The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-17
ISLAND CITY NEWS ITEMS.
Whole Question of Water Front Own.
ership Brought Up
The CITY CLAIMS TO OWN THE FLATS
viii Try To Stop the West END
Dock Company from Digging
Channel.

,The Posts brau,h Office in Galveston
is al the fremont Hotel, where items OF
news, subscriptions aud adve. usemen,s
VIII be received }
Galveston, Texas. December 1s.- The
West End Dock company. the formation
and purpose of which was fully detailed in
fhe Post a short time ago, seems TO have
plenty Of trouble ahead of It. The city
council has directed protest to Secretary
oil War Alger against the authority re-
Gently granted the company to arolge a
channel and erect wharves on the West
End flats In the course Of an article
reviewing the question, the Tribune this
afternoon says.
This brings up the whole matter OF the
possession of the water front Of this hll
Dor These West End 1ats extend tom
Forty-tirst to Fifty sixth streets. aud are
claimed by the City company under what
is known as the Menard grant In 1885
Michael NJ Menard and associates rur-
chased from laun n Seguin league and
labor OF land on the east end OF Galveston
| /
secured its independence in 1886 congress
passed an act validating the Mcxlcln title.
and vesting it in Menard and his associates.
who formed the City company. laid on the
town and sold lots The company sialmed
the flats as far as the channel
The company disposed of number OF
wharf privileges by gilt and otherwise
! and Tor years the wharyes were the nrup-
| erty OF individuals, but finally the in,er
ests were consolidated and what is luw
known as the Wharf company was fcrms d
its property extending from Tenth 10 Fer,
ty-hrst streets.
Late in the sos the city instituted iui
against the holders of wharf privileges 10
the possession OF the streets running ciea
to the chanuel and it vas also elaine,
that the lines of the original survey wer
never run to the channel. but only 10 10y
water mark along the bay shore Tho mat
ter was taken to the courts, where IT VIA
Irrigated for years. In 1866. during ,ae ad
mnistraton of Isaac =. Winia MS a
mayor, compromise was effected h
which the city became he owner cs
certain number Of shares IN tho War
company the suit was dismissed an, II
compromise ratified by an act ci the leg
, islature.
While il is not known upon what srernd
the city viii lay claim 10 The West En
flats the Inference is INT il VIII ,laii
that these fats were aN 1er III" propert
Of that company hecailse ~ WIS allcg.
-, IN the suit of the city Of Galveston pef ini
the Wharf company, the lnes oil the Segh
survey did not run to the .hlprcl but OF
10 low water mark. Us he coul ! not convC
what he never possessed. HE state al
not the City company is tLe owner of II
. flats. Hence, the State viii be asked
cede the flats to the city for docks or
- terminal purposes.
Tho West End Dock company also tcl
. tends that the City comp,1y does not o.
G the flats; they have o5tainei ~ mi I, IL
: from tbs war department to DR. sdge
q channel and improve the property, ana q
: supposed to be WORKING under he Arans
+ Pass act Of the legislature au hoi 7ns Il
purchase of flats for WHAT purposes a:
an acre.
A few years ago these Enst and We
e End dock privileges wore looked upon
, being of little value. NJ with the phrnor
!, email development OF the lor' du"ing {
j" past two years they have ass)nned gre
importance and IT Is not aroo1hl" WI
surrendered until after prolonged iisht
the courts.