Daily globe., 1878-12-13

ni' presehce III Ihe City being generally known
d q, more comprehensive statement, embracing
Ihe reasons Tor commencing work at midnight
| would be expected, but Mr. Merrill contended
that ne could not in Justice make such state.
ment at this time. Before he left the city, he
| sad, ne should want to makesuch statement.
ana when 1t was made he had no doubt it
would be satisfactory and satisfy the people of
| 81. Paul that in what had been done and what
was to be done st. Paul interests were not to be
| Jeupardlzed in the least, but rather advanced.
Inc reporter then mentioned rumor current
on the streets during the day, and which had
caused an additional ripple Of excitement, to
t'le effect that this company had secured, by
purchase, 0i the negotiations being conducted by
telegraph with MIR. Elfelt, of New York, seven
teen acres of the track desired by the Sioux
City company, to give them the requisite forty
acres required for their shops.
MIR. Merrill desired that this rumor should
be denied in the positive
neither bought such land, or made any
negotiations to that end. In short he said in
all that had been done the company had simply
aimed to protect itself, without the remotest
intention of doing any thing antagonistc to the
Sioux City shop project, or the interests of st.
paui. Mr. Merrill gas very emphatic these
points, reiteratng the assertion on several occa-
sions that in all proposed there was moth
ing unfriendly to either of the interests, as
would be made clear before his departure from
the city. The desire of his company was sim
ply short line to- Minneapolis. And in
stead OF desiring to prevent any other railroad
company from making the same connection, he
would say that the Sioux City company, or any
other company desiring to make such connec.
tion, will be given use of their track upon sat
isfactory terms or allowed to put down addi-
tional tracks.
Beyond these general assertions aud the card
herewith given, Mr.. Merrill declined, for the
reasons stated above, to go, SO the reporter was
of necessity compelled to close his interview
that was not an interview.
The Control Of the city Deer the Railroads
Haunting Through.
The hint which appeared in yesterdays
GLOBE to the effect that the city had authority
over the track of the Milwaukee & St. Paul
read which crosses the levee created a good
questions to be asked. The history of the
matter is this:
In 1873 an ordinance was passed by the city
granting authority to the Milwaukee & st.
Paul and the st. Paul & Sioux City soad to run
track across the loVee. The ordinance con-
tanned the following section:
Sec. 8. The said Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail-
road company and the st. Paul & Sioux City
lal'rOau company, sDall, within Sixty Gays
from and after the passage of this ordinance,
file with the city clerk resolution duly adopt
ed by their respective board of directors, AZ
cepting this ordinance upon the terms and con-
dltions herein contained; and If either Of said
railroad corporations shall fail TO accept this
ordinance as herein provided, the same as to
such railroad company negec5ing or refusing,
shall be void and oe no effect.
The Milwaukee & st. Paul Railroad company
promptly accepted the ordinance and changed
its track accordingly. The ST. Paul & Sioux City
declined to accept it. Having a ccepted the OR
dinance the Milwaukee & st. Paul road is, of
course, subject TO the following section Of the
same:
Sec. 8. The corporation of the city of St.
Paul hereby reserve the right tc alter, MODIFY
or REPEAL this ordinance at any time when
they may deem it necessary to the public inter
est or the public welfare
1t will thus be seen that if the ''publio IL
terest'' requires the Milwaukee & St. Paul
road might be induced, by the repeal or modi-
fcation of the ordinance to halt in st. Paul
The absence of rails for a block or two would
necessitate stop sufficiently long, after the ar
rival of the train from Minneapolis. to enable
passengers to check their baggage and buy
tickets, at least. 1t is not likely that the pub
lie welfare will require the positive repeal of
this ordinance, but it will do no harm for the
railroad men to refer to page 355 of the charter
and ordinances of st. Paul and see how the
provision looks in official type.