The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-08-06
c. G. & N. BEGINS
FIGHT TOHOLDUP
MERRIWETHERST.
Chris F. Betten, Auditor For
Road Asks Property Owners
To Oppose Improvement.
TELLS THEM ROAD'LL
SUE If THEY DON'T
Officials Attempt to COerce
People Fails-TwO Men
Spurn Request.

Chris Betten, auditor for the Cape
Girardeau & Northern Railway, has
begun a campaign to defeat the pro-
pOse1 improvement of Merriwether
street.
He is making canvass among the
property owners in the district to be
improved, urging them to sign re-
mOnstrance against the project.
Mr. Betten has informed several
residents of Merriwether street that in
the event the Improvement is ordered,
the property owners will be sued by
the Cape Grardeau & Northern Rail-
road to recover the amount it must
spend for the construction of a steel
bridge over tine street.
Mr.. Betten also has informed prop
erty owners, they say, that the people
owning land adjacent to Happy Hollow
will be compelled to pay for filling in
this hole in the ground.
John H. Stratman and Al Dittlinger,
two Merriwether property owners,
have been approached by Mr.. Betten
and asked TO sign his remonstrance.
Both refused. He has also interviewed
number OF others owning property
alonc the route of the proposed i'm
provement, and urged them to oppose
the plan OF the city to remove the
hump from the back of Merriwether
street. 1t is said he has obtained the
names of three men, but their identity
has not been revealed.
Betten informed Mr.. Stratman that
the railroad would force the people to
pay for the construction of the bridge.
He also stated that the property own
ers would be compelled to bear the ex-
pense of filing in Happy Hollow on
the rorth and south sides of Merri-
wether street.
A city official last night informed
The Tribune that the cost of construct
ing the railroad bridge would fall upon
the Cape Gi1ardeau & Northern Rail
way and thai the railroad company
would also have to fill in the holes
thanking the street on the north and
south, because the railroad owned that
property.
The plan to improve Merriwethel
street has beer before the City COun'
Gil for several years. The Cape Girar'
deau & Northern Railroad is blamed
by the property owners for the failure
to open this thoroughfare. The rail
road has been able to block the work
heretofore, and property owners an
nounced wher, the movement was re
vived few months ago that the Cape
Girardeau & Northern would certainly
fight the plan again.
The proposed work is merely t.
make Merrlwether street navigablt
from one end to the other.
At present those who live east o
Lorimier street are compelled to TAX,
a long ami round about course if the!
90 west on Merriwether. And tn
same conditions apply to those resi-
dents who live west of Lorimier stree
and desire to go east.
A majority of the property owner
along this street have favored the pla1
to remove thehump and join East an
West Merriwether, but the Cape Cir
ardaau & Northern has steadfastly re
fused to give its consent. 1t has at
TEMPTED to throttle the project and ha
been successful thus far. But the prop
erty owners have assumed an aggres
siye attitude and are determined
,,ro1onf fO cIppnSS