Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1902-07-03
A Town Dispute.

| created IN the town QurinR tne PdsS
week by the continued efforts OF the
town council to force Mr.. G. M. Beltz-
hoover and the Misses Magruder to
remove the new porches which they
recently erected in front of their re-
spective dwellings on Main street
Last year, it will be remembered, Mr..
Beltzhoover bought the Weise proper
ty at the corner of Main and Duke
streets and remodeled it for dwelling
house. The dilapidated old building
was transformed into very handsome
residence that is not only credit to
the enterprise and good taste of the
owner, but an object of pride to his
friends and neighbors and those who
are DESTROYS of seeing our town beau
tilted and improved. Included in the
improvements to the property is fine
colonial porch which was erected on
the Main street side of the building.
This porch, which is one of the hand
soonest in the community, extends a
triAe over the four feet.line which a
somewhat obsolete town ordinance
says shall be the limit Of such struc-
lures. Most persons rejoiced to see
the very decided improvement which
Mr.. Beltzhoover had made to that end
of town, but some one took occasion
to find fault because the porch was
too wide The matter was brought up
before the old council, but it was COM
pletely ignored.
When the present council went into
Office the matter was brought up again,
and has since been pushed with per-
sistence that many persons think saw
ors more of persecution than lauda-
Bile desire to enforce the laws. Mr..
Beltzhoover was notified to remove
the porch, or reduce its size, which
latter meant simply the destruction Of
the edifce and considerable financial
loss to its owner.
Last week Mr.. Beltzhoover was
summoned to appear before the coun-
Gil at meeting to be held last night
and show cause why he should not re-
model or remove the porch. There
was good deal of indignation among
his friends and the people generally
over the affair, and the business men
of the town got up petition to the
council asking that the ordinance be
not enforced. The petition was
signed by nearly all the business men
of the town and by property owners
generally. including his neighbors
who would be Inconvenience most of
all if there was any inconvenience.
Considerable feeling was engendered,
and at the council meeting last night
the sigDers were on hand to give their
support to their sentiments.
The council meeting proved to be a
fzzle. At the appointed time the
council room was filed with spectators.
The recorder was absent, and his books
were in the safe. Sheriff Billmyer
tried to work the combination, but the
safe stubbornly refused to open, and
after perspiring over it for some time
the sheriff gave it up. Next Harrison
Schley was called for, and being some
thing of an expert he attacked the
combination with confidence. He
was obliged to retire defeated. There
was talk of hunting a burglar, but
James Rightstine happened in just
then, and in his smooth, easy way
gained the confidence of the refractory
lock and finally swung the door open.
He was heartily applauded. The
books were gotten out, and it was
then discovered that the minutes of
the previous meeting had not been re-
corded. Mayor Harrison stated that
lit would not be proper to hold a meet
ing in the absence Of the recorded
minutes, and motion to adjourn was
offered and carried. 1t was under
stood that the matter would be taken
up at the next regular meeting.
We hope that the council will re-
spect the petition that will be present
ed to 1t and drop this matter. Mr..
Beltzhoover does not wish to pose as
one who defes or disregards the law
or any part of it, but he does object to
being singled out as an object of per-
secution. 1t is true that his porch
extends beyond the line fixed by ordi-
nance-but so do scores of porches in
the town. New porches have been
erected and old ones rebuilt right
straight along exceeding the limit, and
nothing has been said of 1T. At his
property the old stone pavements have
been replaced with excellent brick
sidewalks and there is more room for
persons to walk now than there was
before his porch was built. The i'm
provements there in which the public
share are so marked that it is ex-
tremely inconsistent to annoy him be-
cause he has made them. The porch
of the Misses Magruder is not as wide
as others on the same block, and it
does not seem the fair thing to put
them to the expense Of buildinga new
porch when right in line are porches
considerably wider than theirs:
No one is Inconvenience or harmed
by the porches referred to. This be-
ing true, the members OF the town
council as well as other citizens ought
to feel a pride in seeing the improve
mepts to our town, and those making
them should be encouraged instead of
annoyed. The petition above referred
to shows how strongly public senti-
ment is with Mr.. Beltzhoover and the
NI;,aas Maurnder opd in iustice tn IT.