The times., 1899-05-03
THE WRONG lots DUG
UP BY TIE DISTRICT
Property Of Stanley Pearce
DespOiled Of Its Sod.
He Makes Wraihful Demand for
$2OS in Reimbursement.
The Department Thinks This Too
Much, and Offers n Suggestion
Peculiar Blunder.

a mistake on the part of District agents
in removing sod and sell from the wrong
property has brought forth a vehement
protest from Stanley Pearce, OF 2910 Olive
Avenue northwest. The District is :ur-
thermore asked to pay s20S for damages
growing out of the error, and the matter
is now a source of correspondence between
the complainant and the District Commits
sioners.
1t appears that the Superintendent of
Parking recently entered into an agree
ment to remove soil from certain lots
owned and controlled by w. Riley Deeble
at the current price of 10 cents per load.
1t is claimed that during the course Of a
conversation between Mr.. Deeble and Su
perintendent Lanham, Of the Parking
Commission, the latter was given to under
stand that the lots were located along
Sixteenth Street between the Columbia
Road and Park Street, and were marked
with the signs of the real estate firm.
When it was time to begin cutting the
sod, no lot number having been taken by
Superintendent Lanham, the District agents
proceeded to tear up the ground and sod
forming a part of lot 81, in Sixteenth
Street. This lot, it seems, was marked
with sign bearing the words ''Deeble &
Co." About 100 cart loads of soil were
removed from this property. 1t was sub
sequently ascertained that the lot be-
longed to Mr. Pearce, although it formerly
belonged to Deeble & Co, who, 1t is as
serted by the District officials, had failed
to remove the real estate sign.
When Mr.. Pearce learned what had &C.
CURED he wrote to the District Commits
sioners expressing his wrath in the fol-
lowing words:
Il have never in my life been more
outraged in the peaceful possession OF my
property than in this instance. II seems
the Parking Commission, through its
agents, not only tore down the barbed
wire fence and nnlawfully entered upon
my property, but outrageously defaced the
same by tearing away the sod OF an area
of surface measuring 30x125 feet, and put
therein plows and removed the soil to a
depth of twelve to eighteen inches, all OF
which | know to be fact, from personal
investigation.
Il feel that wanton destruction or the
grossest negligence has been practiced. In
either event, l do not propose to be made
the victim. While the sum named In the
account bill will in some slight degree
pay me for the actual value of the prop
erty taken and used by the District for
its own purposes it will in no way repair
the injury done me in the peaceful enjoy
ment of my property and rights as citi-
zen and taxpayer.
mo agent had authority, and, as far as
! know, has assumed 10 have authority
to give the necessary permission for the
removal of this property, and have never
been approached nor have given any per-
mission whatever for any such purpose
In acting upon the complaint the en-
gineer sent the following recommendation
to the Commissioners:
Il recommend that Mr.. Pearces lot be
filled in and sodded and left in its former
condition as near as the District is able
TO make it, and that the fence be replaced.
The number of yards of earth removed
were 160 loads, and the price offered MIR.
Deeble was 10 cents load, The lot lies
entirely within the proposed extension Of
Sixteenth Street, which is likely TO be
condemned within the next fiscal year"
The complainant asks the District to
pay him s20s damages, but this is eonsid-
cred too much by the Engineer Depart
ment.