The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-09-19

certain street Improvement may hurt
some one or more persons on the
street, but that cannot be helped. Re-
ferring to the proposed grade and i'm
provement OF State street, have to
say that | stand back of the new or
dinanoe now before the city council
establishing new grade on State
street. The ordinances, as proposed
is In close accordance with the pres
ent city ordinances and while the
street graded according to said ordi
nance may work hardship on two or
three of our prominent citizens along
said street, it will benefit the great
majority OF the owners along said
street. The only property that the
new grade will injure, by the proposed
cut, IL it Injuries that, which Is debat-
able, is the property OF the Hon.
Charles L. Early, and that Of Truman
Butler, ESQ.,, and perhaps that Of Mrs.
Canheld. know that these parties
are among our most public spirited
citizens, and that il convinced that
the proposed improvement Is accord.
ing to law, and that 1t will greatly
improve the said street over the old
grade, and especially that 1t will ben.
etit their neighbors across the street
for twice the distance that 1t Injuries
them, they will each say, LET the
good work 20 on, and will take my
medicine. What is the use Of having
a city engineer unless his judgment is
to be taken on questions In his juris.
iiction? First let us look at the Or
dinance establishing the grade on
State street now in force. The grade
centre 3rd Is l7S feet; centre of 4th Is
1893 feet centre of 9th is 2lS feet GEN.
tre of 9th is 239 feet; at point $50 feet
west of centre of 9th street Is 262 feet !;
at centre of 9th street Park ave-. 29I
feet. The proposed ordinance at the
said points makes the grade Center
of 3rd l76 feet centre of 4th 1877 feet
centre of 9th 2l6 feet centre Of 9th
293 feet; at 250 feet west about 255
feet centre of 9th 297 feet. Now com
pare the two. The grade was lowered
two feet ut 3rd 20 accommodate the
Stewart new building now going up
and was done by authority of your
street committee. The grade at 4th is
lowered one foot which will help the
climb up 4th street. The grades at
5th, 9th and 9th remain the same.
Now for the ordinances under which
We are working as to grades. Ordi
nance No. 40 establishes the grades on
State street between Front street and
the street at the points indicated az
above set out, and breaks the grade
between 9th and 9th streets as set out,
conforming to the hump in State
street. See section OF ordinance 81.
This ordinance, No. 81, 10 the only
ordinance defining the manner of Gal.
culating grades and says that the
grade shall conform to a straight line
between adjacent CROSS streets, unless
otherwise provided by ordinance. Or.
dinance No. 40 provides for q bieal
In the grade between 9th and 9th
streets at point $50 feet west of cen.
tre of 9th street. This is an objec!
tionable feature in this ordinance.
lhe grade should be uniform on q
straight line between 9th and 9th
streets, for the following reasons:
First--This State street is the prin-
eipal artery OF the travel OF the city
and is the only 80 foot avenue, except
I'd street, and should be made to be
most convenient to the great amount
Of travel passing over 1t. aud which
will constantly increase. The raise oil
the grade at the point objected to by
me makes the grade to steep, at least
unnecessarily steep at that point. A
glance at the ground will show this,
as the top Of the hump as 1t now ex
lists 10 about the grade adopted
Which is for the best interests OF th,
city Of Hood RIVER? To bave thi
street almost uniform grade from
the bottom of the hill at 3rd street &,
the Unitarian church al 9th street
making about per cent grade, o.
to have the steep pitch at the debata
BILE point? Should the interests of th,
whole city be considered or the inter
ests 1T few individuals on the street
| want to go On record so there viii
be no mistake as to how the city engi
neer OF Hood River stands. | "a!
change the grade, accept the new OF
dinance and make a beautiful stree
of this fine avenue. When the work i
done every fair minded man ON th,
street will say, Henderson, you wer
right. The change Is o. K"
Second-Tbe north side Of Stat
street is much lower than the soutl
side, and the change of grade at th
said point will benefit all the proper
ty from Il. l. Smiths residence 4
and including DR.. Brosius' residence
New this matter being disposed O
so far as | am concerned, l wish t
call your attention to the manner il
which State street is to be graded
Several days ago, number Of citi
zens, residents ON said street, togeth
er with your street committee an
myself, walked over said street fror
3rd to 9th street, and discussed th
manner of improving said street.
believe | am right when | say that n
two men of the party we're entirel
agreed as to how this should be done
Some wanted to cut the street dow
to grade aci oss its width. Other
wanted to have terraces above and bt
low the street, with a roadway grad
in the centre; while others wante
two road ways, one above the Other
that is one along side of the othel
but the surface OF one below the oti
er. Now why not proceed aocordin
to our ordinances as to this matter
See ordinance No. 81.
Now why not go ahead with the in
provement of State street accordin
to ordinanceY l understand that
is the intention of the city council I
ask the citizens of Hood River to vol
to change the charter of the city 1
the next city election, by amendin
the section of the charter, which Is {
follows:
"Section 68. Each lot or part of X
abutting a street graded, improved {
repair ed, shall be liable for the fu
nast of m aki inu tha aaxna I nan tha ha