Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-09-13
$4,000 DAMAGE SUIT.
Norfolk & Southern Railroad Sued
by Great Bridge Farmer.
pIaintihf Claims the Railroad Has Injured
His Farm and Crops by obstructing
Drainage Hand BadIya1ashod a Quiet
Marriage Brief Items of Interest.

There are many evidences of Berk-
leys rapid growth. The streets. the
pavements. the pretty and frequently
costly residences and the handsome
cnurches snow that to casual OBJ
server, even; but statisticaf and undis-
putable proof is not lacking
len years ago, only, Berkeley became
town corporation by the act of the
Legislature in March, 1890 1t required
about five years for the town and its
citizens to realize the change: at
least, 1T was five years before any civic
improvements were really started. he
cause 1t was five years before the
flnanciers could borrow the money to
pay FOR improvements. Some persons
seemed to think that Berkeley was good
enough as she was: others didn't think
so. BY the aggressive progressiyeness
of the latter there were successive
amendments to the town charter till
there was final act allowing the
privilege of borrowing $4,000 by the
issue of interest bearing bonds.
The acts of the Legislature allowed
an issue OF $4,000 In bonds. That
amount was Increased to 100000. and
finally to S150,000 during the session of
1898.
These bonds were sold In successive
lots. The first lot was sold with diff
Guilty. although they bore six per cent
interest. while the last sold realized a
handsome premium, Notwithstanding
the interest was only per cent This
is source of qualification as an evil
dence of the financial responsibility
and integrity of the town and the
faithful efforts of those who have been
Entrusted With the management of
public affairs.
That money has not all been expend-
ed and the bonds have not all been
sold. But, by the last report. sl1O0 900
worth of the bonds have been sold,
leaving $4,000 still to the credit of the
corporation. OF the $4,000 worth of
bonds sold $4,000 has been expended as
follows:
Five thousand dollars for improve
ment of equipment for fire protection.
Ten thousand dollars for purchase of
real estate for cemetery and other pur-
poses
Eighty thousand dollars for street
improvements exclusively. and is evil
denced by widening of Chestnut street
at cost of s2.S41.45 and paving the
same with Belgian block.
Two miles OF streets graded and
macadamized or paved with Belgian
block.
Two and one-half miles of streets
curbed, guttered and shelled.
Two miles of streets graded and
shelled.
Fifteen thousand square yards of
brick sidewalk laid,
In this amount is also included the
cost of surveying and maps: also the
cost of sewers for surface drainage.
This work has been we'll done. The
citizens appreciate its necessity: they
are proud of the results. They have
been stimulated to improve their own
premises. Many of the old dwellings,
have been repaired ana painted. so
that they appear TO be new, while
others are really new. The town. from
the ferry wharf all along the rrinci-
pal streets. has an improved appear
ance and the signs OF thrift are album
dant.
Now. the fact that these improve
ments have been secured at Il yearly
expense Of $4,000 in interest. is not
worthy of consideration. when com
pared with the benefits that cXpcndi-
ture has secured.
Ten years ago the taxable valuation
on the assessable property was $50.
536: last year it was Sl.6l6.231. Al that
rate of increase there will be AN in
crease to about sl.Soo.0o0 for the assess
ment that will be ready for collection
in November.
Berkeley Is improving rapidly, but
there is q larger proportion Of dwell
ings than Is usual in town of its size.
That is because the proximity of Nor
folk and the attraction OF lne larger
stores and greater stocks OF merchan-
would buy in Berkeley. The easy COM
municntion with Norfolk prevents the
segregation of large stocks of mer-
chandise and prevents the building OF
stores in Berklcy. That decreases the
normal ratio of taxable property of
that kind in Berkeley. For limited
time that will retard "a great increase
In fhc tovnhip value of commercial
the best paying property. That, how
ever. Will change with Bcrkley' s
growth. so that where there is larger
proportion of business houses and Il
smaller proportion of dwellings to tax,
the increase of the city will be rela-
lively much greater than /, is now.
The improvements then will be faster
and tpe interest less.
Mr.. William Gray. of the Great
Bridge road. has entered suit for $1,000
against the Norfolk and Southern rail
road The plaintiff claims that the de-