Mr. May. Thank you, Mr. Constandy. May we make the documents from the State file relating to Mr. Ragland's property exhibit 39, Mr. Chairman. Mr. BLATNIK. Without objection it is so ordered. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 39," and will be found in the files of the special subcommittee. Mr. BLATNIK. The next witness is Mr. Earl E. Bibb, Sr., of Beckley, W. Va. Mr. Bibb, will you please take the witness stand. Will you please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear the testimony you will give before this subcommittee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? TESTIMONY OF EARL E. BIBB, SR., BECKLEY, W. VA. Mr. BIBB. I do. Mr. BLATNIK. Please be seated. Mr. Bibb, will you give your full name and your address to the reporter? Mr. BIBB. E. E. Bibb, Sr., residence address 510 Valley Drive South, Beckley, W. Va. Mr. 'BLATNIK. Mr. May. Mr. CONSTANDY. Mr. Bibb, you are an officer in the Beckley Hardware & Supply Co. Is that correct? And a principal ? Mr. BIBB. Yes. Mr. CONSTANDY. That is one of the principal retail firms in Beckley, is it not? Mr. BiBB. Well, possibly that would be one of them. Mr. CONSTANDY. And while your principal premises are located in the center of town, you owned a lot on South Oakwood Avenue in which you had a corrugated metal storehouse, did you not? Mr. BIBB. Yes, sir. Mr. CONSTANDY. We have a photograph, Mr. Bibb, of the building we are talking about. Views of the Beckley Hardware warehouse before and after the partial taking of land for the widening of South Oakwood Avenue. Plat of Beckley Hardware warehouse and adjoining properties. Shaded area shows extent of partial taking for street widening. Central Ave. Mr. BIBB. Yes, sir. Mr. CONSTANDY. In the upper portion it shows it as it existed prior to the taking Mr. BIBB. That is right. Mr. CONSTANDY. And in the lower portion it shows it as it was after the taking. You will note the lot as it existed beforehand was not at grade with the road, was it? Mr. BIBB. How was that, sir? Mr. CONSTANDY. The lot, as it existed before the new highway, was not at grade with the old road? Mr. BIBB. No, sir. Mr. CONSTANDY. The front of the lot at the south end, next to the Warner Garage, was rented to the Ward Evans Motor Co. and used as a used car lot by them, wasn't it? Mr. BIBB. That is right. Mr. CONSTANDY. I think we can see on the plat the relationship of these properties. On the map next to you I think you can see it clearly. Will you point to your building, Mr. Bibb? Mr. BIBB. This is the metal building. Mr. CONSTANDY. One to the right of the building. The front portion of it was the one rented to the Ward Evans Motor Co.? Mr. BIBB. That is correct. Mr. CONSTANDY. And that metal warehouse building was serviced by a spur of the C. & O. Railroad, wasn't it? Mr. CONSTANDY. Can you point out to the committee where that was? Mr. BIBB. That is correct. Mr. CONSTANDY. Yes. There is a track that branches off there and comes up to the loading dock in that building, is there not? Mr. BIBB. Yes. Mr. CONSTANDY. And the access to that loading dock from the street is through an alley, is it not, between what is shown there as parcel 7, the Armour Meat Packing Plant, and your own building? Mr. BiBB. Yes. Mr. CONSTANDY. That ran from South Oakwood Avenue downhill to the grade of the C. &0. Railroad. Is that correct? Mr. BIBB. That is right. Mr. CONSTANDY. Originally the State road commission intended to take a strip of land 13 feet across the 153 feet front of that property, and it is indicated on the plat in red. Actually we will see later it was about 24 feet, and I believe that is what is shown on the red. Mr. BIBB. Yes, sir. Mr. CONSTANDY. How old is that building, Mr. Bibb, approximately! Mr. BIBB. I think approximately possibly 35 to 40 years. Mr. BIBB. It is a storage warehouse for heavy supplies such as we would bring in in cars. With the advantage of the siding it could be wheeled from the car into there for storage. Mr. CONSTANDY. Mr. Kopecky, if you could turn that back over to the other parcel. You also owned a house, did you not, located at 404 South Oakwood Avenue? Mr. BIBB. Yes. Mr. CONSTANDY. That is being currently used by you and your wife as your home? Mr. BIBB. That is right. Mr. CONSTANDY. It is a three-story frame building with 12 rooms. Is that correct? Mr. BIBB. Yes, sir. Mr. CONSTANDY. Behind it you have another building, a small onestory frame building and a garage? Mr. BIBB. That is right. Mr. CONSTANDY. On this parcel the State road commission was taking a 14-foot strip of land across the front 76 feet, for a total of 1,064 square feet. I wonder if you might point out on the chart on your left, Mr. Bibb, where these properties are? The one you are pointing to now Mr. BIBB. That is the rental property here and this is the warehouse. Mr. CONSTANDY. Yes. The warehouse was known as parcel 11. Mr. CONSTANDY. And your residence was known as parcel 13–A. Is that correct? Mr. BIBB. That is correct. Mr. CONSTANDY. I would like to make another point here, Mr. Chairman. The State did have a directory which explained the manner in which parcels would be numbered on the plans, so that where there was more than one plat owned by more than one individual it would be apparent from the plans. As an example, Mr. Bibb owned a home which had the designation of parcel 13-A. Had he owned a separate property, he would have had a designation 13-B, or 13–1, depending on what it was. However, the property next to you was also known as parcel 13. It is just another item in which the plans which had been furnished to the appraisers were incorrect, and perhaps led to confusion. Mr. Bibb, had there been rumors for some time about a road actually being built? Is that correct? Mr. BIBB. Yes, sir. |