The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-16
WILL PAVE CASTOR
CITY COUNCIL VOTED To LAY A
BRICK PAVEMENT.
VOTE WAS EIGHT TO THREE.
MAYOR GAVE NOTICE THAT HE
WOULD HOLD UP ORDINANCE.

Alderman Cnnty NQte0 Against III.
Those who Voted for It-Several
Gentlemen Appeared in Opposition
to Any New Pavement-Capt. J. F.
Cam Appeared TO Advocate One.
Arguments That Were Adduced on
Both sides.
CASTOR street, from the west side of
Price to the east side of Jefferson street,
will be paved with vitrified brick. This
was determined by vote of the City Coun-
Gil last night. Those voting for the ord
nance were Aldermen Holland, Horrigan,
Schroeder, Frank, Dixon, Watson, Fripp,
Bacon and Colding, while those voting
against it were Mayor Myers and Alder
men Thomas and Canty.
The question was the absorbing one of
the meeting. 1t was up in caucus, and
took up a good deal of the time
that was spent in the private delibera-
tions of Council 1t had been expected that
the discussion would be in open meeting,
but it was decided to have the gentlemen
owning property along CASTOR street who
wanted to appear before Council in the
matter give their views in caucus.
Mr.. w. H. Wade Capt. Henry G.. Cum
ningham, Mr.. Lawrence Lippman, Mr..
George w. Owens, Hon. Pope Barrow,
and Mr.. Lee Roy Myers appeared to pro-
test against any other than shell pave
ment, while Capt. j. Ferris Cam, repre-
senting himself and others, appeared to
advocate brick pavement.
The chief speaker for those opposed to
the substitution of any other pavement
for the present one of shell was Mr.. WAGE.
He said that he had circulated
petition Immediately after communica-
| tons were addressed by the Streets and
Lanes Committee to property owners on
| CASTOR street, asking that they make
| known their choice of a material for re-
| paving the street, as between vitrifled
brick and asphalt. The petition was gen.
| orally signed, as was a second one, that
| only two failed to sign. Mr.. Wade said
| that he and others he represented were
| satisfied with shell pavement II they
could only have one kept in proper re-
pair. They do not like that they now
have, he said, particularly along certain
| parts of the street. AS the property own
ers had borne their proportionate cost for
laying the shell pavement, he thought
that they should not have TO pay for an
other, particularly as there are other
streets in the city, he continued, that
need paving worse than Castor.
The contractors to whom the house
drainage work was let were required to
| replace the pavements they disturbed, and
| Mr.. Wade insisted that the city should
| restore the CASTOR street shell pavement
where it was dug up for the house drain
age main. The thin crust of shell remain
| ing on the street, he declared, is due
| to the fact that repairs have not been
made as they should have been and that
the shell dust has been swept up and
carried away, instead of being sprinkled
and rolled. The expense of putting down
new pavement he said, would be great,
and could not be borne easily by some,
as it would come at the same time with
| the cost for making house drainage con-
| nections. He gave the case of one lady
who had told him that the lowest estimate
| she could get upon connections for her
| house had been $65. To some of the very
wealthy persons on the street, Mr.. Wade
said, the cost of paving would make no
difference, but to that, in his advocacy of
new pavement, Capt. Cam said that the
only two gentlemen, reputed to be very
wealthy, whom he had approached, de-
| clined to sign a petition for the paving on
! the ground of the cost
Mr.. Barrow and Capt Cunningham also
spoke briefly opposing any new pavement
Alderman Thomas asked Capt. Cunning
ham if he regarded the present condition
of the pavement on the eastern part Of
CASTOR street as satisfactory, to which
| Capt Cunningham replied that it was
fairly so.
Capt. Cam told the alderman that he
thought a new pavement necessary, as the
present one has worn out. 1t would be
unhealthy, too he thought to hay a new
/ Ill /. Il e
objection to the retention of she'll pave
ment. he said, was not on behalf of the
Castor street property owners alone but
| of those all over the city, as he had been
| told by the director of public works that
1 the cost of keeping she'll pavements in re-
pair is far greater than that for brick
| The burden of taxation upon ALL he ar
gued from this is greater on account of
shell pavements. While the cost of main
| tanning shell pavements is enormous, he
said. that of keeping brick pavements in
repair is nominal
The following property owners had a
petition. asking that CASTOR be paved
| with brick: Joseph Ferst, j. Z. Gutman,
| c. H. Wilcox, estate of j. f. Cam,
George t. Cam for Annie G. Cam, w.
| c. McDonough, John ,Rourke, H. Traub,
j. H. H. Entelman, and A. E. Smith, who
will be satisfied with any good pavement,
he wrote.
When the ordinance for paving the
street, introduced by Alderman Watson
chairman of the Streets and Lanes Com
mttee, was reached in open meeting and
| had been read by the clerk, Alderman
| Watson moved it's adoption. AS substi-
tute. Alderman Thomas moved that it be
laid on the table, saying that he thought
the street should be paved, but that def
erence should be paid the opinion of the
majority of the property owners, who
4 might after delay. reach some amicable
agreement. Mayor Myers spoke in the
same vein, saying that he considered the
objections of the property owners should
| be needed, and that the city owes It to the
| property owners to put back the pavement
/ in as good condition as it was before it
was disturbed By the house drainage
work. There is very little money left
for paving, the Mayor said. and the Gas
ton street work would absorb all, where
as West Broad and Henry streets, among
others, really stand in greater need Of
being paved.
No SECOND was heard to Alderman
Thomas motion, and the ordinance was
adopted. Mayor Myers informed Council
later that he would take the full five
days allowed him by law before signing
the ordinance. which was taken to mean
that he might veto IT, The vote stood
eight TO three last night. Alderman Jones
was not present. but he is understood 20
| g.