The evening times., 1901-04-26
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Inspector of Plumbing on Ter
IA Gotta Piping.
An application for Its Use in Ia
E1oma Park Rejected-Thc Commits
sioners' Reply to the Congress
Heights Business Mems Protest


sioners' Reply to the Congress
Heights Business Mems Protest
The District Commissioners today re-
jected the application of H a Curtis. of
Takoma Park, for permission to connect
the existing terra Gotta sewer
in front of his house on
VermiIlion Street with the main
sewer recently constructed TO the Takora
school building The Inspector Of Plumb
ing made an investigation Of this case
and reported to the Commissioners as fol-
lows:
Respectfully returned with report that
the house of this applicant on Eerrlillion
Street is about I05 feet distant from the
main sewer. and the end of the terra
Gotta waste line is about twenty-five feet
distant. AS IA as 1 have been able to
learn this terra Gotta line was laid with
out inspection and authorization some six
or seven years since when the house was
constructed
The only exceptions that have been
made from the requirement of a cast
iron front connection have been in subur-
ban situations, like Park Street, Mount
| Pleasant. where the houses were from $50
to 200 feet, or more. distant from the pub
lie main, and where the sewer was en-
tireIy new, and in a few Of these cases,
uniformly against my recommendation,
permission was given to use terra Gotta
house sewers. I do not believe that those
conditions apply to this case. or that the
reasons urged by this applicant are suffi-
cient to justify an exception from the
general practice.
1t would prove a difficult precedent in
the future IL in the construction of a
in in, Of al dyr
draining to the gutter, connections with
the old terra Gotta line were approved,
and I recommend that this applicant be
informed that permission is denied
The Business Mems Association of Con-
gress Heights recently protested to the
Commissioners against the proposed
closing cf Shannon Street. contending
that the right did not exist to take such
action 1t was held that the deed of gift
WAS made on condition that a highway
fifty feet wide should be Kept open and
maintained as q public highway
William p Richards Assistant En-
Sineer. in reporting upon the matter, has
informed the Commissioners that the
status OF this street has been reported
upon in previous papers. and thai the
( District claims a fee simple To the roads
/ here referred to as Shannon Street I do
not know of any steps being taken to
close it at the present time. but its re-
| tentiOn as a road is of very little value
except As TO the few lots in Congress
Heights bordering on it
Mr. Richards recommends that no
action be taken in the premises at this
time
The facts stated in the letter OF the
association having been verified by the
Surveyor. the Commissioners approved
the report Of Mr. Richards
Joseph r. Fague. as attorney for O. II.
Bryant, has requested the remission Of
penalties and interest on taxes for the
years 1883 to 1893. inclusive. against sub
lot F, Kelleys subdivision, Of the
Wright & Cox plat. In reporting upon
the application, at the request Of the
Commissioners, the Assessor says:
This property WAS sold at tax sale of
1898, in name Of John H. Duckett and tax
deed dated December p. 1897. issued to
Samuel r Bond, who subsequently. uu-
der deed dated January :, 1885. recorded
January j, Is9s, conveyed to John II.
Duckett, the owner at date Of tax sale in
1895
1T has been held by our courts in
Brewer ct al vs. District OF Columbia,
that q tax deed based upon q tax sale
would operate 10 eytfnguish AL antece-
dent taxes. but in this case the holder
OF the deed under said tax sale Ey re
conveying the property back to the OTiEi-
nal owner, would appear to have forfeit
ed his rights under the decision in the
above case, and in my judgment the lien
for taxes with accrued penalties and in
terest should hold against said John H
Duckett, who was the owner at date Of
the tax sale.
The facts In this case do not warrant
the relief sought, and the matter is sub
mitted with an adverse recOUmenaa-
tion-"
HuIdah w blackboard Secretary Of the
Industrial Home School. has reported to
the Commissioners certain changes among
the employees Of the school Alice Cum
Minis is appointed Iaundress at S15
month. vice Mamie Nicholson. resigned
Kate Cummins is appointed housemaid
at 80 q month, vice Alice CummiEs,
transferred. These appointments are to
take effect from April /
Charles W Ball has submitted TO the
Commissioners a schedule of the propO-
s&Is received for refining with lead the
water supply tank in the attic of the
Central High School Building and recon-
meudS that the contract be awarded TO
Z J. Hannah.
The Commissioners have approved the
recommendation Of the Inspector of
Plumbing that AlLnira Forester be permit
ted to use one sewer and one water main
for the two houses 213 and 215 Twenty
second Street northwest. The Inspector
states in his report that the Improvements
are Old frame houses containing four
rooms each, and not in very good state
of repair He says the total frontage is
about thirty feet and that the lots have
Il depth OF about fOrty-SiX feet. He thinks
that the buildings do not constitute peF-
manent improvements and for that rea-