Evening journal., 1912-03-29
GET LAND
FOR WHARF
City and Pennsylvania R. R.
Co. Agree to Exchange
Of Properties
MAY USE NEW SITE
AS PUBLIC WHARF

The proposed deal between the
members of City Council and the p,
b. and w. r. r. Company for an OK
change of the bed of Walnut street
and wharf property, owned by the
city. for ground owned by the rail-
road company, was made known at
last nights meeting of Council, in a
resolution offered by Chairman Bill
derback, Of the public building conf
mittee.
The resolution provides that the
city is willing to exchange the Wal
nut street wharf property for a piece
Of land owned by the railroad COM
pany bounded by Spruce street, Front
street, and the Christiana river, the
railroad company to pay all the
charges and expenses INCIDENT to SAID
exchange The resolution provides
that copy be forwarded to the di-
rectors of the railroad company. 1t
was adopted without comment.
Following the meeting of Council
Mr. Bilderback showed a blue PRINT
containing the two properties IN
volved in the deal The Walnut street
property contains the bed of the
street fifty feet wide from Water
street to the river, and the piece OF
land the city hopes to acquire has
a frontage of 500 feet on the Chris
tiana and contains $4,000 square feet
This property Mr.. Bilderback ex-
planned is adjacent to ground already
owned by the city which has a river
front of $50 feet and was purchased
by the last City Council. This viii
give the city a wharf front OF 15O
feet. MIR. Bilderback said that if the
deal goes through, which he has every
reason to believe it will, as railroad
officials have approved 1t, though the
matter has not yet come before the
directors of the railroad, that the
plot of ground will be used at hrst
for park purposes. Later on he sald
Il may become a valuable public wharf
at which ships of any size can dock.
He said there has been a crying need
for such a wharf. He explained that
the railroad company had no use for
the ground i'm question while II did
have for the bed of Walnut street
and rather than be disturbed, would
give the much larger piece of land IN
exchange for the street the company
now occupies. He considered the eX-
change highly advantageous to the
city, and good move If the deal goes
through.
Another Foster Letter.
Before the resolution was presented
letter from Mahlon b. Foster Offered
hy Councilman Zimmerman. of the
First ward. was handed to the clerl
to read. Clerk McManus read only
part of the communication wheI
Councilman Kane. OF the Fourth ward
moved that further reading Of the let
ter be dispensed with This motion
was seconded by Mr.. Bilderback, h
stating that it was a personal attacl
upon Mr. Kane. Col. Stover. of th'
Seventh Ward, remarked that the let
ter was all right as far as read an'
in his opinion was mild, and he did no
suppose Mr.. Kane would object L
having il said that he was employed
by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany He voted with the other mem
bers i'm favor OfrNr Kanes motion
however
Mr.. Fosters letter started off b.
protesting against the city partin
with the bed of Walnut street, with
out the public being fully informc
of the proposed terms Of the deal be
fore taking any action.
Mr. Foster stated in the letter tina
one reason for his stand in the mat
ter was that Mr. Bilderback had state
that the proposal for the railroad com
pany to acquire the wharf propert
came through Councilman Kane whor
he stated was an employe Of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company, and /
brackets, stated: who has guarde
the interests of the city so sacredly.
This was what touched the FOurt
ward Councilman in a tender spC
and he quickly jumped to his feet an
moved that further reading of tn
letter be dispensed with.