The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-12
"A CASSIDY BASEBALL FIELD
NFILLED ~ UNDER HIS GOVERN
AEENTAVICTORS WILL Use IT.

me Earth IL being CaFtsd From Thlr.
teenth street BY City Employees
-The Excuse Given 10 tina the Ground
10 fhuS BeiuE Made More sanitary.
Property owners IN the vicinity Of jack
hon and Mott avenues. Long Island City.
were surprised recently when they saw
a number Of teams and men regularly
employed by the Bureau Of Highway,
working a. though their lives depended
upon IT, filling In . vacant lot near Van Alst
avenue With yellow soil. Everybody in
the neighborhood knew that the lot was
private property, and the taxpayers whose
curiosity had been aroused by the pro-
ebsaion Of public carts could not for the
life OF them make out what interest the city
had IN improving real estate In no way
devoted 10 public purposes.
Investigation by The Sun disclosed the
fact that the ground on which 40 much
hard work was being put in At the expense
Of the taxpayer was TO he devoted TO the
game Of baseball The lot II seems, IL the
property Of the New York land and Ware
house Company, which took over the eN-
tensive holdings Of Union College IN Long
Island City. Recently the manager OF
the corporation was approached by sew
hTAl YOuuK Iiitu NN0 EhlA NhCN "NAN AANhA~
hers Of the victors Athletic Club. Of which
Joe Barnes one Of Cassidy's lieut. enants,
IL the manager.
They said they wanted 10 turn the vacant
lot into a baseball diamond. Considerable
filling would he necessary, they said, in
order 20 make the ground hard and smooth.
They wanted perm ssion TO take the earth
for the filling from the ground which will
frsa.H l. l.
the public, but were informed that they
would have to get permit from the Bureau
Of Highways, which Is under the control OF
Borough President Cassidy. They returned
The next day and minated that there was
nothing to be fes red from the city and that
it was all right to take the soil from ThiT-
teenth street. ThcpupOn permission WAS
given TO them to use the lot.
The next day seven teams and twelve |
men, all drawing pay from the city, began |
work on the baseball diamond They dug |
the yellow soil out OF Thirteenth street, |
and when IL was loaded on the carts II was |
conveyed 10 the base ball diamond and spread |
about and pounded down. Next back /
stop was erected. and the grounds we're |
ready for play.
A sUN reporter questioned several resi-
dents Of the locality yesterday about the
matter. 1T Is a downright steal OF the
city's money, said one OF them. i under
Of the Highways Bureau excuse
rhe outrage by saying that the filing In was
done In order 20 drain the land and make II
more sanitary. Even II this were true,
which Il ISN'T what right has the city 10 do
such work? II the owners Of the land are
a nuisance II Is for them TO
Temedy the matter at their own expense,
As a matter OF fact, the land was we'll drained
md there was grass growing all over n
lefore the highways employees began the
york OF filing In. The new soil was placed
here at the expense Of the public solely TO
make baseball diamond for q private
hub.
But that Il only a sample Of what Il going
m over here all the time You see, election
inle y coming around again and Cassidy
. doing his level best TO make himself
'olid with the voters. The fact that he
4 conducting his campaign at the expense
n the taxpayers doesn't bother him In the
east. He always was a food spsnder,
out OF his own pocket"