Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-07-22
PETITION TO COUNCIL
is BEING CIRCULATED
Business Men All Over the City Want
Bridge Over the Baltimore g.
Ohio Railroad Tracks.

The committee in charge of the
movement for the erect .oa OF a bridge
over the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
tracks on East Martin street has
drawn up a strong petition to the city
council, and this petition will be sub
mltted at the next meeting Of that
body. This document is now being
circulated ancng representative bust.
ness men and property-owner and
taxpayers, and is herewith published
in advance of its presentation to the
council in order that the people gen
orally may become familiar with its
provisions The petition is as follows
TO the Honorable Mayor and Mem
bers of the City Council of Martins
burg, West Virginia:
GentIemen:- We, the undersigned
citizens and Taxpayers of the city of
Mrtinsburg, do respectfully and earn
estly petition your honorable body to
Immediately take such steps as you
may deem necessary toward the cree
ton of a suitable bridge over the Bal
timore & Ohio railroad at conyea-
lent point ON East Martin street, and
that, in order to facilitate the con-
summation of this most valuable and
greatly-desired improvement 10 thu
city, you also enlist the cooperation
of the Martinsburg Board of Trade
and the County Court of Berkeley
county.
In connection herewith your petit
toners desire to call your thoughtful
consideration to the following PROPOSE
tons in support OF our request:
Frst-lt IL an indisputable fact that
rhe proposed bridge Is pressing and
imperative necessity for the further
development of the northern and east
ern sections of the city, and that the
erection of such a structure would
tend to bring the people of the Fourth
and Fifth wards into closer business,
social and civic relationship with the
people Of the other sections of the
city.
Second-It is matter of common,
and we think reasonable. belief. that
the erection of bridge TO connect
the two sections of the city now I'M
fortunately divided by the tracks of
the Baltimore &c Ohio railroad would
immediately thereafter result in enor-
mousIy enhancing the value of prop
rty not only il the Fourth and Fifth
wards, but by reason of the greater
convenience of communication, in all
contiguous territory south of the rail-
road. This would mean increased rev.
enue for the use of the city at large,
which fact alone would justify the pro-
posed improvement on purely business
grounds.
Third-Tt is a well-known fact that
the channels of communication be-
tween the northern and southern Sec
tons of the city are imited to the
subway ON East Burke street and the
grade crossing over the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad ON North Queen street.
It is also a notorious fact the these
channels of communication are wholly
inadequate, inoonvenient and out-of-
date and are likewise sources of great
friction between the people and the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany at the grade crossing and OF
vast inconvenience and trouble to the
people generally at the Burke street
subway. 1t Is entirely reasonable to
assume that the erection of the pro-
Il n
the corgested condition at the Queen
street crossing, and enable the great
er proportion of the traffic now pass
ing that point to find a more ready
and convent emit means of reaching both
the upper and lower sections of the
city. The danger and inconvenience
Of the Queen street crossing have for
n amy years proved a serious problem,
and your petit toners believe the pres
ert condition can best be alleyiated by
the erection of bridge.
Fourth-Ncarly 1000 people resid-
ing in the Fourth and Fifth wards,
aud several thousand more residing in
the county districts beyond the north.
ern limits of the city, are entirely de-
pendent for communication with the
southern section of the city upon the
Queen street grade crossing and the
Burke street subway; and as these
channels of communication, as has
been pointed, out, are wholly made
quate, the present situation has result
ed in great and unnatural handicap
to business in all its phases between
practically the entire Rorthern and
southern sections of the city and the
adjacent county districts.
Fifth-The nearly 1000 people re-
ding i'm the Fourth and Fifth wards
pay taxes spon approximately thirty
per cent. of the total taxable real and
personable property valuation or the
city of Martinsburg. 1t is we'll
known fact that never ia the history
OF the corporation OF Martnsburg
have the Fourth and Fifth wards re-
cesved, in the way OF improvemen ts,
anything like commensurate return