St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-14
An Incipient Strike on the Wabasha Street
Extension-The Taxpayers Perform
Routine Business.
Bids for the Mississippi Street Bridge
Opened-Other Matters Pertain
ing to Public Works.
A Surprise Party for Saloon Keeper-A
Field Day in the Police Court
Other Items.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
1t Discusses Sanitation, Street Sweeping and
the Fire Department.

adopted by the council to advertise for bids
for sweeping streets, removing the garbage
from the streets and finally disposing of it.
Mr.. H. s. Fairchild said that great deal
had been said about the unhealthy condition
of st. Paul, but that he had failed to discover
that it was true. He regarded st. Paul as
very healthy city. AS to the sweeping of the
streets he could not see that that was sani-
tary matter at all. He stated that the chair
man of the committee on sanitary affairs,
Mr.. Hodgson, was not in town and the com
mittee had not held meeting, consequently
had no report to make.
Mr.. E. F. Drake spoke of the filthy condi-
ton of the streets of st. Paul and said he
had noticed while he was abroad, and other
gentlemen who had been abroad had also
noticed the difference in the cleanliness Of
the streets in foreign cities and at home.
The streets of St. Paul were in very bad
condition, and he expressed the opinion that
some cheaper mode of cleaning the streets
ought to be devised than that of scrapin g
them.
H. P Hall asked Mr.. Drake how the streets
of Chicago compared with those of st. Paul
for cleanliness.
MI Drake-I do not know as to that.
II P HALL was in Chicago two or three
weeks ago and the streets of Chicago were
then ten times more filthy than those OF st.
Paul.
Capt Blakely moved to adopt the three
resolutions.
Dr. Day desired to know what the pro-
posed measures were going to cost. He I'M
derstood that it would cost 100000 or more.
He wanted to know something about that or
he should vote against the proposition.
Mr.. Murray answered that the chamber
proposed to 90 off, as usual, half cooked.
Capt Berkey referred to the immense cost
of such a sweeping change. We always
seemed ready to vote one thing or another,
just as it happens. He thought, however,
that it was best to take little time and con-
slider matters, and get some information
upon that that is to be voted on. We have
a fire department that wants large expen-
diture, not less than $65, 900, for engines
and houses. Our fire department is just as
good as is that of Minneapolis, and their de-
partment does not cost near as much as ours
does II is time to stop and consider before
we sanction such an expenditure Of money
as is called for by these resolutions Where
is your money to come froml The county is
out of money. Your school board is out of
money. The city council is out of money.
We have got no money. Now, under these
circumstances, would it not be better to stop
and consider as to this new departure.
Mr. Seabury explained that the resolutions
only sought to find out what it would cost to
dosthe work.
II. p. Hall declared that he had recently
been In Chicago, Cincinnati, Rochester, To-
ledo, New York and a number of other cities
in the East, and he could not see that the
streets of st. Paul were in any worse condi-
ton than those IN the cities named.
Gen. Bishop said 1t was useless to talk Of
sweeping the streets as long as we had so
many side streets running into the paved
streets. Two-thirds Of the money spent in
sweeping the streets would be lost
Mr.. Delano offered the following, which
was adopted: That nothing in these reso-
buttons shall be construed by the city council
as u recommendation by this chamber to fill
or make water tight any privy vault or cess
pool that shall not be declared by the board
of health public nuisance.
DR.. Hoyt explained that he was not propos-
ing to fill the vaults now In use or seal them,
but To watch over all that are to be built
hereafter. Finally, on motion of Mr.. Som
ers the matter was laid over.
THE WEST ST. PAUL LEyEE.
Mr. Delano called attention to the West
St. Paul levee. The inside line of the levee,
he said, had been fixed the whole length of
it next to the property, except for small
space near the bridge. He favored the es-
tablshmeut of q similar line on this side and
the passing of an ordinance to protect it from
squatters and jumpers. He had examined
the surveys of the United States, and thought
II would be good thing to fix the line so as
10 be ready to receive all the benefits TO be
derived from the improvement of the harbor
nr at,1 oil vrft q bar
OH the river.
Mr.. McClung insisted that the city ought
70 go to work and build the leyee.
Mr.. Oppcnheim declared that that could
not be done. II would amount to confsca-
lion. The dirt would all wash away and you
would not have any levee.
Mr.. McClung proposed to rip-rap it.
Mr. Oppenheim wanted to know where the
money was to come from. II you assess the
property it's confscation.
The matter was dropped without anything
being done about II.
FIRE DEPARTMENT..
Mr.. f. F. Drake, from the committee on
buildings and fire department, reported In
regard to the communication from George
W. Hall in reference to enlarging the fire
department, that it was not advisable 10 en-
large II to the extent asked for by the gentle
man, but that it ought to be increased some,
as follows:
First purchase lots, erect houses aud fully
equip three chemical engine companies in
West st. Paul, st. Anthony hill and on Rice
street; second, purchase lot, erect house
and fully equip one steam engine company
near the pillow works in the Fifth ward; third,
purchase steamer and hose carriages and
fully equip one steam engine company aud
locate the same at headquarters, corner of
Eighth and Minnesota streets; fourth, erect
addition to No. house on Wacouta street,
so as TO accommodate Chemical No. 1, now
kept at headquarters.
This win give an increase Of three chem
ical engines and two iirst-class piston steam
ers and hose carriages and 1000 feet Of hose
for same. The estimated total cost Of the
above, ready for 6rst-class service is 500, 00O
The FIRE commissioners thought this was ali
the city could stand in the year 1885, and
thatit should satisfy any insurance demands.
The report closed with resolution to the
effect that the chamber Of commerce REQUEST
the council TO grant the request Of the FIRE
commissioners to the amount OF Sos, 200,
ana the same was adopted.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The communication of the board OF edu-
cation that was read at the last meeting of
the board, explaining about the bonds that
were issued many years ago for school pur-
poses, was read and fled.
Mr.. ClSsson Of the st. Paul G Milwaukee
road appeared and stated to the chamber thst
on the goth, 9Th, 2Sth aud 2eth the eondue-
tors OF the United States and Canada would
be in Minneapolis, where they would be ban
quoted. BE desired TO present the matter to
the chamber so that the conductors could Re
web treated in s.. Paul. he also stated that
the Northern Pacific had rendered them s
train to take them to Yellowstone park.
Mr.. D. D. Merrill reported in regard to the