The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-27
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Commissioners TO Abolish the
Abandoned Car Tracks.
4 Plan of Action Suggested by the
Engineer Dspartment-The Valid
ity of Tax Decd-NavnI Obscrva-
tory wires To Abolish Splitting.


ity of 81 Tax Decd-NavnI Ohserva
tory Wires To Abolish Splitting.
The Commissioners are taking steps to
! rid the streets of the abandoned car
| trucks which, it is claimed, heve for two
| years disfigured certain streets of the city.
| and rendered any attempt to improve
| them impossible. Some of these streets,
| it is said, have been long out of repair,
| and it is proposed by the Board to sub
| nit TO the present conditions no longer
than is necessary to take the required
| action in the matter
The Engineer Commissioner recently
| addressed request to Captain Newcomer,
his assistant. for official information as
! to the length of time that has elapsed
since the street railway companies ceased
| to operate the tracks on Fourth and 7
Streets northwest, and also for report
as to the present condition of these
| tracks.
In reply to this request the report of
A. L. Thomas, an inspector of the Engi-
| necr Department, who made an investiga
ton into the facts. has been submitted as
follows
Il find it has been Setween two and
two and one-half years since cars We're
Fourth Street between G Street and New
York Avenue. As to the condition, / find
the and p Street tracks in fair condi-
| ton for old unused tracks. except at New
Jersey Avenue. Seventh, Ninth, and
Eleventh Streets, which places are badly
in need of repairs. The Fourth Street
tracks are in extremely bad condition
from G. 10 l. Street, and in places are
dangerous to vehicles There has been
no connection made between these tracks
and the underground systenIs. except
at New York Avenue and Fourth Street"
IN submitting this report Captain New
conner took occasion to say that the road
way pavement on anC p Streets is of
sheet asphalt, in poor condition, except
between the rails of the street car tracks,
where the paving is of cobblestone, which
is a very Objectionable type of pavement.
In many places the rails project above
the roadway surface, says Mr.. Newcomer.
adjoining them in such manner as to
make it dangerous for vehicles crossing
the tracks.
Upon receiving these reports Commits
sioncr Beach forwarded 90 his assistants
the following statement for their consid-
GRAFTON and approval:
The act of Congress approved June
%, 1895, to compel street railway COM
panies to remove abandoned tracks pro-
vides that upon failure to operate said
tracks for a period of three months, the
Commissioners may notify the company
to remove the tracks and place the street
in good condition. and upon neglect or re-
fusal Of the railroad company to do so
within sixty DAYS after date of notice
the directors shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor. and shall be liable to n fine
of SO day for each and every day they
fail to comply with the terms of the no.
tice.
las will be seen by the preceding en-
d1rsements, the tracks on portions of .,
i. and Fourth Streets northwest have
not been operated for a period much in
excess of that named in the law. and l
would, therefore, recommend that this pa
per be referred to the Attorney of the
District OF Columbia for such action as he
may consider necessary and proper to
compel the company to remove the aban-
doned tracks from the streets and place
the streets in good condition"
The Attorney for the District, Andrew
b. Duvall, has submitted to the Comis-
sioners his opinion relative to the deed
issued to Meyer 3. Newman for SS-IO0 of
an acre of land on Rock Creek Ford Road
which is claimed by Mr.. Newman's at
torney to be faulty. The property re-
ferred to is agricultural land, assessed in
the name of Mamie Viola Opdyxe, and
was sold for taxes April IS, 1898. The deed
in question was executed by the Com
missioners on December {, 1900, and was
delivered TO Mr.. Newman December 81,
1900. In his opinion the Attorney says:
"On January IS. 1901. Mr.. Newman's
attorney forwarded the new deed request
ing its execution because the old deed,
which was also forwarded, contained such
a faulty description of the property that
it could not be located by such descrip-
tion,
'On February IS, 1901. Mamie v OPP
dyke, now Barbee, by her attorney. re-
qucsted that the aforesaid tax sale be |
declared void, alleging that Newman had |
returned the tax deed, now in the pos |
session of the District and insisting that |
the description of the property in the ad- |
Vertisement FOR the tax sale is fatally de- |
fective, describing property impossible to |
locate. and that it was not on Rock Creek |
Ford Road, etc. |
Il do not understand that Mr.. Newman |
surrenders his tax deed. He offers to |
surrender it II the proposed new deed is |
executed and delivered in lieu of it,
Under all the circumstances of this |
case. j am of the opinion that the Com |
missoners should decline to execute the |
new deed and return the deed already ex- !
ecuted. This will leave the matter where
the parties can assert and maintain their
respective rights IN the premises"
1t is understood that the Commissioners |
VIII adopt this course of action. /