The record-union., 1897-06-09

And There Are Others.
Eds. Record Union:" The following
communication has been forwarded to
the City Surveyor by the writer there
of:
Sacramento, May %, 1897.
William Mullenney, City Surveyor
Dear Sir-Your favor of the 9th in
slant, saying that great deal of COM
plant had been made to YOU because l
had not constructed a new sidewalk in
front of my lot at Twenty-fourth and
II streets and directing me to proceed
with the work, and kindly suggesting
that you would regret to have to cause
my arrest for violation of ordinance
N. BIZ, has just been received, and in
answer 1 beg to say:
F1rst-That l will proceed at once, or
just as soon as / can get man to
do the work, to have the sidewalk con-
structed
Second-That I appreciate my duty
to observe and obey the law in all
things, and that my failure to construct
the sidewalk was with no view of evad-
ing the law, or my duty as a citizen of
this city, but the delay has been for
the following reasons, viz: One of my
| neighbors residing in the same block
requested me to defer the work until
some time this spring, when he said he
| expected to make a new walk in front
OF his lot, and that he thought others
owning lots in the block would do like
wise, and that if the work was all done
at once it could be done better and
mo cot teSf1
sured that it was your custom to allow
such work to remain undone often for
an indefinite time after it had been or
| dered, and many instances were cited
10 me where it was said that this had
| been the case.
While it would have been just as con-
Venient for me to have had the work
| done at once, / have only delayed the
work for the foregoing reasons. and |
again assure You that it was with no
intention of evading the law, and as [
supposed, and still have the very best
reasons, and many of them. to suppose.
L was following a custom that had been
| recognized in your office times innum-
| cradle, and that there should be no
cause for complaint by the three or
four dozen pedestrians who pass daily
over the sidewalk in front of my lot.
| went to the expense-extra-of having
the space from which l had the board
sidewalk removed filled in with fine Gin
ders up to the grade of the walk, and
an inspection of it will show that it is
hrSt-claSS clnder walk, and pre-emi-
nently superior to the walk that has
been permitted to remain in front of
Armory Hall for so long a time, where
there is such large volume of travel.
and is also far superior to so many
sidewalks in so many parts of the
city where there are fifty times or more
of travel
To undertake to enumerate the num-
Der of such sidewalks would be almost
impossible, but 1 beg to call your at
tention especially to the shameful con-
dition of the walk at the east line of the
brick house on the northeast corner of
n and Seventh streets, the walks on
the east side of Eighth between X and
L, and L and NJ, and especially to the
shameful and disgraceful condition of
the ramshackle that has been so long
permitted to remain and to endanger
the limbs of everyone who is compelled
to pass over it, at the southwest corner
- 49, etiid ~ otlSStS, " the us
grace of the city, and which is a, glar-
ing monument to the culpable inefficien-
cy or favoritism of the officer whose
duty 1T is to report it to and to have if
considered by the Board of Trustees.
and to administer the law impartiallv.
and which is the cause of imprecations
and curses to be heaped upon the per-
son who is responsible for this shame
ful condition of q sidewalk on one of
| the most public thoroughfares in the
city, and to which visitors to our civ
point the finger of scorn in answer to
assurances of the enterprise and faith
fulness of our city officers.
1 congratulate myself that this i'm
perative, and very proper demand on
me TO conform to the ordinance direct
ing me to construct sidewalk in front
OF my lot, means a new epoch in the
matter of enforcing the laws pertaining
10 the construction of sidewalks. and
also that it means that hereafter the
law will be enforced without fear or
favor, and / assure you that indulging
this hope, it will be with no small de-
gree of willingness that 1 will proceed
to comply with ordinance No. 80. 7
am, dear sir, very truly yours,
A. c. HINKSON.
He fS Noxx, l-o DIo:r<sse