The Washington times., 1901-11-23
DELAY In OPENING
ELEVENTH STREET.
APPORTIONMENT OF ASSESSMENT.
Awards of Jury of Condemnation
Pending Before the Court
Property Tied Up i'm Liti-
gatIon-Stones a Danger.

The delay incident to the execution of
the will of Congress in the opening of
Eleventh Street northwest from Florida
Avenue northwaTd, is as hard for the
property holders to bear as similar pro-
crastination in the extension of Sixteenth
Street, S Street, and Pennsylvania Ave-
nue. southeast. IL the truth must be told.
the pusillanimity Of few property hold
ers and the proverbial slOwness of the
courts fit into delay as the meshes of two
cog wheels.
! The matter vas recently brought to the
attention of the Commissioners for the
twentieth time by Charles w. Carter, of
the Corcoran Building In order to give
his complaint tangible point he request
ed the Commissioners to take steps to
apportion the assessment against lot IA,
square %, Columbia Heights, one of the
pieces of property to be affected by the
extension of Eleventh Street.
W. P. Richards. of the Surface Division,
has sent up report upon the complaint
stating that the assessment of benefits in
the condemnation proceedings is now be-
fore the Supreme Court of the District
for confirmation. He recommends that
the complaint of Mr.. Carter be forwarded
to the Attorney for the District and that
he be authorized to take such action as
may cause the assessment to be appor-
toned as requested.
Authorized by Congress.
Congress authorized the opening of
Eleventh Street in an act approved
March 8. 1899 Then followed litigation
relative TO the validity of the original
law, and some trouble was experienced in
getting certain of the property holders
to dedicate and the proceedings were de-
layed in various ways. In an act ap-
proved June s 1900, the Commissioners
were authorized to take action relative to
final ratification of the awards of the
jury of condemnation. The action begun
under the latter act is now pending and
awaits the convenience of the court for
settlement
At best it will be year or more before
matters Will be in a settled state, and
meantime the property along the pro-
posed thoroughfare is tied up in litiga-
tion and cannot be sold or improved
stones on BIadensburg Road.
A. F. souder has written to the Com
missioners Of the District giving express
sion to the dissatisfaction of people living
along the lower end Of the Bladeusburg
Road. The roadway was recently sur
faced with asphalt, and the granite block
tsken out of the cutters was left in piles
along the side of the road inside the curb
line
iir Souder se.s these stones are a
source of danger, and that he and others
returning from their work after dark
often stumble over them in getting to
their homes. He says the piles of stone
are not marked by any lights, and the
street lighting being somewhat dim, great
difficulty is experienced in avoiding the
stones, which are virtually upon the
outer edge of the sidewalk.
Conway b. Hunt, the Computing Engi-
neer. in reporting upon the complaint.
has informed the Commissioners that the
stones have been left in the position
which they occupy temporarily. He says
they Will be used in street work about a
month hence. and as a measure OF
economy they have been left piled up as
deserted. Mr.. Hunt does not regard
them as dangerous, and he believes that
it would subject the District TO unneces-
sary expense to remove them at this
time, especially as they do not block
either the roadway or the sidewalk.
Proposition to Remove Houses.
Rosa F. Downing, attorney for the
Michael Faherty estate, is anxious to OBJ
tain possession for his client of certain
houses in the line of the extension of
sherman Avenue. He has written to the
Commissioners. making a proposition TO
remove these houses al the expense OF
his client. il allowed to do so.
W. e. Richards. Assistant Engineer of
OF the Surface Division, has submitted
a statement to the Commissioners rela-
tive to the matter, in which he says that
il is the intention OF the office to adver-
tise the houses in question and sell them
to the highest bidder. He informs the
Commissioners that this action will be
taken not later than next spring, when
the buildings can be promptly removed.
Mr.. Richards recommends that the at
torney be referred to the District Audi
tor for information relative to the nav