St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-02
THE SIDEWALK EXCITEMENT.
Meeting of the Committee on Streets
and Their Decision.
Arguments for Postponement of Laying Stone
Walks Until Another Year.

the three hours session OF the council COM
mittee on streets at their session yesterday
afternoon. 1t first came up in the reading
of twenty or thirty petitions of property
owners in the Sidewalk district, !"
asking to put down Oakland blue
stone which they chad contracted
for but couldn't get here in season to lay
this year, Euclid stone, and other kinds
OF walks, and from others wishing the time
extended until next year and others indeti-
nitely. OF these petitioners were Edwin p.
Skidmore, Israel S. Lord heirs, Henry Hale
BY agent, Stees Il Co., Vim. j. Cutler, John
G. Richardson. A. H. Wilder, Thos. j. Bar
ney, Alex Crawford by agent, III. A. Board
man, James Fl. Davidson, Samuel Mayall, R.
R. Nelson, John L. Merriam, VIM. Dawson,
VIM. Constans, r. S. Steward and
j. H. McAllister. After con-
s.dering these petitions and much debate an
adverse report was made on all of them to
the council, except in the case of A. IL.
Wilder, who proposed to lay Euclid stone.
Chairman Johnson then read a paper
which he said had been prepared by himself
and the engineer with great care, as report
to be given to the council on the sidewalk
question, from the committee on streets,
and Invited discussion on the part of the
committee and quite a number OF interested
citizens present.
Alderman Dowlan opposed the report on
the grounds that it was too arbitrory, stating
on account of the shortness of money it
would be hardship to many property own
ers this year. II however favored the tear
ing up of all unsafe walks in the district this
year and putting down stone, but did not
believe in touching walks that would last a
year or two this fall.
Peter Berkey stated that railroad iron and
stone for walks could be purchased from 20
to 20 per cent, cheaper next year than
this. He did not think
that the Council and Board of Public Works
consulted the interests of the taxpayers by
compelling good plank walks to be torn up
this fall, and we had better go careful as we
emerged from a country town into metrop-
oils about burdening property owners too
heavily in short period of time for public
Improvements. The paving of the promi-
nent business streets last year this was
all right, but the compulsion to lay stone
walks on them this year was too heavy bur-
den, and especially when tenants were clam
oring for reduced rents. Then, too, it
would be well to try the stone walks already
laid to see whether the material was adapted
to this climate
Chairman johnson stated that there were
walks in the district which would not stand
from Aug. 10 to June 1st, and should be re-
laid right away. Attorney Murray, in cor
roboration of this statement said that these
poor walks laid the city liable every hour for
damages, and that already broken arm and
a sprained ankle on them had got to be set
tied. AS especial instances he cited the
cathedral walk on Wabashaw street and the
walk about the Ramsey county court house.
! Mr.. Barrett, being called on, said he did
not think materials would be cheaper next
year to private contractors for their
walks. He agreed with the com
mittee's report to the council and he did not
believe that citizens should lay down any
material for walks without permit and ap-
proyal OF the city engineer. The city had
| control of the sidewalks as well as streets
and had right to say what kind of walk
| should be laid as well as what kind of paving
and curbing. He thought citizens should
be restrained from laying walks of any
material in two crosses or separate blocks,
but that slabs should run from foundation
wall to curling. In regard to the action of
the winter on Euclid stone it had been laid
in, lie uni, tor 4I,o
test.
Mr.. Murray said our people had been al
lowed to do as they pleased and to lay their
own walks in the past of whatever material
they chose. The time had come when they
must in the Sidewalk DISTRICT, be edu-
Gated to the fact that they could not do as
they pleased, and if they laid walks without a
permit from the Engineer they would be
torn up. Alderman Dowlan then offered
the following motion which was seconded
and carried with the amendment that it be
attached to the committees report.
Notion, That the city engineer be re-
quested to report to the council such side
walks as are actually necessary to be laid this
fall.
On motion of Alderman Van Slyck the
committees report to the council was ac-
cepted, which motion was seconded by Al
derman Roberts and unanimously carried.
REPORT OF TIE COMMITTEE.
Under the ordinance requiring stone
walks in certain districts, the committee say
that in the districts in question the wooden
walks are so much in decay as to be unser-
viceable another year, with occasional ex-
ceptions of few feet of sound plank walk,
and they recommend that the or
der for stone walks be enforced, though
the committee see no objections
to permitting experiments in cheaper
material, and should the project fail it will
not be at the expense of the city, and in
| conclusion the following was adopted:
Resolued, That the report of the committee
be accepted and approved, and that property
holders are hereby notified that all walks up
on which work has not been started on or be-
fore the 10Th day of August, 1884, will be or
dered as recommended by the committee.
| J. ". McClong and John Shute appeared
and asked tnat an unused forty-seven foot
alley on the corner of st. Peter and Martin
streets be vacated by the city to enable the
owner of a corner lot to build a handsome
building on the location, claiming that taxes
on the block built over on the same would
be compensation for the vacation. Referred
| BY the committee to the council for their
action.
I Nick Defeld ha7ing block at the Seven
Corners at the point of the intersection Of
Third and Fourth streets, appeared before
| the committee asking change or lowering
of the grade for the the Fourth street paving
ten inches from its establishment OF twenty
inches higher than the Third street grade
It seems that Deield's property fronts on
Third street on grade and that he will have
to build three steps to get down
into the same building on Fourth
street side. As the grade is established and
the contract let, the committee, though