The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-17

II After long consideration of the subject
H the Commissioners yesterday formally pur-
II chased what is known as the Rupert tract
II as the site of the proposed municipal hos
H pital. The tract in question contains
H 31.7 acres, and the consideration was $685.
II 400. The purchase was made from Henry
II J. Rupert, through Rosenberg & Co.
n The purchase was effected yesterday by
H the receipt of letter from Rosenberg &
II Co., accepting the formal offer for the
H property made day or so ago by the Com
i missioners. The letter describes the terms
Il of the purchase and the tract itself as fol-
\ lows:
\ ION behalf of the owners of the tract Of
\ land submitted by us for site for municipal
II | hospital, we beg to state that we are au-
1 /! tEorized and directed to accept your verbal
| proposition namely: To purchase that part
| OF the Rupert tract containing 81 acres,
| more or less bounded on the north by
Utica Street, on the east by Iowa Avenue
on the south by the northern boundary of
the Heitmuelier tract. and on the west by
| Arkansas Avenue (said streets and avenues
in accordance with plat made and surveyed
by August Burgdorf Allen S. Johnson and
Louis II. Emmert, trustees) for the sum
Of $63,4O0, and agree to donate or dedicate
without cost the following streets run
ming through said tract. said streets being
designated on the survey above referred to
as follows Iowa Avenue, Arkansas Ave-
nue.. Thirteenth Street, Utica Street.
The decision to buy this site was reached
after an exhaustive examination Of nearly
al the available land for the purpose in
the District of Columbia. The Commission
ers, acting upon the authority vested in
| Thorn hy 10 Of nf I'm
6. 1900, advertised for sites for the pro-
posed hospital. and in that way received
nearly hundred offers OF sites in various
parts OF the District. Finally, after eX-
aiming the greater part of them all. the
offers were rejected on account of the high
price demanded for the most of them. A
special committee was then appointed to
make an examination of all sites offered,
and to report to the Commissioners those
in their juG gment best adapted for the pur-
pose and within the limits Of the appro-
priation made by Congress. The commit
tee reported some days ago. and it is I'M
derstood that the Rupert tract was the
first choice of the committee. After Wis
ting the locality in person the Commits
sioners decided to purchase it. and made
formal offer for the property with the re-
| suit that it has been accepted. and the
| transfer will be made as. soon as the neces-
| sary legal preliminaples, can be arranged.
| Inc site TOUCHES at OiS punt uPou
Brightwood Avenue and is therefore ac-
cessible to the street cars 1t is convenient
| to the most thckiy settled part of the Dis
| trict. The land is nearly all above the
grade of the adjacent streets. and is well
suited, it is said, to the purposes of mod
ern hospital.
The Commissioners yesterday expressed |
themselves as we'll. pleased that they had |
! secured so good a tract at price within |
the funds allowed by Congress. In fact, |
| the Commissioners are of the opinion that
| they have made gopd bargain, as well as
getting one of the best sites in the Dis
trict for the purpose =
Turner & Mitchell. attorneys for Mrs.
Martha Baggett. recently wrote to the
Commissioners relative to notice that
had been served upon their client to re-
move building near the Eagle Gate OF
the grounds OF the Soldiers Home. They
stated to the Commissioners that Mrs.
Baggett had strong claims in equity to re-
main where she is until such time as she
could with convenience to herself and her
interests remove elsewhere.
The Engineer Department, in reporting
upon the matter stated that the house in
question is on the public space and was
built there after the dedication of the
ground in the roadway to the District.
The Inspector OF Buildings stated that
owing to the absence of official data in
regard to the matter and to the unim- {
proved condition OF the locality the fact
that this building is on public property
was not known to him until the fact was
recently pointed out to him.
After a hearing upon the question be-
fore the Board of Commissioners and after
considering the reports of the several de- {
partments upon the matter Capt. Lansing l
H. Beach the Engineer Commissioner. has
recommended to his associates that let
ter be written to Messrg Turner & Mitch /
ell informing them that the public street
in which Mrs. Baggett's house is located t
was dedicated to the District on Deem
Der Is, 1892. He wishes them also to be '
informed that no permit was issued on c
March 10, 1896, as stated by Mr.. Mitchell I
at hearing before the Commissioners on
October 3. 1900 and that on March Il, G
1897, permission was granted the Bright 1
wood Railroad Company, per Martha Bag
gett, to erect a temporary fruit stand on
the property of the said railroad company. I
and that on September 80. 1898. permission
was granted the said parties to make GER
tain repairs to waiting stand and lunch n
room at the end of the Brghtwood Rail-
way branch opposite the Eagle Gate to q
the Soldiers Home. all back of the build I
ing line Captain Beach also wants the |
attorneys informed that it appears the I
house was erected in the street subse- .
quent to the dedication of such street to
the District and that there is no authority c
for its existence ia its present position o
The Engineer Commissioner recommend u
ed to his associates that Mrs Baggctt be I
notified through ner attorneys that the
house must be removed from the limits of =,
the public street within fifteen days from y
date OF notice to that effect.
John y. Baker. of 1919 II Street north
west. recently wrote TO the Commissioners "
complaining of the delay in insttuting p
for the extension of Pennsyl- IL
Vania Avenue east. and he asks to know a
what the Intentions of the Commissioners y
are in the premises. He states that the a
object of the act Of Congress approved p
March ), 1883. was the extension of Penn u
syivania Avenue. the members OF Con- N
gress recognizing the need of its extension IL
Oh sentimental grounds and for the rea-
son that ii would Oifer TO persons OF lin ="
il ed means easy and convenient access 10 pl
a high and hcalthful section where sub p
urban homes could be acquired al 'loI- OF
crate prices. Mr.. Baker says that 20 he III
original bill some minor extensions of NJ
streets were added by way of amendment ~
but he says that it was not the intention IL
that the minor matters should blockade 81
the main object. M
Mr.. Baker states that it is important pl
10 the man of moderate means that lie get pi
access to low priced lands for a suburban
home, because he is compelled to remain ="