Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-06-26
The City Railway Matter.

The committee appointed at previous
meeting reported as follows:
To the Honorable Legislative Council:
GENTLEMEN-The committee to whom
was referred the communication Of the
Memphis City Railway Company asking
for grade on Madison street, would make
the following report: We would recon-
mend the granting Of the privileges TO
said railroad company when they ask for
the privilege of laying their tracks on
Madison street instead of asking for grade,
believing that this council has the legal
right to say upon what streets street rail-
road tracks may or may not be laid. Deem
ing railroad track in that section of the
city advisable for the best interest of the
citizens, we would recommend granting
the right of way to the City Railroad Com
pany over the following streets, provided,
they ask for right of way in q reasonable
length OF time, and give reasonable assur-
anees to this Council that they will build
all of said tracks in a reasonable time,
namely One track out Madison street
from Main street TO the Memphis and
Charleston railroad bridge, across said
bridge, out Marshall avenue to Union
street, out Union street to Manassas street,
north on Manassas street to Court street
extended, west on Court street extended
to Madison street extended and west on
Madison street extended to the Memphis
and Charleston railroad bridge, across
said bridge to Charleston avenue, north
on Charleston avenue to Old Madison
street, thence west on Old Madison street
and join tracks where they intersect at
the junction of the two Madison streets
thence on track granted above to Desoto
street, south on Desoto street to Monroe
street, thence west On Monroe street to
Main street. Wherever the streets are paved
on this route, the pavements to be relaid
| by said railroad company under the super
vision OF the district engineer and, if neceE-
| sary, the crown of the streets to be lowered
at the expense OF the railroad company.
At the intersection of paved streets across
| their tracks fisg-stones are to be laid and
| maintained at their expense, and at inter-
| sections of dirt streets with their tracks
| good wooden crossings are to be laid and
maintained, all at their expense, for the
| benefit Of pedestrians and those who get
| on and off their cars. On dirt streets
their tracks are to be laid on good two-inch
planking supported by stringers under
meath, to the satisfaction of the district
engineer, the plankiDg to be uniform
length and extended two feet on each out
| side Of their tracks with square ends; all
| to be laid flush with the surface of streets,
| and inch railroad iron to be used and laid
as the Council may agree upon with said
| railroad company. This plank foundation
| to be granted only up to the time that the
| city paves such dirt streets; when the city
| paves either of these dirt streets the plank
| ing to be removed by the company and the
| paving between the tracks and two feet
outside thereof to be done as the Council
may direct. All the work required to be
/ dnna ahOvo m ba mo irato cd &aloe
| order during the occupation of these streets
| by said railroad company, and the tracks
| upon any Of above streets is not to be re-
moved or abandoned except by permit Of
| the Council.
Mr. Patterson, the only member of the
committee who did not sign the report, ex-
| planned that he declined to do so because
| he was opposed to giving anything more
| to the city until they had complied with
their contracts in regard TO Poplar and
II other streets.
Col. Montgomery thought that the ques-
| ton Of line on Madison street bore no
relation to the repairs On Poplar street.
] Mr.. Messick said he hoped the Council
would allow the company to lay its tracks
on Madison street. as it would be a great
convenience to persons living out on the
Charleston railroad from Memphis to Col
| heryilie.
Mr.. R, Dudley Frayser said that to cut
the matter short he would formally ask
| permission Of the Council to lay one CT
two tracks on Madison street, as his COM
| pany might see fit. He did this, he said,
without relinquishing any OF the rights OF
the company under it's charter.
Col. Montgomery moved that the report
of the committee and the verbal request
of the president Of the company be laid on
the table, provided the latter put his re-
quest for right of way on Madison street
in writing. This was agreed to and action
suspended for the time.
Mr.. Frayser soon returned with the fol
lowing paper, which he prepared in the
secretarY's Office,
To the Honorable Legislative Council
The Memphis City Railroad Company
beiug made aware that your honorable
body decline to act on the petition sale
company tiled With your honorable body
asking for the grade in order to lay tracks
on Madison street, from Main street to thu
Memphis and Charleston depot, because
in the petition recently hled vita you
body said company did not ask for tn,
privilege Of laying said tracks; now, II i