St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-22


resolution looking to the condemnation OF the
entire river front from one end or the city
limits to the other. 1t was referred to a
special committee, and has been allowed to
slide along all these years without the first
order vet being passed through the council.
When asked why these things were so, the
answer had been that the city engineer
was surveying the river lines and nothing
could be done until this was concluded. If it
takes three years for the engineering depart
ment of the city of St. Paul to survey one
river front, and the report of that committee
and the levee Improvement is to hinge on this
style of surveying, he thought it time
to commence again and refer the whole levee
question to Il new special committee of five
men. The president of the chamber and he
(McClung) made report upon this subject
many years ago, presenting the legal aspects
of the question, and the city rights as against
the railroads. That report was pigeon-holed
in the city council and lost. This city is
thirty-Seven years old, and has always boosted
of being the head of navigation, has origin
ated and held meetings of river conventions,
and yet to-day there is barely levee room
enough to accommodate half-a-dozen steam
boats if they were to come here at the same
time. We have u magnificent levee front
condemned and paid for on the other side of
the river, four miles long and two hundred
feet wide. We should have the same on this
side. 1t would not only be available for rail
make their levee grounds useful in allowing
manufactures to locate on them free, so as to
avail themselves OF railroad and steamboat
facilities. We have waited too long, and it is
time to infuse new life into this old committee
and commence again. There is nothing we
can DO in the next six months of such vast
and Indispensable Importance to this city as
the condemnation of this entire river front,
and the settlement of the question that this
city owns its river and levee fronts unob-
structed by any railroad or railroads, what
ever their claims, which must be subordi-
mated to the superior rights of the city of St.
Paul
MIR. Delano understood the Importance of
the city owning the river front, and explained
that a map showing the river front and the
surveys had been promised. He thought the
map should be finished so that the chamber
could have something TO go by. He did not
know, though, that there was any special
hurry. He thought the government and the
city could agree upon the matter, and that
the subject should take the usual course and
go to a committee.
Capt. Berkey could see no need of delay,
especially far as the warehouse is con-
cerned, and moved that the matter be re-
ferred TO the regular committee.
MORE RESOLUTIONS.
At this point Mr.. Seabury offered reso-
luton in the form of recommendation. 1t
was in effect that as al ordinance had been
introduced in the council by the Diamond
10 line of steamers granting the company
200 feet Of the leyee and the right to build
a freight warehouse on it. and being con-
WINGED that it would be beneficial to the
city and necessary to the business of the
company, the chamber favOrS the passage
of the ordinance, and with the following
recommendations:
First, that the public levee be paved with
stone from the east line of Sibley street,
westerly to the Minnesota s. Northwestern
tracks; the expense of said Improvement to
be borne by the various rail and river lines
now using any part of said levee in sums
proportionate to the benefit received now or
in the past 10y the respective lines interested,
taking into account in such apportionment of
expense the fact that river lines make use of
said improvement but about six months each
year.
Second, that owing to the difficulty and
great expense OF building a stone foundation
sufficiently massive to resist the wear of ice
and water and considering the isolated Local
ton OF said proposed building,S do recommend
that it be exempted from the fire ordinances
as they exist, to the extent that said line shall
be authorized to erect on piling building
covered and rooted with corrugated iron SIM
liar in point of foundation and framework to
the present building in use by the various
river lines.
In considering the petltlOn OF the chicago,
St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway COM
pany for the privilege of occupying portion
of the public levee with track, this chamber
of commerce questions the ACCESSIBILITY of
appropriating any more of the public leyee
to the use of any other than the interests for
which it was originally reserved. but would
recommend in case the petition be granted
that it be on condition that said Chicago, st.
Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha railway furnish
transfer service for carload lots of freight
between the different river lines and all rail
lines entering this city at rate merely cov
ering the expense of said service.
SOME DISCUSSION.
Capt Berkey insisted that if the Diamond
10 line used the levee it should pay a
nominal rental. That would prove a con-
tinual admission that the title to the levee
is in the city, otherwise after the steamboat
line has built its warehouse it will claim to
own the ground.
Mr.. Smally advocated allowing the Dia-
mOnd 10 line to build the warehouse. This
is the head of navigation and it should be
taken care of.
| Mr.. Rundlet said that he had prepared
maps of the river lines. They were in his
Office and could be seen.
Finally the whole matter of the leVee
business was referred to a special commit
tee consisting of Gen. Sanborn, Delano,
Murray, Rundlet, Berkey and Morton, and
MI. Seabury's recommendations were re-
| ferred to the committee on Mississippi
| river