Year: 1876




Bellaire City Council--Road to the
Cemetery-W What Goes ,o,th the People 8
Money.-We wish in this article to call
the attention of the citizens of Bellaire
to the awful condition of the road leading
to the cemetery. There was funeral
few days since, and while going up
cemetery hill, in light barouche, drawn
by four horses, the horses at every step
sunk in the stiff clay nud above their
knees. The wheels of the bsrouche sunk
up to the hub, and the axels almost
scraped the ground. When about half
way up the hill, the friends of the deceas-
ed were compelled to get out. A plank
was procured after cons siderable delay and
on this they succeeded in reaching the
side of the road, aud from thence toiled
through the mud TO the top of the hill,
finding here and there along the way a
slippery board, half buried in the mud,
:he remains of the old board walk, long
since gone to ruin. 1t looked for while
rs though the remains of the deceased
would have to be carried to the of the
hill, but after extraordinary efforts the
hearse succeeded in reaching the top. This
is the condition the road to the last rest
ing place OF the dead. 1t is a shame and
disgrace to the city, and the citizens OF
Bellaire.


The attention of the Council has often
been called to this matter, but TO every pc
tltIon they turn deaf ear, or meet US
with the reply, ave have no money"
The Council should have thought of this
when they spent $4,000 for the old
water works engine that never done any
good, and is fit Tor nothing but old iron.
They bought another engine that only
cost 81, 100, and it answers every purpose.
Why this waste of over $4,000? Let
some of our defunct Councllmen that
urged this measure so strenuously in the
Council, "rise and explain" and while on
the floor, they might rs well explain
why they expended $4,000 of the peo-
pies money in grading the street car
track from Indian run up to the top OF
Gravel Hill, robbing the city treasury, In
the the interest of q corporation Of which
they were members and stockholders,
while every citizen knows that grading
that track has never benefited the city
one cent, and was Onl y benefit to the
street car company. We would Ike
those defunct faithful servants OF the
city to answer these queries.


Bu. thi. is not al. The Council "who
have no mercy" saw fit il their wisdom
to pay Arthur McClsin 5000 out of the
city treasury for grading Jefferson street,
throwing the dirt in his own lot, and then
building house on it. Now, We think
If Mr.. McClain wanted dirt TO fill up his
lot, and would not get 1t more conveln-
emily than TO take it from Jefferson,
permit to do so would have been all that
was necessary from Council. To say the
least it was unnecessary to pay him two
or three times what it was worth. Again,
thev graded the street beyond the creek
bridge in South Bellaire and filled part
of il up with loom and sand, so that 1t Is
now an almost impossible mud hole, and
this at a cost of $500 besides. One Of
property holders along the street has
already presented a bill to the Council
for damages done his property by grad
ing the street, and threatens to sue the
city if the same is not paid. The
present indebtedness of the city
for the wharf is S5,0S7,
which for all practical purposes might as
we'll have been thrown in the Ohio
river. We do not blame the present
Council for all this but one thing Is
sure: The present wletched condition
OF the road to the cemetery the fault OF
past and present councils. 1--WE have
I o money" is poor excuse in the light
Of these facts. But notwithstanding the
city is at present in debt over Sill 900,
we believe most of her citizens would en-
dure an expenditure in this direction. To
many Of our citizens there clusters
around the cemetery many near and
dear associations; many fond and tender
memories. Other cities take pride IN
embelishing and adorning their GENE
tories with all that is beautiful IN na-
ture andar Yet for almost six months
out Of the year our cemetery is almost
inaccessible over the road leading there
to to either man or beast. What would
Il stranger think attending funeral in
our city? We trust there will soon be
a move in this direction, and that among
other repairs snd improvements this
will not be forgotten.


LIvERrMEN OF BELLAIsE.