The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-04-29

( wharf question:
/ Editor Pensacola Journal:
/ N nOte in your last issue a com
/ municatiOn from Aldermen Sol Cah1
/ and Jas. McHugh informing the citi
/ zens of Pensacola that the franchise
! committee was unanimous in its re
rort regarding the Florida Blanca
street wharf franchise, and stating
! that the explanation was in justice
! to Alderman MHldon.
In taking notice of this communi
cation l do so as a private citizen
and not as an officer, and l want tC
say to the public that l haven't one
iota to retract in regard to my posi-
! ton in this matter.
Il have always cOntended that the
/ city Of Pensacola should retain h9I
water front, and not give it away to
/ everybody who asks for IL without
adequate consideration. am still OF
/ the same opinion. l think that my
j record in Office will show that | am
| opposed to the city reinquishing its
Y alter front without ample cOnsidera-
ton This matter 10 which I refer
( is an entirely different matter alto
/ gether.
questions Asked
The City Of Pensacola. for a con-
! sideration, gave away a wharf privi-
! ltge twenty-five (25) years ago, and,
! before that wharf privilege had ex-
pired Alderman Muldon, some weeks
/ ago asked the council to Withdraw a
motion to adjourn in order that he
/ might report this matter to the cOun-
/ Gil. No action was taken, and sub.
( seqUently, as chairman of the finance
| committee, he made the report
under discussion. Nobody has Ques-
1 toned but that the report was unan.
imOUsly the report of the commit
/ tee nor that it has been adopted by
/ the council; but it does seem rather
/ peculiar that such haste should be
/ taken to void a franchise before it
/ had expired. Why does not the
/ council pass resolutions vOiding other
/ franchises that are shortly to ex-
Iire? Why am singled out in this
matter? Is the city council so soil
Citous that 1 will spend a few dollars
/ and lose them? If not, what is the
matter? Would it not look a great
Ceal better to let a man die before
! You bury him, than to try to bury
4 him alive? There was plenty of
time to void the franchise after the
time had expired. The wharf was
rot going to run away, or the
owners either, and if they lost any
( Il oney in the matter, it was their
hJ siness, and theirs alone.
/ Now the peculiar thing about the
matter is the change of heart" of
| the city council In 1903 an ordin-
ance was introduced abandoning the
! foot Of L street on the water front to
| Mr.. MuldOn without one cent of re-
enumeration and without any consid-
Grafton whatever, giving him the
/ privilege TO fence it UP and keep the
| public of of 1t. On Nov. IS, 1903.
the following petition was sent to the
council by the owners of property in
that vicinity
Pensacola, Fla, Nov. Is, 1903.
ITO the Honorable Mayor and City
Council of Pensacola,
NGentleImen-Wla the undersigned
resident property owners on the
Little Bayou respectfully submit TO
you the following facts:
"First-There is a street or road
way along the water front in the
vicinity of Brent's mill which we
have used for years; in fact, the
public has had the use Of this road
way many years before the property
became a part of the city of Pensa-
cola
r'Second-Recently this roadway
was temporarily CLOSED by a piece of
lumber being nailed across it by
Mr.. Brent, it being claimed that the
bridge across a little stream was I'm.
safe.
Ihird-An ordinance is now be
fore your honorable body proposing
that the city shall abandon all claim
to the water front rights of L street
in this vicinity, which if passed will
give away valuable city property for
the benefit of one of your honorable
body and his associates.
FFOUrth-Only yesterday Hon
James MuldOn, a member of your
honorable body closed the said road
to the public in the vicinity of said
street, also at NJ street by building
fences across the SAID road to the
" alter on the bay front.
"Fifth-The closing of said road.
way causes Mr.. Peake and his work
men who pass to and from his shin
- N'iS 'ACAAItS VI L street 10
travel over half a mile to get the
distance of one square; TO particu-
larlze, to now travel from L to M
street one is compelled to travel
/ square east, about 2I5 square,
north, about 21a squares west and
2l2 squares back south to get a dis.
lance OF one square. OF course. the
public generally has TO travel this
circuitous way to travel the beach
since the said fences were built.
SlXth-We have very few streets
or roadways in this part of the city
and the closing of said road is not
only a great Inconvenience. to the
general public but it is directly a