
nesses accompanied City Attorney Tay-
lor to Princess Anne Courthouse yester-
day and furnished the final testimony
bearing on the subject They were
Messrs. L. II. Ballentine, George w. Will
son. John r. Todd, Register and James
Riddle. superintendent Of water works
The first two had gone down to Lake
Joyce anu made thorough and import
ant examination of the property, The
olhers were already we'll informed in
their official capacity.
AN EXPLANATION
An explanation Of the situation will be
apropos right here. Lake Joyce is a
pond of some eighty and eighty-iye
acres IN extent ana holding about 1885,
qopooo al!nns-about half the size Of
Lake Bradford.
bordering on Joyce Lake are four
separate properties, the farms Of Chris
tlan George and L. d. Westmore the
Lynnhaven syndicate land and the es-
tate Of the Fentress heirs. These prop
critics extend to the middle of the lake
forming four irregular triangles having
their apex at the center of the lake
Inc George slice constitutes about a
thlrd OF this water area and has already
been purchased by the city at s2,45O
The Fentress slice Of this aquatic pie
M n 70 oh LII
perhaps little less The remaining
third is divided between the other two.
lt is on the Fentress estate that the
city also wishes condemned a half an
acre Tor n pumphousc and a strip of land
twenty-five feet wide for the Dipeng to
Lake Bradford, as well as to furnish 4
means of approach to the pumphouse.
VARIOUS VALUATIONS.
Now the Fentrcss heirs claim that
they Will be damaged not less than 81, 900
by the use Of the lake. the erecting of the
pumphousc and the use of said twenty
live-foot strip. Damage to the Lynn
haven property is held by the owners to
be about $4,000. Judge Wetmore has
never fixed q value on his.
impartial witnesses have. however,
placed the damage TO the Fentress estate
at not more than $4,000, some Of them
going as low as $1,000, and saying the
entire farm bordering on the pond is not
worth more than $4,000. 1t is upon this
difference Of opinion that the proceed
1ngs have hung fire SO long, and which
has necessitated the calling in Of 80
much evidence.
a GREAT FISH INDUSTRY.
An attempt was made by the prop
erty owners, or part Of them, to show
that the pond or lake was we'll stocked
with fish which produced a revenue Of
about $3.50 year. Only two witnesses
could be named in support of this
theory One of them denied that he had
even bought any fish from the pond,
while the other said all he had ever
bought from the lake would not amount
to more than 500.
Another tack was taken by one OF the
counsel for the other side, who intimat-
cd that his client would not care If the
city should drop the whole business,
anyway; they were not anxious for the
city 10 get the property. To this Mr..
Taylor asked why arrangements had
first been made on their part for nego-
tiations with the city for the purchase
Of the lake
PROTRACTED ARGUMENT.
The matter was argued before the
Commission by Mr.. w. II. Taylor for
the city; Judge Whitehurst, for Mr.. Wet
more; Judges Keeling and Brooke. for
the Fentress estate and Lynnhaven syn
dictate. Mr.. Taylor opened and closed.
The argument simply reviewed the evil
dence thoroughly and consumed about
three hours and a half.
The Commission will hold an execu
tive session on Tuesday, at which a re-
port will be formulated and returned to
the court. Should 1t name a price toe
excessive the decision OF the Commission
will probably be appealed from. AT any
rate the city is not compelled to pur-
chase the lake, and in the language OF
the modern comedian, it Is not the only
supply upon the market.
The city is willing to pay a reasona.
| BILE price for the lake. She neither begs
| for 1t nor is she going to permit her
self to be robbed