St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-29
YET little LONGER.
The People Held In Suspense, bul
Steam Likely TO be Allowed OH

The People Held In Suspense, but
Steam Likely TO be Allowed On
First Avenue south.
Next to the political situation In pub
lie importance ranks the motor question.
1t is an issue perhaps more numerously
legislated than any other project In the
history of the city The division of public
sentiment has been sharp and decided 1t
has been before the city council for several
years. and the aldermen have been impor
tIned from time 10 time to enact amend
ments favorable To its continuance as
steam motor for The transportation of the
people, while on the other hand they have
been repeatedly and almost constantly
pettioned to prohibit the use of steam by
bitter enemies OF the system. Last night
The council held another special session to
consider the amendment to tho limita ton
prohibtOry ordinance. granting the motor
company ten years longer lease Of steam
rights TO Washington avenue. The joiut
committee which has had the matter in
hand held an executive session In the after
noon and another at Uight. keeping
the council in waiting until nearly
8 o'clock for their report The re-
port which the committee did make
was In the form Of majority and minority
report The first was untaynraDie to
steam. recommending some other motive
power, which the COMMITTEES esteemed
practicable, and that the time for the use
of steam be allowed for three years upon
these conditions: Tie motor company shall
run ears to Washington avenue once every
twenty minutes without switching. The
extension recommended was for the pur-
pose of giving the company opportunities
fOf prosecuting a series OF experiments.
The minority report extended the time
the same number of years but uncOndiJOn
ally. G. A. Piilsbury being present. was
given the floor to explain the position of
the company. He denied that any prom
ises of putting in a cable line had ever been
made. although so alleged. The cable line
scheme was impractlcable. The climate
was too cold and the drainage too imper-
perfect, sbeSideS the cost OF operating 1t was
entirely too much. The receipts of the road
would not offset the expense. The company,
he claimed is anxious to furnish rapid tran
sit and efficient service. and in case longer
lease of life be granted more motors and
cars would be purchased and trains would
be run Oftener, and they would be shorter,
so as to avoid a nuisance the company ac-
knowledged. The aldermen participated
in spirited debate. Aid. Cooley champ
iOned the cause of the Eighth ward, or the
continuance of the steam motor. He
argued that the registration, now in prog
ress, indicated an unprecedented growth in
the population of that ward. and that
these people are clearly entitled to the best
possible facilities. Aid. johnson spoke at
some length to support the majority report,
and was replied to with considerable spice
as well as force and feeling He alleged
that tine Fourth ward was deal more i'll
tereSted in the motor than the Second
ward, and that Aid. johnson knows a
deal about law and is fairly we'll
posted on city council matters. but
ne seriously questioned Aid. John
sons knowledge of railway matters.
Indeed. Aid. johnson was much better
posted On Second ward politics than either
of the themes suggested. Aid. Lawrence,
as an Eighth warder favored the majority
report and urged the conditions named
therein. He charged Aid. Babb with bull
doing. for suggesting that the motor COM
pany would have to resort to horses TO
haul their cars from Nineteenth street to
Washington avenue Aid. Lawrence de-
clared that no bulldozing would be toler-
ated. On roll call the majority report
was adopted, II to 6. The matter was re-
ferred back TO the committee on ordinances
to draft an ordinance in accordance with
the report and to report it to an adjourned
meeting to be held this morning at II
o'clock.