Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-05-15
VIEWS ARE GIVEN ON
CARR ST. QUESTION
LEADER FIRMLY BELIEVES
STREET SHOULD BE OPENED
VdCdting is Literally Giving Some
thing for Nothing to Some and
Discriminating Against Others
Alleged Expense of Putting Street
in Shape Is Idle Talk.

From he who hath nothing, will
be taken away even that which he
hath. -
The above biblical quotation is
brought to mind rather foricbly as q
result of the question ''to be or not
to be-" in the Carr street controversy,
which has been changing fire. for
10, these many months, having
been cussed and discussed by TIE
members of the city council, the
warning factions, their legal repre-
sentatives and the public quite gener-
ally.
TO be. or not to be, aye, there's
the rub. The question is rs to
whether Carr street is to be vacated
or opened to the public as utility OF
travel. Citizens quite generally have
voiced opinions pro and Con relative to
this matter al issue, which is to come
before the city council at its regular
meeting next Tuesday evening, when
hearing has been granted property
owners along the street. At the
coming meeting the burlosque should
cease and the matter finally disposed
uf one way or the other and the cur
tain dropped Oh what has commenced
to take on the air VI farce comedy.
The Leader is like the quaint old
Methodist parson, who. in introducing
his remarks leaned his elbow on tn.
pulpit and remarked: brothers and
sisters, | have an idea, as strange as
it may seem, but true So with
| The Leader, ''strange as 1t may
seem," has an idea. That idea is
that Carr street should be opened, not
only for the benefit of the public in
general, but for the benefit of the
property owners adjoining, who have
purchased lots there and built homes
for themselves after years of toll and
seif-sacrifice. From the ew-point
vf The Leader, it cannot fathom how
al alderman can vote otherwise than
for the opening of the street and feel
that he has performed his duty. The
fact that the street has been closed
for nearly three score years is no
argument for the vacating of the
street. From year to year. the street,
which belongs to the public, and not
to a few Individuals, has become
more valuable. In fact the value
| 70 Iooidx,I aAx
of ths interurban line, especially as
the tracks are to be laid along Western
avenue, making Carr street neces-
sary adjunct for the safety of public
travel.
The quotation starting this article
was brought to mind in the case OF
VIM. Brumm, who bought property
adjoining Carr street, knowing full
well that it was a plated highway
and property of the city; feeling tina,
1t was not to be doled out to few
individuals in the way of vacating
procedure, in the event of which it
would become necessary for Mr..
Brumm to either drop from balloon
to enter his own premises or buy at a
goodly expense a right way Cross
lots to gam Western avenue. Looking
at the situation from an unbiased
position, The Leader feels that vacar-
ing the street is procedure which
gives to few something for nothing
while the worse feature is that it is
discrimination against others. The
idea of making "good fellow" of
ones self in the disposition of such
problems should not be listened to or
tolerated by fair minded people.
Humanity's sake should be the stock
in Trad. in putting this question out
of the way.
AS an argument against the open
ing OF the street, the place has been
referred to as swimming pond and
tales of woe have been told of the
expense that would be incurred in fill
ing the street for traffic and keeping
1T in repair. Such talk is void of
argument. How would it be for the
city authorities to ask the officials of
the interurban company to haul their
surplus dirt from Western avenue to
Carr street and make the necessary
fill? The company would no doubt be
only too glad to do 1t, and the neces-
sary fill made without any expense
to the city. Then again, local con-
tractor states that he would level
off the street and put it in good
shape at al expense to the city not
to exceed $50 or $40.
For years. MIR. Brumm has had
nothing, 30 far as any particular ad-
vantage of Carr street Is concerned.
The vacating would mean that the
council would vote to take from him
"thau which he hath"-a hope OF
justice in the opening of thorough
fare.
If Mr.. Brumm was the only party
to be abused by the vacati ting of Carr
street, that alone would be sufficient
grounds for the opening of the street.
But there are others.