The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-23
To PAVE WHITAKER
MOVEMENT FOR BRICK HAS BEEN
STARTED AGAIN.
DIXON WILL ADVOCATE 1T.
PROPERTY OWNERS WILL PETI-
TION COUNCIL.

| Expected That the Petition VIII BE
Read Tomorrow AfternOOn-A. j.
Dierks Said He Has Secured Some
Forty Signatures and That Only
Three or Four Failed to Sign
When ApprOached-Acting Mayor
Dixon Has Promised to Support
the MOvement-Says Cost to Prop
erty Owners Would Not Be More
Than 81 n Front FOOt-S., II. and L.
Taxed.
When the City Council meets to-mor-
row afternoon a petition from Whita-
ker street property owners who want
the street repaved will be read. The
petition has been circulated by Mr.. A.
j. Dierks, who said last night that he
had secured some forty signatures of
property owners and that only three
or four whom he had approached had
failed to sign.
Acting Mayor James NJ. Dixon has
been asked by several gentlemen to ad-
vocate the paving of Whitaker street
He said yesterday that he had prom
ised them that he would do so.
Alderman Dixon said he could see no
reason why the work of paving Whita-
ker street should not be done this year
He believes the finances of the city
admit of the work being done
particularly as the citys and the prop
erty owners proportion of the cost is
to be comparatively low The street
is in need of a new pavement, and AL
derman Dixon thinks vitrifed brick
should replace the dirty, noisy cobble-
stones with which it is now paved.
The acting Mayor directed attention
to the width of Whitaker street, which
is only twenty-five feet from curb to
curb. The cost of paving it, therefore,
would be decidedly less than it would
cost to pave one of the wider north
and-south streets. Alderman Dixon did
a little off-hand figuring and found
that, including the cost of the heavier
curbing that would have to be laid in
order to Withstand the pressure from
the pavement, property owners would
not be assessed more than 81 a front
foot.
If paved at all, it is probable that
Whitaker street will be paved its en-
tire length, from the Bay to Forty
second street. Alderman Dixon advo-
Gates such a plan. He considers that
the convenience. to the people along the
street affords a strong reason for a
new pavement, besides the demands of
general \ traffic. The congestion on
Drayton street, for instance, would be
relieved by a new pavement on Whit
aker.
Paving the street anew would prove
a heavy tax on the Savannah, Thun-
derbolt and Isle of Hope Railway
which would have to defray the entire
cost of paving between the street car
tracks and eighteen inches to either
side. The track is owned by the City
and Suburban Railway, but is held
under lease by the Savannah. Thun-
derbolt and Isle of Hope, and it is I'M
derstood that under the terms of the
lease the lessee would have to pay for
paving.
The track extends from the bay to
Fortieth street. 1t is estimated rough
ly that the paving would cost the COM
pany about $4,000. That would not
leave a great deal to be divided be-
tween the city and property owners.
property owners opposite the places
where the company has put in switches
would have still less to pay than those
who have but single track in front of
their property.
Alderman Dixon will champion the
cause of Whitaker street, and will
push the matter before Council. He is
DESTROYS of seeing Savannah show
more activity in paving, as he consid-
ers that the city is behind others in the
area of its well-paved streets