The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-08-27
Street PAVING -.
INSTEAD OF THE
N AVE. .v|ADuCT
CITY COUNCIL AsIDEs BY WISH
X ES or FIRST WARP PEOPLE.
IMPROVEMENT IS ORDERED IN
$4,000 Received From Railroad viii
Be Used To Help Pay for Pave
ment, Which viii Cover Nine
Blocks to be Started Soon.

Viaduct plans for an overhead
crossing of the M. & st. l.. Railway
tracks intersecting NJ avenue, west
of the old Iowa Yearly Meeting House
have been abandoned. Paying will be
substituted for the relief of the peo-
Pile west of the tracks, Inconvenience.
ed by the closing of the street.
Thirteen thousand dollars paid b.
the railroad company to the city
treasury upon the vacation of the
avenue crossing will be applied to the
paving and IL will go long ways to
ward the cost of the street improve
ment. The remaining cost will be met
pro rata by the properties abutting.
H street is the thoroughfare select
ed for the work between G and M
avenues and G avenue from n street
east to connect with the north end
OF the d street pavement.
This pavement was authorized by
the people of the first ward at a meet
ing with the city council held Monday
evening and the resolution ordering
the work was adopted. II is the inten-
ton 10 get the preliminary work
through as quickly as possible that
the work may be completed yet this
fall :, . ~. Be ,....
BY invitation of the council, the
people west OF the M. & st. l.. tracks
concerned in the viaduct or the
street improvement idea met with
the council members TO discuss the
plans and to agree upon what was
best to do. The council was ready to
do whateve', the majority OF the peo
pie interested desired done, II there
was anything like unanimity of opin'
ion as to what should be done to give
relief. Numbers of property owners
and residents west of the track were
present. ...
When the closing of NJ avenue was
first proposed, viaduct to take place
of the avenue was TO be constructed
across the tracks of the railway. Es.
timated cost OF the structure, at the
time was said to be between six and
eight thousand dollars. But later the
railway company installed additional
tracks and secured more property;
When the plans for the yiaduct were
submitted to the city they called for
four span structure over the en-
tire propedty or right OF way OF the
railway company, much longer and
much more costly that the Niaduct al
first contemplated. The cost of the
structure insisted upon by the com
Dany agents made 1t practically pro
hibitive 1t would take all that the
railway company had paid for the
avenue vacation and several thousand
dollars more, leaving not penny fOI
street Improvement.
What would the people west of the
traffic, leading from NJ avenue and
connecting with other pavement OF
should the Viaduct be constructed!
Councilman Williams OF the First
ward set the ball rolling with an op'
ening statement concerning the read
ness of the council to comply with
the wishes OF the people of the ward
Then came talks from residents. Of
the ward. L. NJ. Boggess, Mr.. anC
Mrs. George Smith and daughter Miss
Florence Gilbert Farr, George G
White and others of NJ avenue west
These people told of the inconven
fence caused by the closing OF the
avenue and the necessity for some
means of relief. Some held to the
viaduct and others favored the paved
street Improvement. The meeting
talked with everybody else as wha
was best TO do. When mayor Seever'
again called for order an agreemen
had been reached that the improves
street was the best method Of serving
the greatest number of people In thu
most practical and most substantial
way. II street and G avenue were sc
lected as the best and most advantag
eous routes. A resolution embodyint
the above. points was adopted by IN
council. A side walk was ordere'
along the east side of II street as a.
accompaniment to the pavement.
Other Pavement.
Specifications for the pavement OF
dered last, week were adopted. Al
tempt to secure pavement on Secon
avenue from Third street east I
Seventh street was lost.
Lights for Eleventh.
The light committee was authors
ed TO locate three new lights on mort
Eleventh street. .. Ell.
... Get Deeds.
Mayor Sewers was instructed
get. deeds for right OF way for tn
alley paralleling Ninth avenue, b
tween Fourth and Seventh street, Q
far as possible, by the next meeting
Other action will be taken in regar
on the remaining ground necessary.
Grading. -
Some members Of the council hay
a sore spot, grading" They take e
ceptien TO the work being done by n
mayor. Mr. Williams wanted u
thing threshed out last night. I'll
subject of the B avenue work WI
brought up again with comments
Roberts land Brewer. Mr.. William
moved chat the work of gradir
stop and stay stopped unless Il
council ordered il to proceed and h
motion was supported. The. mayor !
formed the member that he was o
of order and cited the ordinance :.
sustain his ruling. AS far as the
timatiou that members of the count
desired to say when and where sire
work should be done, Mayor Seeve
stated he was perfectly willing tn
should do So s4f1sg we t ~
Then Mr.. Roberts moved that
avenue east, the Iowa City road shou