, 1873-01-15
Conference Bctwoon City officials
and Railroad Representa-
tiVc9.
Mayor Medill on tie Viaduot Quos-
tioll---The Oity's Rights.
The Plnccs and .rlme for Build
ing Vinducts.

" uTRa III ulbGu6i IlU Hp}uThl NutStAold VI hkAooS
and railroad viaducts III tho city. Thcro wero
prosont, Of tho Nailroad Committee, Alossrs.
Woodrnn, Sweet, Dixon, md Qulrh;. Of tho
Committee OIL stroota and Alloys, North Division,
Messrs. Carney, Lengacl,or, md Woofmun;
South Division, Alcasrs. Dixon, Si1wofl, Stone,
and Tracy; Wost Division, Alessrg. Bailey,
powo,1, Kohoe, Moore, and Eckhardt.-.
Thoro wore also present, besides tho officers Of
tho Doard of Public Works, Mnyor Modfll, Mr..
Tuloy, Corporation Counsel Mr. 1Iugllitt, Com
cral Superintendent Of tho Chtongo j. North
wostern Railroai, md Mr.. Welkor, representing
tho interosta Of tho Milwaukee, l. st. Paul Rail-
road, and tho G., G. & !. G. Railroad.
A delegation OF our Irish fellow-oitizons inter-
eHiod in tho contemplated viaduot at tho corner
OF Csarl, and Bixtoonth Htroota filed into tho pluco
of nlooting at un carly stage Of the proceedings,
but filed out again speedily whom 1t bocamo
1nown that their giows md claims must bo von-
tilated elsewhere.
4lr. G. L. Wooi11nan, Chairman of tho Committee
on Railroads, presided over tho deliberations Of
tho combined session. He stated tho object OF
tho meeting to be tho discussion of tito general
question Of railroad yiallucts ovor the thorough
f4res Of The city.
Upon invitation, Mayor Mcdfll mnde r. speool1
OF some length, giving 4 full rosuno oil tlc case.
lie aaid that tho subject was ono Of tho most
important TINT over engaged tho attention OF n
Committee Of tho Common Council. Tho mat
tor Ind but recently assumed 30 great d 1nagni-
tude. Whom tho railroads first latd tlioir tracks
In tho city, tho travel and traffic upon tho streoss
was comparatively light, and tho obstruction
was scarcely felt. The pooplo of Chicago wero
ut that tin,o only too glad to havo tho railroads
ontor tho city, antl most happy to accommodate
thom OIL any tcr1ns. But bllsnoBs had gono on
increasing from tlay to day, and from year to rear,
until it began to ho Borionsy interrupted by the
ot sa a baa
with equally great rapldity upon tho railroads.
Tllo ono traffic interfcred continually with tho
othor, and, unless somo roluet1y was apphod,
tho city would either have to yacato its streets,
or tho railroad abandon tho use OF it's trucks.
Vehicles waiting for trains seemed now very
much to resemble tho person who cat down on
the lnnks Of the Eupl,rates, and waited for It to
run by 30 that llo might go over dry-shod. Via
ducts Of somo kind mnst DO built. Either the
streets muHt paas over the tracks on tloir pros
ont level, tho railroads must DO elevated above
streets, or tho tracks must be partially aunh,
and tho Btroots paYtial1y eloYated ut tho points
Of intersection. Tho necessity Lad boconlo most
imperative.
Railroads that had lately received charters had
not only consented to entor tho city under cor
thin spccitiotl limitations and disabilities, but
had been gladto do it. Tho o1slcr railroads had
not boon similarly hampored BY epecial logisla-
Ugos IL respect to them. It still retained it's
police powers, grantol by tho State, and could
regulate then, 1t Its pleasure. Tho aponkor had
understood that there wcs not city, or village
Which y railroad neoi,rind tho Rarno bod Al 4
atroot or wagon road, or CROSSED It on tho Same
leyol. They either pnssed under tho
straeta, or OH yia1uctH elevated over them: It
fDr ft,fo ~
tho yiaducts wherever required, and really, in
tlle end, saving to them. There existed no
hostility botweol the citizona Of Chicago md tho
railroads, but in rcallty community Of intoraBt
tho railroads could not do without the city. But
tho passago Of tho cars acrosa the atreets WAS in
tho nRturo Of nuisance that must be abatod.
Ordinances regulating tho running Of trainu
within tho city had gono in d measure into dos
to which llo lad boon SO pcraistentiy in,portuned
~ to see that they were enforced.
: Tho Mayor closed by expressing the opinion
that therailroads should bo at the entire oxpenao
Of building Tho yiaducts with their approaches,
city should take charge Of them aftor they wore
oueo built, aud keep them in ropair..
Mr.. II. z. Tuley, Corporation Counael, next
5a Ssss,es the %sg r. a gv IL M sa n the s
to enable tle city to Protect it5elf against tlso
railroads. Tho rnalH had been permitted to on
tor the city and to traverse tho atroots by yari-
oua ordinances Of tho Council, grant
g v4ESs P5yogS5 g 5 n9 2o nseTd q h IN
time they wero grantol right OF way through
tho city, aB it saved much subsoqucnt trouble.
But tho city, so far as its rclations to tho rail-
roads are concerned, las tho saue power aa tho
Legislature of the State itself, and lo tad found
back as 1912. There could be no doubt about
tho powor OF tho statea to regulate railroads,
and to delegate that power to municipal corpora
tions. Tho laws Of Maine, alaseachusetts, md
always lacriminated IN favor OF tho people
ngainHt tho railroads. The right OF tho people
to their thoroughfares waa paramount. Tho
power should never be exercised in o wnnton
way; and: tho necossities Of tho case should a1-
ways be carefully considered.
hlr. Tnley had prepared I'll ordinance in regard
to tho 1nattor, specifying what -viaductB should
bo built, whom tllay should ba built, aud provid-
ing that the railroads should not only build them
% fs ssn y 'ppForss Fss 5 s nS4 d r %
ordinance provided for tho enforcement of tho
same, giving permission to remove tho track IL
obedience wero delayed, orinnict fine, aB seemed
advisable.
with plans and drawings Of tile proposed via
ductB. Mr.. Cartor, President OF tue Board, read
tho liat which follows specifying tho years in
,d wheh they should be b'it, special oxigencios
polnB fe6Afaeu:
70 De nutLT IN 1879.
Polk and Beach streets.
Twelfth and beach streets.
Sixteenth and Catai str1cta.
HanHpmon md KiltzloHtttets.
North avenue aud Cherry streets.
Hawthorne avenue,
Halste1 aud k!nzo atrcety. %.
Tho Inst two Of these arc already provided for
by ordinance.
TO DE nuiLT IN 1874,
Dlno Island avenue and Sixteenth street
11al.ted street and Chicago avenue (twice,.
Eighteenth street mud Stewart avenue.
IIalEie street AMI tin 1T. Iou!a Alton Railroad.
DeApla!ncJ and Fourth Etreets.
B!nte Ftrret.
Wabash avenue. '.
Michigan ayCilc.
10 lie nulLT IN 1878. ;
Lake md Rockwell stret.s,
Madison aud Rockwell Streets.
Washington and Rockwell streets.
Ashland ayclle and Kluzie street,
Ctutra avenue and Sixteenth atrcet.
IIr. Walker oSpresaed tho llope that the old
roads would bo as strictly daait With as the naw
Thu 1neeting adjourned Until q future time
when all tho interostB involved can be bettor
renroGentel