The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-18
REMAINS CLOSED.
Second Street Will Not Be
Opened This Year.
Ants Managed to Delay Work
for the Present.
JUDGE WOOD WRATHY
Charged City Clerk Squires
With Changing Records.
The COuncilmen Laughed and
Peace Was Restored.

A dozen or more residents of the
Fourth ward of the vicinity through
which it is proposed to open Second
street between Fillmore and Western
avenue, spent an hour and a half in
the council chamber Friday night con-
tending for or against the creation of
benefit district to bear the expense of
the Improvement
Before the matter was settled clash
occurred between J. G.. Wood and City
Clerk ]. H. Squires, Wood accusing
Squires of classifying the city records
The city clerk was sustained by the
reading of the stenographic report of
the previous meeting and the council
INDUCED in an audible smile at Judge
Woods expense.
The opening of Second street, as well
as other streets in the vicinity, has been
subject of contention in the neigh
borhood for a good while past. A year
ago an effort was made to create "a
benefit district to include not only Sec
ond street but also Fillmore and Third
streets A protest was filed because the
assessment was not properly apportion-
ed and the district was knocked out in
the district court. The matter laid over
until this year when petition was pre-
sented for opening Second street.
After the benefit district had been
mittee of he council and the ordinance
creating the district was ready to be
passed, Judge G. S. Huron, Judge J. G..
Wood and others appeared and protest
Ell against it. That was last Monday
night In response to the request of
persons the matter was laid over until
the next council meeting, which occur
red last night
Friday night the protesting property
owners appeared before the council with
a written protest signed by about one
hundred tax payers of the proposed dis
trict Judge Huron was also equipped
with numerous citations of law and rea-
sons showing why the benefit district
petition was prepared without the con-
sultation of the signers of his protest
and exhibited the affidavit of ]. H
Hunt who stated that his name had
been put On the original petition with
out his knowledge.
On benalf of the opening of the street
T. F. DOran was present and said that
the people of the locality who wanted
the street opened were willing that the
size of the district be increased but that
rather than have the opening of the
street delayed they were willing to bear
the additional cost that small district
would make.
THAT part of town needs to have
those streets opened" said NE. Doran.
while other parts of town have been
getting pavements and improvements
and are progressing that locality mas
stood still. We have lived in a pasture
and always will unless we get those
streets opened. 1t is impossible for a
vehicle to enter the alley between Fill
more street and Western avenue north
of Fourth street. That unopened local
itv is an eyesore to the whole city as
well as to the people living around it.
If we don't have that street opened
we'll live in the woods and die In
COW pasture"
Judge ]. G. Wood then resumed the
argument for the prosecution" He
said the residents of the locality. who
did not want the benefit district cree
ated as recommended, had been un~
fairly dealt with. He said that they
had been given to understand that
they would have two weeks in which
to prepare their protest against the
opening whereas they had but four
days. Judge Wood said the council
had in fact ordered the matter laid
over for two weeks and that the pub
lished minutes of the meeting showing
it to have been laid over until the
next ensuing meeting" was an in
correct report.
At this point City Clerk Squires. who
is responsible for the official records.
attempted to interiect denial but he
was overruled by Judge Wood. who
was by this time becoming warmed
to the object under discussion. He
went forward to pronounce the pro-
posed benefit district an imposition and
an outrage and to announce that if the
council went ahead with its creation a