St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-24
TIE MOTOR MATTER.
Seventh and Eighth Ward Committees
Make an Appeal to Gen.
Washburn.
4 Long and Strong Discussion, After
Which the General Asks
Time to Think.
The Committee Decides TO Use Con-
ciliatory and Then Strong Co
ercive Measures.


and Eighth wards, in the determined effort
to restore 70 the motor line the use OF
steam below Sixth street. met in joint Ses-
sion at the NieOllet house, yesterday, with
j. y. Giddings in the chair and George u.
Warren secretary. The Eighth ward com
mittee had framed an address to Mr.. Wash
burn. in which the Seventh ward delega-
lion cOncuTred, Teciting the fact of the two
ward meetings. the inhammatOry addresses
and appending the resolutions adopted.
This was read. il was agreed it was the
proper thing and nothing was wanted but
10 lay it before the obstructive general.
A COMMITTEES consisting OF MesSrs. Hig-
gins, COndit and Phelps was appointed 10
wait on Gen. Washburn. notify him OF the
presence OF the committee and request his
attendance. Ii was agreed that, in the
uniOOked-fOr event of Washburn' ; coming"
as Ed Stevens phrased it, the chairman
should read the address. emitting the TeSO-
lutiOns, which he presumably had read
The committee went on its mission and
found Mr.. WaShbuTn deep in business. He
received them suayely and readily con-
scented 10 come, " the committee reported on
its return. The meeting bTaced up and
prepared for action. Presently ne entered,
and before he could remove his coat and
blow his nose the chairman precipitated his
address upon him. He was very courteous
and collected in the scenes that followed.
but was evidently impressed with what he
heard despite the ingrOund belief ne enter
tanned. In substance he said:
wAsHBURN's VIEWS.
am very glad 10 meet you, gentlemen, and
am pleased 10 have this calm and collected
consultation in this matter. OF course you
understand how men may differ and honestly
ditier in various opinions. 1 am your friend
and have reasons 10 believe you are my
friends and entertain the kindhest feelings
for YOU ali and IL is not in my heart To- do you
any injury in this matter. But ] think you
make mistake IN coming to me. You should
20 10 the owners OF the motor for relief ana
redress.
Here he gave history of how he acquired
the stock and was induced TO resell 20 n
syndicate representing the present owners.
He proceeded:
This syndicate gave me TO understand Il
was their desire and intention 10 remove
steam from First avenue / have always en-
tcrtained the idea that steam on First avenue
was radically wrong ard wrong at tue bottom.
great and principal avenue should never
be given up 10 steam entirely. You gentle
men who use il, are not the entire city AT
large. which is certainly injured, 10 say moth
ing OF the complete cOntscAtiOn OF property
on First avenue. Wen, the steam idea, as 1
said. was only temporary thing. but il went
on until I frankly believed there would be
40 EFFORT 70 TAKE IT OFF
the line. By accident nearly ] acquired con-
troll of the bonds and had intended to reform
and reOrganize the road and put on large
ears, running frequently rs street cars, with
the use OF steam after you pass the thickly
settled parts OF the city. 10 is my honest be
lief you would be better served and satisfied
with this than YOU are at present with the
| but these parties proposed TO take those
bonds; / told them they could have them AT
cost, with the understanding that steam
| come or of First avenue. So the bonds were
/ sold. and that is the situation. L don't see
1 how you can feel have been wrong and un-
fair, for L believe il is the very best ultimate
/ thing to be done" He proceeded with the
argument at some length, basing his action
entirely on the welfare OF the city at large.
| No parallel was known, 10 his knowledge, IN
the world, the nearest approach being the
! elevated roads in New York, where, however,
the conditions are entirely different. 1.-THE
/ thing to do he concluded, ''is TO put the
company on its mettle and compel it To give
| you the service you require, with some mo-
/ tive power other than steam"
NECESSARY To THE SUBURBS.
Aid. Gibson assured Mr.. Washburn that
they were his friends and regarded HIM as
their friend. else these proceedings would
how the Seventh and Eighth wards had
| been built up by the motor. and to express
the general disgust which the word street
car excites in the mind of a dweller in the
suburb. Somebody always has TO suffer.
and in this case il must be First avenue that
should suffer for the general good of thirty
thousand people.
Ed Stevens-When the motor was first
placed did not the owners OF First avenue
property readily agree2 Did they not ask it:
Washburn-I think they did, but they prob
ably did not know they present outcome.
StevcnS-in the event YOU had retained the
ownership, what would have been the motor
power in use?
Washburn-We should have hauled the cars
by horsepower from Seventeenth street and
put in a cable as soon as possible. With my
views could not have kept steam there.
Julius Miner made the strongest preSenta-
tiOnOn behalf of the Eighth ward property
owners. He showed how thousands
HAD PLACED THEIR ALL
in the houses they had built. depending on
the motor, and advised and requested to buy
and build by these very people now living
along First avenue. Should these innocent
/ people be made to suffer, or should these
/ First avenue people have the little incOn-
venience of the motor? Did Mr.. Wash.
/ burn, in making this contract consider
| there was third party. the general public,
/ which was more vitality interested? In re-
| ply to this, which he did in a general way
and not satisfactorily, Gen. Washbun saiC
| the prOpOunders must not be One-sided, bu
must look at it from the standpoint of the
/ largest number. lie was then shown that
one or two thousand were interested il
seeing steam removed, while 80 600 were
concerned in seeing the steam remain.
The very strongest points were made by
/ John Blaisdell, Ed Stevens and others
showing that property has held up on FRS
| avenue. while the motor has practically
built up NicOllet avenue by settling
up the large country tributaTl
to it. 1t is not the people living along tn
avenue, but few selfish property holder
elsewhere who are making the noise. II
| short the argument was unansweTable ant
was unanswered. Beneath general pub
lie good" answer Gen. WashbUTn tool
refuge. 4 proposition was made to ties
the matter at the city election and the as
surance was made that a candidate RUNNING
on the motor platform would surely win.
WILL FIGHT IF NECESSARY.
The discussion was long drawn out, ant
finally Gen. Washbum took his departure
saving he would resolve the matter thor
oughly and make his decision known
When he went the committee was disatis
fed and assumed belligerent tone. 1t wa
unanimously decided to appoint an execu
tive committee of five, wait REASONABLE
time and, if Gen. Washburn did not favor
ably respond, carry out the spirit Of tn
resolutions. The committee determined
appeal to WashbuTn's sense Of right an
failing there to find TO fight in council, i
the courts and by the boycott and to figh
TO the last extremity.