St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-08
ST. PAUL NEWS.
CHAMBER OF CONF ERCE.
A Petition for Improvement of the
'Sl0w Fast Mail"
Where's That Title of SmithsPark and Where's
the Buying Syndicate.
Free Pasturage all Over the City--A Fault
in the Bridge Act.

ing Mr.. Moon read the following petition 10
the Postmaster general, and the same was
referred to the secretary of the board with
instructions to circulate the same for sigma
lures:
f'ST. PAUL, Mimi, April z, 1884.
''To the Hon. w. @. Gresham, Postmaster
General-Sir: We, the undersigned bust
ness men of the city of st. Paul, Minnesota,
fully approaching your efforts to improve the
mail service of the northwest, would most
respectfully petition and pray that such
changes may be made in the schedule time
of the fast mail, that the delivery of mail on
said train may be made during business
hours of day of arrival Of train; otherwise we
derive no benefit from such fast mail, as the
carrier delivery being necessarily made be
tween four and five p. m, such delivery be-
ing so late it is practically no better than
when we found our mail on our desks the
following morning, as before the establish
ment Of the fast mail. To be any practical
benefit the fast mail should arrive in st. Paul
not later than 80 p. M"
SMITH PARK AIRING.
Aid. Van Slyke offered the following reso-
luton:
''Reso7ged, That this chamber respectfully
invites the attention of the city authorities to
the disgraceful condition of Smith Park, so
called, and recommends that arrangements
be Immediately made for its proper improve
ment as park"
The alderman argued in favor Of selling
the square known as Smith park, and taking
the money and buying number of small
parks in the city which could be had now
while the land was cheap for a small sum,
and which in the future, when the city grows
up to them, will be useful, convenient, and
ornamental. If we wait much longer out
side property cannot be obtained for this pur-
pose without we are compelled to pay large
sum, the same as we now would be COMPEL
ed to do for property near the center of the
city. In his opinion the city should either
improve or sell, for the present condition of
that square is disgracefulto the city. 1t is
filed with all sorts of trash and refuse mat
ter, and in the night tramps and other out
casts hive in there, so that if any one goes
through that locality in the night he has to
go with his revolver in his hand. He had no
doubt the city could get title to it and then it
ought to sell it.
Mr.. Murray denied that title could be had.
Everybody was saying, O, yes, get the title !;
but where conld you get it, You can't get it.
You can't find out where the title is. 1t is
not on record but it is In some ones pocket,
and when you go to ask for it you cannot
find out who has it or where 1t is. If Mr.
Van Slyke knows where it is why don't he
tell? Several times the city council has
ordered that the park should be graded, but
every time some unseen power has prevented
it from being done. There is something
very peculiar about this, and it looks as
though someone was interested in prevent
ing the ground from being used for the pur-
pose of park. All this talk about obtaining
a title is bosh. 1t can't be done.
Mr.. E. f. Drake regarded it as an impor-
tant matter, and one that should be attended
to. He favored selling and investing the
proceeds in other grounds outside the settled
business portion of the city where parks could
be laid out at moderate prices, with a fund
sufficient to support them and keep them in
order. If, however, what Mr.: Murray said
was true that no title could be had to the
property that would settle the matter. If it
was possible to secure the title the property
could be sold for $3.50, 900 or $500, 900. Other
parks could be purchased and q fund saved
besides with which to improve them.
Capt Berkey argued against selling the
park. Even if the city could give good title
to it, those owning property fronting on it
had acquired an interest that would have to
be bought before the city could dispose of the
ground.
Mr.. Drake claimed that those facing the
park had acquired no right whatever, any
more than they could require in public
street, and that was nothing at all.
Mr. William Lee was anxious to find out
who all these disinterested people were that
wanted to buy the park. He was curious to
see some of them. He favored making a
park of it. Business men wanted breathing
places just as much as anyone else, aid in
his opinion it was not necessary to go to
Puget Sound to get fresh air.
Mr.. McClung was opposed to improving
the park. He wanted parks somewhere else,
and wanted written opinion of the city at
torney as to the title of the city
Mr.. Driscoll was opposed to the resolutions
and said it had come to his knowledge that a
syndicate had been formed to carry the park,
and that in his opinion there was a big
niger in the wood pile which would result
in some one making at least S150,000.
Mr.. Van Slyke wanted to know how they
were going to make it, but Mr.. Driscon in
formed him that he OriscolD was not in the
secret and could not tell him. He
favored grading the grounds and
making them look clean and
as though they we're properly cared for. He
was not, however, in favor of improving in
the same way and to the same extent as Rice
park had been improved. That was not nee
essary.
Mr.. Lindeke argued that the city of st.
Paul owned the property and could not be
ousted. II any syndicate wanted to buy the
park he had no objection to selling. If the
city could get out of it a quarter of million
he did not care how much anybody else made
out of the trade. Get quarter of million
into the city treasury and then we can buy
all the parks we want for the present and
have sum left with which to improve them
and keep them up. A park where Smith park
now is is no good to any business man.
Business men when they go down to their
stores in the morning go there
for business, not for the purpose
of sitting down in park and enjoying them
selves. A park there is positive detrimeut
to business property. 1t would be a great
deal better if Smith park could be covered
with business blocks. The block is worth at
least $500, 600. If the city can get $3.50, 600
out of it he did care how much anyone else
made out of it.
Mr.. Murray wanted to have all those gentle
men, who talked so glibly about selling, tell
him..whereithe the title is He wanted to know
why they did not go ahead and buy and sell.
Go to Van Slyke for the title and he won't
tell you where it is.
Commodore Davidson spoke of the diff
Guilty of disposing of parks. He had observed
this in st. Louis, and suggested that the
grounds be turned into exposition grounds
with suitable buildings on them.
Mr. nrolra cold of +bara ,r,o. ,,;o~,a,