Evening journal., 1909-11-26
COMPLAINS OF
CITY ENGINEER
Washington Man Says He
Couldn't Get Lines Of Will
mingtOn Property Marked

Edwin L. Bradford, a craftsman. living
at Washington. d. c.. in a letter to City
Council which was read at the weekly
meeting of that body last night criticized
the city engineering office. Mr.. Bradford
ia a taxpayer In Wilmington.
In the letter which was dated Novem-
lber a2. Mr. bradford set forth that about
the first Of October he came here and
called on the chief engineer 10 have
marked the lines OF a property along the
p. b. and W. rallrond at the foot OF
Logan street. II Is owned by his wife
Florence O. Bradford. After going over
the maps and other records with the chief
engineer. IT, 3. Grifhths. Mr. Bradford
said he left the required amount ia pay
mont for this work and secured a receipt
for the money.
Mr.. Bradford waited until the last OF
october then wrote 70 Mr.. Grlfhths and
received a reply that on account Of an in
sufficient force his work had not been
done but that he would attend to It at tho
earliest possible moment Mr Bradford
said he again wrote 10 Mr.. Grifnths about
November Is. In answer he said Mr.. Grif-
aths returned the money left with him
for establishing the lines. and Bradford
says Mr. Grifnths told him It was the rule
OF the city engineers office to decline to
mark lines when the descriptions furnish
ed were indefinite.
This. Mr. Bradford thought. was a poor
excuse as Mr.. Grifhths had a copy Of the
deed and had located the property on his
map. He said Mr. Grifhths' map also
showed piece OF property transferred
to the wilmington and Northern RAILROAD
Company, with all distances, angles and
three stones which he could work from,
and this piece OF property. Mr.. Bradford
said bounds two sides OF his land.
The writer said that while it seemed
strange to him Grifnths had advised him
I to have the railroad company's engineers
mark the lines. Council referred the letter
from Mr.. Bradford TO the engineering
committee. which committee was instruct
ed to investigate The clerk OF Council
was also directed to notify City Engineer
Grifnths TO be present az tho meeting Of
I the engineering committee next Wednes-
day evening. and AIr. Bradford Will be
asked TO attend.
Mr. oriffiths Explains.
When Chief Engineer Grifnths was
I seen by a reporter for THE EVENING
JOURNAL to-day. he did not feel dis
posed to discuss the matter. because
he did not want TO get into news
paper controversy. believing that the
| proper place TO discuss the case was
] l.cf,., tl,a r,,tl,ffo hufT1fnpr ropnu,fffoa ~
Council.
Mr. Grifiths stated that Mr.. Brad
ford was one Of those kind of men who
wanted TO force others to do things,
and he (Nr. Grihths) did not propose
10 be driven.
"When Mr.. Bradford made the re-
quest TO mark four lines for him we
agreed to do IT," said Mr.. Griffith. "the
same as we would have done for any
body else He failed to give definite
distances and other information, how
ever. and for that reason the matter
has been delayed as long as it was.'
"We told him what the charges
would be and he paid them in advance
When the information needed by us
was not forthcoming I decided that
because the man lived out of the city
70 try and get together sufficient in
formation from other sources to mark
the lines for him. He tried TO hurry
matters. however. and ! did not like
the tone Of one of the letters he sent
me. He said he was a taxpayer In
Wilmington and insisted that 1 must
mark the lines without Seceiving any
distances or other necessary informa-
iton from him. I sent him a check for
the amount he paid to mark the lines
which is fixed by law at 81 for each
line marked. He then sent a letter
TO Council taking the matter up with
that body.