The Washington times., 1905-03-13
WOULD WIPE OUT
ljNSIGH1LY ALLEY
Columbia Heights Citizens
Demand Relief.
OBJECT TO NORTH COURT
Assertions Made That Houses Occupied
by Negroes Should be Connected
With Sewers.
OBJECT TO NORTH COURT

North Court, q miserable alley in CO.
iGmbia Heights, has been declared d
public nuisance and Il menace to the
health OF the community by the Column
bla Heights Citizens Association, and
this organization has announced its
purpose OF having the place bettered or
abolished. whatever the cost may be
Judge Charles s. Bundy, president of
the association, declared to a reporter
for The Times yesterday. afternoon that
tomorrow morning representatives of
the organization will ask an audience
with the District Commissioners to
point out to them the fact that. con-
trary to the assertions of the Health
Officer. here is q law which will enable
the authorities to take immediate steps
for the abatement Of the nuisance. The
association is determined on a vigorous
campaign against the court.
The judge also declared that his asso-
citation has communicated with the
Health Office for a year, without OBJ
tanning an abatement Of the nuisance.
The alley, say members of the assoeia-
ton. is unkeInpt and unsightly.
Location of the Alley.
The court occupies lots and 3, block
Is. in Columbia Heights, being in the
square bounded by Wallach place, Sher-
man avenue Steuben street, and
Eleventh street The court consists of
two rows of houses fronting each other
and opening on a plot of ground that is
neither public street nor an authorized
alley.
The occupants of these "shacks'' are
negroes, and all the huts are over
crowded. There is only one outlet to
the court, this being into Steuben
street.
Judge Bundy in speaking of the
place. said:
TT is the one blot on Columbia
Heights. The shacks there are con-
neeted neither with q sewer nor with
a water main, and they have only sur
face drainage. The conditions are Of
fensive to the eye and nose, and the
locality has long been considered a
menace to the health of the neighbor-
hood.
The attention of the District
Health officer has been repeatedly
called to the conditions in the court
by resolutions passed by the Column
bia Heights Citizens Association, and
these resolutions have been duly sent
to the Commissioners of the District.
Up TO this time, however, no steps
have been taken to remedy the nuis-
aace.
TAT the last meeting OF the asso-
cation. held March 7. a eommunica-
tion was read from the District Health
Officer, which was q reply to q letter
written by DR. Benjamin F. Gibbs.
The letter justified the failure of the
authorities TO abate the nuisance on
two grounds. The first was that
there is no sewer available for the
drainage OF the premises in North
Court.
40 aTS
of the property are nen-residents.
Authorities Explain.
1T is claimed by the association and
by me, as its president, that the first
ground is hased on mistake of fact, be
cause there Is a sewer in Steuben street
which borders the property on the south
side, and, moreover, there is a water
main In the same street. These two
conditions, the water main and the
sewer. are all that is required. according
TO the law, for the local authorities to set
in motion the legal machinery to com
pei the owners of the property TO con-
meet the houses with the sewer and the
water main.
when We call on the Commissioners
Monday morning we will call their at
tention to the further fact that the act
of Congress. approved May -, 1896
seems 70 apply to this case, and TO afford
a complete remedy.
lone Of the provisions of this act is
that, If the nonresident property-cwn-
ers fail to make the desired sewer con
nections. after due notice, the work car
be done by the District government and
paid for cut Of the emergency fund.
There are fine houses within $50 feet
of North court.