The log cabin Democrat., 1911-07-10
CLIFTON STREET
IMPROVEMENT
PROF. GREENE WRITES
BELIEVES PROPERTY OWNERS
SHOULD UNITE TO WIDEN
STREET.
Editor Log Cabin Democrat:

EultOf Log CABIN Democrat:
AS there is some MISUNDERSTANDING
IN regard to the origin and purpose Of
the movement to improve Clifton
street, and as have had something to
do with the movement, | desire to give
the facts as | understand them. and to
make some remarks which | believe
express the sentiment of those who IA
vor the movement.
1t is generally known that the c;ty
council has ordered sidewalks placed
on the east side of Clifton street, frcm
Prince to Mill streets. One of the cit
izens affected by thi sordinanea said
that before he placed the sidewalk he
would like to have the old agitation to
| strengthen or widen the street settle,,
A meeting of property owners on Chf-
ton street was called, a number met
and, after discussion, a committee con.
slsting of j. H. Stubs, Bailey Wilson
and {. }. Greene was appointed to End
out how much each piece of property
would have to give to make the street
straight and so feet wide. This conf
mlttee was to report it's findings tu
the Clifton street property owners.
This is the origin and purpose of the
movement to improve Clifton street
and nothing else has been done except
what the committee has done, and it is
now ready to report.
Clifton street is crooked, irregular
in width, and could hardly make a sur
veyor believe that it runs north and
south. The committee asked Prof. Burr
to run line through Clifton from
Prince to Tyler streets in such way
that from it could be measured a
straight 50-foot street that would take
as much property from one side Of The
street as from the other. The COM
mittee then measured from this line
to every piece of property that is feEc-
ed, and made a plat showing what
each lot would have to give, and the
width of the street at each point. The
street varies in width from 43 feet to
81 feet. To make it straight and so
feet wide, fences would have to De
moved back from less than nothing to
six or seven feet.
Now, why should the street be
Strengthened and widened to so feet?
First, the street certainly ought ito
be uniform in width, and it would
cost more in moving sidewalks and
fences to make it 40 feet than it would
to make it so, and it would cost Just
as much to make It As feet as to make
it so feet. Everybody agrees that a
50-foot street is better than one not as
wide. 1t ought to be Strengthened De-
cause it was intended to be straight
1t is not curved or the general direc-
ton decidedly changed at any point.
Secondly, the street can not be graded
to uniform width, the council does not
know where to have trees, poles and
fire hydrants planted or sidewalks laid,
and property owners do not know
where their property ends and the
street begins except by fences, and
fences are frequently moved or re-
moved. Thirdly, the value of every
piece of property on the street would
be decidedly increased. Some proper
ty on this street is now on the mar
ket. Sooner or later it will all be for
sale. Can anybody doubt that buyers
are more attracted to property on a
wide, well-kept street than to that on
a narrow, ragged-edged street that
shows little public spirit on the part
of the citizens on that street? If prop
erty on good street is more valuable
to man who is coming here to buy a
home, it is better for me.
Now. fellow-citizens on Clifton
street, know that no one interested
in this movement is willing to injure
his neiGhbor. Nobody is trying to get
or conhscate your property. do not
or confiscate your property. l do not
think tree will have to be cut. The
movement is not headed toward tie
city council, neither is the council be-
hind it. Our street has good citizens
and good houses. We can not afford
to SIT down and let city pride and pub
lie interest go by us and give their
blessings to other parts of town. Let
us get together-not just have a meet
ing-let us get together, and work out
for ourselves what is wisest and best
for the present and the future; and
then | am sure the city government
and public-spirited citizens generally
will accord to us the sympathy and
help to which we show ourselves enti-
tied. C. j. GREENE.