The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-11
MR.. MURPHY'S REMARKS
APPEARED To REFLECT SLIGHTLY
ON CITY ENGINEER III
Lively Session of Council Committee
Protest of Many Women on Indi-
ana-Ayenue improvements.

thought that to order improvements Of
those two streets would act as a boom
erang in the coming election. over twenty
property owners, who oppose the improve
-ment-among them a large number Of wom-
en- who said they were widows-appeared
before the committee on sewers, streets
and alleys last night to protest against the
Improvement. The demonstrators occupied
the space back of the rail in the Council
chamber during the hearing. A dozen or
fifteen business men who want the i'm
provement made because it Will improve
their trade occupied the chairs usually held
by the city fathers. A number OF sensa-
tional things were said during the evening.
j. w. Murphy, a Democrat, said that the
street was in bad condition at certain
points, but this was because contractors
who laid ewers were not compelled by
City Engineer Jeup to resurtace the streets
after the work was completed, although a
demand had been made that this be done.
Mr.. Murphy said that Mr.. Jeup informed
him personally that the contractor for the
sewer had taken the work on a bid that
was too low and was losing money. With
considerable consideration for the contrac-
tor the engineer thought the contractor
could not afford to make the necessary re-
pairs to the street, according to Mr.. Muir
ply. 1t is well known that the contractors
on the White river interceptor have not
made money and it is freely asserted, as
a matter of fact, that considerable has
been lost, but the property owners say
that this is no reason why the city engl-
neer should allow them to violate the law
by not restoring the streets to their form
er good condition and place the burden on
the property owners.
Mr.. Murphy seemed to express pretty &C
curately the position of the DIRECTORS, when
he referred to the fact that the present
administration has only cleaned the road
way of indian avenue once. He said II
the mud were cleaned eff the street and
it was improved with a few loads of gravel
it would soon be in a thoroughly passable
condition and be one of the best roads in
town.
Mr.. Gilbert led the talk of those who
want the street improved. He said the ave-
nue. was one of the worst streets in town,
that it was a perfect mudhole and that
there was scarcely any traffic at all. He
thought if the street were improved busl-
ness would revive in that part of town.
Mr.. Job, a druggist, said he had been IN
business on the avenue for tWenty-one
years. Since the lower end or the street
was improved in addition to West ana
First streets he had gradually seen the
travel from the country diverted from tnat
avenue, farmers and others either turning
into West, First or Locke street TO aVold
the impossible roadway of Indiana avenue
from Fall creek to North, the portion that
it is proposed to asphalt. Mr.. Job declared
that he was no more able than others 10
make the Improvement but he felt II was
necessary to his business and he would
manage somehow to meet the assessments.
Mr.. Murphy asked permission to question
Mr.; Job, who had no objection:
"Thirty-three feet"
How long have you owned it?"
Ever since my wife bought 1t.
How long ago was that q persisted MT.
Mr.. Job admitted that his wife had only
owned the land about two years, but SAID
he had been in business on the avenue
~tWenty-one years. He eVaded another
question from Mr.. Murphy as to how. ire
quently, the roadway had been cleaned ana
Several of the women beSought the COM
mittee to not order the Improvement one
of them said that she was a widow, de-
pendent on her business as a n-eedlewoman
for the support Of herself and a crippled
daughter. If she were compelled to pay
for street improvements in addition to the
sewer assessments she was carrying, and
the park assessments which will be made
soon she would not be able to save her
little home" but would have to lose It.
Other women who spoke said they were OPP
posed to the Improvement but for one rea-
son; that was because they could not afford
" pay " u dAlO lIdI ivy "OoA0 N%N ~
mortgage and perhaps lose their property.
Mr.. Warner, who said he was a Iaboring
man, emphasized one point which seemed
to have been overlooked by other property
owners; it was the question or park assess
merits. Most Of the directors to the Indi-
~ana-avenue Improvement are very close TO
the proposed Fall creek boulevard and the
bottom-land park system, for which they
will be assessed more than those who W
do1s a M y q rnar said he le already fomnd
It a difficult thing to make the Barrett-law
payments on the sewer. He was certain to
have to pay. park assessments, and if in
asphalt he would be swamped.
Mr.. Job again urged that the improve
ments be made. He said that the business
men naturally felt sympathy with the
large number Of old ladies who had pro-
tested, but he felt that the time would
never come when there would not be OBJ
jections of this sort, and he asked if i'm
provements were to be delayed forever be-
cause some claimed they could not pay for
IT am very much obliged for the SYM
pathy Of the gentleman" said a young man
who had stood quietly by, but their SYM
provements nor buy bread for us. That is
all l care to say, gentlemen" he said, leav-
ing the Council chamber.
Quite q number of others spoke in the
same strain. Mr.. Murphy made one state
ment that was rather surprising. He said
that instead of there being but fifteen resi-
dent property ownes who signed the re-
monStance, there were six more who had
signed it who lived on the avenue whose
names had been taken off by the city Of
dcials. He asked that the names of those
on the remonstance be read off, but this
was not considered necessary. He said
they were all present, although some did
not speak. He also said that Mr.. Watts
had been counted as q resident, although
he lived on Ellen street. Mr.. Watts re-
piled that his lot extended through to
Ellen street, and that he and his wife lived
in q house facing Ellen street. 1t was all
one lot. however. The committee will prob
ably inquire into the report that names
were stricken from the remonstance with
out authority. circumstances are always
referred to the city engineer to see whether
the signers are resident property owners.
This official reported that fifteen of twenty
nine resident property owners signed the
remonstrance. This gave but a majority
of one opposed. If the majority is six, as
claimed, it may make a difference with the
committee.
Chairman Montgomery and Messrs. De-
war and Woody, of the committee, listened
intently to what was said. Mr.. Mont
gomery said the committee would go over
the street before making a report.
COUNCILMAN WALCOTT'S PLIGHT.
The Indiana-Avenue improvements
Get Him in Trouble.
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