Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-27
MINI EAPOLIS
RAILROAD CROSSING ASSOCIATION

RAILROAD CROSSING ASSOCIATION
The Meeting Held In Turner Hall last
Erentn0-Address of Citu Attorney Ben
tOn-Kesotutio,ss, Etc.
A meeting of the Minneapolis Railroad
Crossing association was held in Turner's
hall last evening. The meeting was called to
order by Anthony Kelly, president, W. J. Alb
ernet by acting as secretary. The first order
OF business was the reading of the general
report of kthe secretary, which specified the
progress made towards securing
the object of the association,
the bridging of the railway crossings of the
city. 1t mentioned the black eye which the
city council, but stated considerable progress
had nevertheless been made. The report was
adopted.
Byron Sutherland offered the following reso-
luton, which was adopted:
ResotUed, That the action of the committee
and the officers of the association since the
last meeting of this association is heartily en-
dorsed and approved, and that they are by
their action entitled to the thanks of the peo-
pie OF North Minneapolis.
CITY ATTORNEY BENTON
being called upon made short address. He
began by calling the attention to an omission
in his report, that OF the fact that
the matter was still in the hands of the coun-
Gil committee on ways and means, and would.
undoubtedly finally result in the end being
accomplished. He thought it was not alone
to the interest OF the citizens of North Min
neapOlis that the crossings be bridged, but
that 1t was TO the interest of the whole
city, because whatever concerns
one portion of the city it was likewise for the
interests of the whole city. 1t is single
corporation, and therefore the interests of
each portion of the city are Identical.
AS to the means OF getting the desired
bridges, the speaker said, there Is question
as to the propriety Of the policy of being
In too much of a hurry. These results
for which they were lsboring required time.
He advocated the continuance OF meetings
and the continuance of agitation. But the
association must not be too impatient and
expect too much. He was in favor of accom-
plishing compromise between the railways
and the people. The railway companies con-
cede the fact that the tracks must and Will
eventually be bridged. The question alone
lies in how much Of the labor of construct
ing the bridge should aevolve upon the rail
way companies and how much upon the city.
1t had been urged that it was the duty of
railway corporations TO build 1T all. But they
will not do that without a struggle. II the
committee from council in whose hands the
bridging resolution now is would make propo-
sition to the railway companies for compro-
mise. He thought the tracks should be
lowered Manager Hill has already mani
Tested his willingness to lower the tracks
within certain time. He proposed that the
committee use the above resolution ss an ex-
cuse for an interview with the railway cor
porations and open negotiations for propo-
sltions.
Mr.. Kelly stated that he had seen Manager
Hill. who told him that while the engineers
of the company thought there were many 90.
stacles in the way of lowering the tracks, as
suggested by the city council, yet he MR.
HilD thought he knew of way by which it
could be done.
MAYOR AMEs
was the next speaker. AS practlcing physi-
clan he deemed the railroad crossings dan
gerous and nuisance. To his
knowledge the Chicago, Milwaukee u st. Paul
Railroad company was willing and ready TO do
what is fair and equitable in building bridges
over its tracks in South Minneapolis. In the
event the railway corporations could not be
induced or compelled to build bridges, if the
city would build them wholly at the
public expense, the result must needs
be happy. The property OF the
city would be enhanced ten-fold He
was in hearty sympathy with the association
and vouchsafed his full cooperation.
BYRON SUTHERLAND
followed. He believed negotiations were
fine thing, but negotiations would not stop
railroad train which was about to run over
you. He beleived.the only thing for the asso-
citation to do was to punch up the,city council
to active measures. Let the council first
do what they can to get the railway compa
MES to build the bridges. and failing, then
take measures to construct them by the city.
Mr. Kelly had little faith in punching"
up. They had been, punching for many months
1t had been very improbable and unsatisfac-
tory. They had only made big izzle. Speak
ing of the evils of the crossings
he stated that he had repeatedly
witnessed the biockading for many minutes
by freight train, and then when it was broken
it would be closely followed by switch en-
CINE, without permitting a single team to
pass between them.
The question of negligence ON the part of
the policemen to enforce the ordinance con-
trolling the moving Of cars across streets was
brought up by Mr.. Kelly. The mayor re-
sponded that he should make an investigation
of the matter, and if he found the complaints
well founded he should zee that the evil was
remedied at once.
Mr.. Kelly opposed further delay from the
fact that damage to many times The cost of
building the bridges must result to the
property adjoining the tracks, from the change
of grade which will be made in constructing
the approaches, after fine and costly business
blocks shall have been built.
The meeting was adjourned upon the
adoption of a set of stringent resolutions,
too lengthy for publication.