The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-17

Property Holders-Some Express
sions by Leading North End Men.
Resolved, That Providence road and
North Main avenue to the city line ought
to be paved.
Resolved, That Providence road and
North Main avenue to the city line can be
paved.
Resolved. That Providence road and
North Main avenue to the city line shall
be paved.
These resolutions were unanimously
adopted at a mass meeting of Provi>
dence property holders in Company ii
armory last night. They bespeak the
sentiment which prevailed at the meet
ing and which permeates the whole
North End.
The meeting was attended by the
! very best men of that portion of the
city and was a very business-like af-
| fair. 1t was called, primarily, to de-
eide whether or not another and deter
mined effort should be Immediately
made to get a pave and to select the
| kind of pave to be laid, if it was de-
cided to give the project a fresh start.
c. II. Won Storch, chairman and A.
/ y. Vosburg, secretary, briefly and for
! mally stated the purpose of the meet
| ing and that was all there was to it.
! No one even thought of wasting time
on n motion to proceed with the paw
/ ing.
SIGNING THE PETITION.
! A petition to be presented to councils
! asking for the pave and indicating the
choice of the petitioners as to the kind
( of pave wanted was on the chairman's
desk and while efforts were being made
to talk the few kickers into line, the
property holders present, whose places
are on the line of the proposed i'm
provement, We're going up on their
turn and signing for brick pavement.
A letter from Colonel George San
derson regretting his inability to be
present and expressing his earnest
sympathy with the movement, evoked
from Major Fish some caustic COM
merts on the absence from the meet
ing of the North End councilmen, Mr.
Finn, of the Second ward, being the
| only one present.
The call for the meeting. Major Fish
said, was general to the taxpayers of
the North End Other questions beside
that of paving We're to be discussed
anu lilt SHOulu Dt present
that they and their constituents might
exchange ideas, The people of the
North End, he continued. propose to
keep an eye on the city officers; they
will be encouraged in every laudable
effort, but no delinquencies will be toll
Grated.
ABOUT WIDTH OF STREET.
There was some discussion on the
question of widening and narrowing
different portions of the street, eX-
Postmaster Frank NJ. Vandling making
lengthy speech against any varia-
ton from the present lines, except to
save shade trees. He was particularly
opposed to narrowing the square"
When the corners are paved he said it
Will be big boom to property there
abouts. Real estate on and adjacent
to the square sold last year for 80 per
cent. of what was asked for it five
years ago. The condition of the streets
was to blame for this, he said.
Touching upon the opposition to tie
pave eVinced by those who contend
that sewer should first be construct
ed, Mr.. Vandling called attention to
the fact that no sewer can be built
under the recent ruling of court un-
less the city contributes two-thirds Of
the total cost, and the city a.s,resent
can not contribute a cent, owing to the
fact that it already taxes the full limit
of thirteen mills for current expenses.
The sewer being an impossiblity, it is
useless, he argued, to think of 1t in
connection with the pave. The pave
can be secured and will be a great i'm
provement. The course of wisdom would
l. H.. 81, 4
struction of the pave would be doing
that.
John Hawks, speaking for himself
and some of his Bulls Head neighbors,
said they We're opposed to surface inn
provements until the sewer was built,
Mr.. Finn, after reminding Mr.. Hawks
that the sewer was an impossibility
: unless the property holders would pay
I the whole expense, asked Mr.. Hawks
| If he and those he represented would
= be willing to pay for the whole cost
of the sewer. Mr. Hawks did not think
the people he represented would he
willing to waive the benefit given them
by the law. THE fact of the matter
said Mr.. Finn, 'is that you don't want
either the pave or the sewer"
MR.. JORDAN'S STATEMENT.
j. j. Jordan said he would be willing
to pay the full cost of a sewer in from,
r of his place if by that means he could
get pave. Mr. VOsburg, Major Fish
D and a number of others signilied THEN
, willingness to do likewise.
Mr.. Vandling said this was all use
less, as they could not build the sewer
even if they would be willing to pay the
full cost. The law does not permit it
He advised dropping the sewer anC
l getting down to the simple question o.
pave.
John Mitchell, of Rockwell place, an
nounoed at this juncture that the peo
= pie down his way had signed for pave
when the petition was previously il
circulation, but now they are deter
mined not to sign the new petition un
til a sewer is assured. His remark
. occasioned no comment.
: A committee consisting of w. II
Christmas, George Benedict and j. j
s. Jordan was appointed to circulate tn,
petition. 1t was also arranged tina
), Mulley's store was to be the repostor,
z, of the petition when the committee dit
not have ii in hand.
There is no question, the pave boom