The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-05
HAULING IS EXPENSIVE
THE SOUTHERN MUST REMOVE
OBgTHUCrTONS-
REMOVAL OF THE cAprrol FtNel
The Mayor and State Authorities Thanked faf
Their Aid-.Employment af CeeSlet
Labor-.0 Opening Of Elm Street,
Paving on RIouHt.

The report Of the Street committee
| presented last night by chairman Drew
nv. at the meeting Of the Board OF Al
dermen, IN Of ~ great Importance Ah
| general interest to the people OF it1i
eigh THAT il is given below in full;
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of
Aldermen:
| Your Committee on Streets beg 10 sub.
nit their regular monthly report as fol
lows: The work of improving and
| identifying the streets of cur city has
| progressed unusually we'll since our last
meeting. Our rock quarry has been open,
| ed and is now being rapidly developed.
| We are getting ont some of the finest
| Belgian blocks which has ever been seen
| anywhere. The rock crlsher has been
moved TO the rock quarry and is now
| being put together. AS soon as we get
| it UP we will commence crushing stone,
and the work of maca1amizing will be
| pushed along with the work of grading
and curbing the sidewalks. We are
very much encouraged with results so
| far at the quarry. The stone is muc,l
harder and splits much better than was
anticipated The most difficult problem
| which now confronts us is how to get
| the stone to the city after it is gotten
| out. The item of hauling it with teams
would be considerable, SO we are serious
| ly considering the ACCESSIBILITY of rum
| ming a tramway out Hargett street. We
are now investigating the cost.
/ 1t is with much pleasure that we are
able to report that an agreement has
been reached between the State and city
authorities by the terms of which the
/ old iron fence is to be taken from the
| capital square.
This iron fence will be used by the
city in enclosing the old City cemetery.
The city is to grade and curb the side
walks around tine Capital Square, and
| terrace the grounds and otherwise put
| them in proper order.
The city is also required to pave the
| streets around the square with Belgian
blocks, except in front of the Supreme
| Court building, which is to be paved
| with shell rock. The State is to furnish
us with fifteen convicts to assist in this
work.
The last Legislature passed an act
| requiring the State to pave One4half of
the streets around the square Whenever
the city was ready to pave the other
half and stipulated that the work was
| to be done with convict labor, and with
stone taken from the State quarry. By
the terms of the deal which we have
made with the State authorities, we are
| to do all the work at the city's expense,
but we are to have the use of 10 con-
| victs to aid us in getting out the stone
and otherwise prosecuting the work.
We believe that this arrangement with
| the State and city authorities will prove
| mutually advantageous to all parties
| concerned, as the State secures the COM
| pletion of the work without paying out
anything in actual cash, which will add
| wonderfully to the beauty and convent
ence of its property, while the city OBJ
| tains a good iron fence for the old City
| Cemetery, about the only place in the
| city where a fence is needed and gets
| four of its principal blocks right in the
| center of the city well pavel and i'm
| proved at comparatively small cost.
i The State authorities have been ex-
| ceedingly kind and considerate of our
wishes in arriving at this agreement.
They listened patiently to all of our
/ wishes and yielded willingly to almost
| every request made by us.
We feel that the thanks of this Board
/ are due them, and also to our Honorable
| Mayor, who kindly consented to negO-
| tiate with the State authorities for us,
/ and it was largely through his able and
| skillful management that such satisfac-
| tory results were finally obtained All
| praise to our worthy mayOr-tO whom
| we doff our hats and delight to honor.
In making improvements on South
/ street, where the Southern Railway
/ crosses it, we find that the sidewalks on
| both sides of this street are entirely OBJ
i structed by the embankment supporting
| the road-bed of this road. We stopped
the work and notified the railroad au-
/ thorities as we did not want to do any
thing which would interfere with their
road-bed without giving them sufficient
notice. They have done nothing so far
| as we know looking to the removal of
these Instructions. This is great in
convenience to the people living in that
| part of the city. South street has been
curbed, and we desire to require the
property owners to put down good brick /
| sidewalks, but it is useless TO do so as
long as these distinctions remain, as
the residents in that part of the city
in order to reach their homes have to get |
| out in the middle of the street and walk
| under this bridge.
We therefore recommend that the !
| bOdTu lHSlTucI the Guy cFefk TO HOtlIy /
the railroad authorities that these OBJ
structions must be removed, and request
them to proceed as soon as possible in
the matter, as the sidewalks on both
sides of the street are totally INSTRUCTED.
1t is with feelings of sincere pride that
we again call attention to the way ana
manner in which the people all over the
| city have responded to the demand for
street improvements. We have never
before seen such a united, full ana con-
plete sympathy and cooperation eNhlpit-
ed on any public question.
Nearly every one has shown uisposi-
ton to aid us in the work.
They have assisted us much Dy tneir
advice and kind words of encouraselnen y;
which has lightened our burden anu
taken away the bitterness wnlcn - SOM
times the lot, even of CONSCIENTIOUS anu
faithful public officials. -. ,,on- !
We believe that the property owners