The herald., 1897-08-24
PROPERTY OWNERS CONFER
CITIZENS OF EAST LOS ANGELES
ANXIOUS
For q Share of the Boulevard and Are
Willing to Pay Their Share.
The Deliberations

| rooms of the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' association to confer with the
boulevard committee in re the route sub
uitted to that body by the board, of engi-
neers last week.
There were present Messrs. ]. M.
Elliott, H. Newmark, Alex We'll, Joe
Mesmer, Walter Maxwell. John Kiefer,
J. H. Braly, William Ferguson, Judge
Silent, ]. s. Slauson. DR.. Wills, r. j.
Waters, NJ. o. Wood, Lockwood, Carver,
f. w. Braun, r. A. Ling, H. Jevne,
Henry Dockweiler and others. There
were large property owners who, al
though unable to be present, were in
active sympathy with the meeting and
were reported as having agreed to abide
by any decision those owners who were
present should make.
r. j. Waters called the meeting to
order and explained its object, and j.
NJ. Elliott was appointed to the chair,
Col. De Leur acting as secretary for the
afternoon.
Judge Silent was called upon by the
chair to explain the work that had been
done in the matter, and he referred to
the different routes that had been care
neers and the general boulevard COM
mittee, the many and conflicting inter-
ests that had been regarded, without
partiality to any one, and finally to the
comparatively direct line submitted by
the engineers and received, but not
acted upon, at the meeting of the COM
mittee last week.
The speaker then referred more in de-
tail to the route submitted, to the fact
that the committee had felt the neces-
sity that meeting of the property own
ers who would, by assessment be called
upon to pay for the boulevard, should
be called to confer with the committee
as to whether or not the report should
be accepted either in whole or in part,
Judge Silent drew attention to the fact
that the route, as reported, does not
assist East Los Angeles, and that its
residents want better facilities for get
ting into town, whichever road was de-
cided on would be that connecting link.
South Pasadena had volunteered to look
out for that end, and it was necessary
that this end from the Plaza to East
Side park should be built by assessments
upon the owners of property, the value
of which would naturally be enhanced
by the building of the boulevard. He
further said that one of the questions to
be decided was whether the route by
direct line to East Los Angeles sub
mitted by the engineers and requiring g
three viaducts should be adopted, or
another via Buena Vista street, which
could be widened, improved and made
into a boulevard on both sides of the
bridge The second question was, what
can be done to assist East Los Angeles
by opening a new street from the Plaza
to the junction of Bellevue avenue and
Buena Vista street?
At this point Mr.. Newmark asked if
the assessments for building the boule-
ward were to be compulsory or volun-
tary, and he was informed that they
were to be compulsory.
The relative probable cost of the
boulevard was asked for, and Judge ST.
lent said there were no figures in the re-
port, whereupon the report was called
for and read in full by the secretary
Mr. Dockwieler was asked what approx
innate figures he could give as to the cost
of the viaducts, and he answered that as
there were in the neighborhood of 4OO0
feet in the three viaducts in the report.
and they would probably cost $50 foot,
the total was roughly estimated at s240,
900 for bridge work alone in the en-
gineer's report.
Joseph Mesmer made some sugges-
tions as to how the viaducts might be
done away with, except one to cross the
river, the other crossings of railway
tracks to be surfaced and guarded by
gates. He thought that such an ar
rangement might at least do for the pres
ert, rather than to accomplish some
thing the expense Of which would be
prohibitory in the beginning. Mr..
Mesmer and Alexander WE'LL both
spoke Of the present bridges over
the river and the approaches that the
whole of the San Gabriel valley people
have to depend on.
City Engineer Dockweiler was asked
for suggestions, and he outlined an in
dependent route, one-third of which
was in the engineers report. one-third
in that of another of the parties, and the
other third would serve East Los An
geles, which, as Mr.. Dockweiler remark
ed, seemed to be the bone of contention
in. the matter with both parties. In il
lustration, Mr.. Dockweiler exhibited a
map on which his suggested route and
that of the engineers were outlined in
comparison and contrast. The maps OF
the engineers route were also exhibited
and some time was spent by all presen
in studying the merits and demerits of
all the routes shown.
r. A. Ling made a suggestion which
might simplify the East Los Angeles
matter by saying that he represented
the Dowrey avenue property owners,
and that if the boulevard extended
through that street In East Los An
geles the property owners would wider
and pave it, cut down the hill at the east
end, and otherwise make it possible To
esta blsh connection between the river
and East Side park without any con-
demnation of property anywhere, ara
with absolutely no expense to anybody
but those property owners. Mr. Ling
said he thought 1t was only right that
East Los Angeles should pay for her
own boulevard, and that the property
owners he represented thought s9etoo
Finally, after considerable debate Mr..
Newmark moved that the property
holders OF Main, Spring and Los An
geles streets recommend to the general
boulevard committee the adoption Of the
report of the board of engineers less all
q "a