The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-02

/ Inc request having been referred 10 tHt
Engineer Department, Morris Hacker, AS
sistant Engineer, submitted report &c
! tie Commissioner stating that the board
walk on the north side of T Street, be-
J tween Lincoln Avenue and Second Street
cast, is considerably rotted and warped
| This walk" he continues, would seem
to cfIer a yery great convenience to per-
sons taking the cars in lexington, and III
my opinion should be maintained. The
/ difficulty in making repairs arises from
the want of similar material to replace
such portions as are so badly rotted as to
! be dangerous,
The only solution that occurs to me is to
cut this walk down from three board wide
| to two-board wide and TO use the good
boards taken up 10 replace those in bad
| condition. l recommend that this be done
as a minor repair. chargeabie to the apprO-
priation for the repairs of county roads
! The roadway itself from Lincoln Avenue
! 10 the barn is in fair condition and l dc
not consider any repairs necessary The
I portion between the barn and Second Street
/ is dirt road and | know of no funds
/ available for its Improvement"
The report of the Assistant Engineer has
been approved by Capt D. d. Gaillard,
| Acting Engineer Commissioner, and it is
understood that his associates will agree
with him in his decision.
Clarence a. Brandenburg the Assistant
Attorney for the District. yesterday SUBJ
mitted to the Commissioners his opinion
on the communication OF Mrs. Ella L. Dor
sey relative to the removal OF weeds from
lots adjoining her premises.
The question presented by this COM
munication," says the Attorney, lis what
constitutes weeds in the meaning of the
act OF Congress approved March /. 1899,
! requiring the removal thereof from land
In the city of Washington. That act pro-
vides that it shall be the duty of the own
er, occupant, or agent in charge of any
land in the city or the more densely popu-
lated suburbs, TO remove from such land
any weeds thereon, of four or more inches
In height, within seven days after notice
from the Health Officer.
There is rank growth upon the lots
IN question, more than four inches in
height. The report OF the inspector shows
that this growth consists of grass and
honeysuckle The question is, Are tall grass
and honeysuckle weeds within the meaning
Of that word as used in the act of Con-
gTess? Grass and honeysuckle do not come
within the ordinary ana commonly accept
ed meaning of the term weeds, though
when permitted to grow rnrestrained they
may become, as in this case, equally OBJ
i-oxious as any ordinary weed In my
opinion, which l regret to say | am unable
TO fortify by authority, the word weeds as
used in the act of Congress in question,
does not embrace grass and honeysuckle
The purpose of Congress, however, was
obviously to require the removal from va
cant lots of rank growth of whatever ma
ture, which should not be permitted to
grow so high as to be offensive or objec-
tionable to sight and Injurious to health,
though the language, as stated, is not
broad enough to effect this purpose. II
there are some weeds commingled with the
grass and honeysuckle, the owner OF the
lot may be required to remove such weeds.
! This may afford a solution OF the diff
Guilty, as in the removal Thereof. which may
be enforced by the act, the owner may
conclude to remove the tall grass, which
is the basis of the complaint, instead of
separating the grass from the weeds"
Pursuant to an invitation by the Mary
land Division. Sons Of Veterans. the District
Commissioners have addressed a letter to
the commander-in chief of the order.
which Will meet in Syracuse, n. Y, Sep
TENDER IL. u. and 49, In their letter the
Commissioners say that they have been
informed Of the patriotic purpose of the
organization to erect in some appropriate
place a national memorial military college
The letter continues:
They have the honor TO invite your at
tention to the exceptional advantages
which: would accrue 10 the youth who will
be trained in such college by its estab-
lishment at the National Capital, or in its
immediate vicinity. The pupils educated
in an institution so located would, in their
free access to the Congressional Library,
Smithsonian Institution, the National Mu-
scum the Naval Observatory, the Patent
| Office and the halls Of Congress, have a
combination of educational privileges which
| could not elsewhere be secured.
They would, during their scholastic
terms be in constant association with the
embems of the national dignity and power,
and would have the privilege of studying
the practical administration of the Federal
Government. Their study of the history OF
the United States would be illustrated by
statues and monuments typical OF great
men and great events and they would be
within easy access Of many Of the great
battlefelds of the war of the rebellion.
THE Commissioners earnestly invite your
| association to consider the availability in
| this regard of your own Capital City for the
proposed location. and they pledge them
| selves to endeavor TO secure from the Con-
gress of the United States any appropriate
legislation which may be deemed necessary
view by the Sons of Veterans"
Mathew H. Hunter. OF Benning, recently
sent a communication to the Commission
ers complaining of the reckless manner
in which cars are run on the line of the
Columbia Railway and asking whether
there is a law to restrain the same. Mr..
Hunter referred in his letter to a specific
instance in which the motorman ran a
| crowded car at fun speed and much of
| the time turned and faced the passengers
in the car, some of whom were engaged
| in noisy demonstrations
The complaint having been referred to
| the Police Department for investigation
and report, the Superintendent instructed
Lieutenant Daley to have his bicycle men
| give the electric cars such attention as
should secure safety TO life and limb in
the thickly populated portions OF his prs-
cinct.
Lieutenant Daley in reporting upon the
matter states that since the receipt of the
| complaint the bicycle men have closely
observed the running of the cars on the
| Columbia Railway within the city limits
of his precinct and he says the men have
| informed him that the cars are not run
within the city limits above the lawful
speed. Outside of the city limits, from
Fifteenth Street to East Deanwood, near
| the District line Lieutenant Daley states
that the Columbia Railroad is built on
private right of way, except the Deanwood
| and Anscostis Road crossings. Every pre-
caution Is afforded by the company for the
| projection Of their passengers, the lleuten-
ant thinks as they have fence enclosing
Their property from the public road at Ben
| RINK so that vehicles or pedestrians cannot
rorIe in contact with the cars. A narrow
| passage way says the lieutenant, is the
only access from the road to the Column