St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-07
A Word to the City Council
on the Far-Famed Selby
Avenue Grade.
Aldermen Deliberate on Many
Matters of More Than
Usual Interest.
The Street Car Service, the
Wabasha Street Bridge,
the Gas Company,
New Election Districts and
Fire Protection Were All
Before Them.

The council devoted much time at its
meeting last night to cable line and street
railway matters, and although no def
mite conclusions were arrived at, the
complicated questions between the
public and the railway company were
referred to committees to prepare
the way for desirable results.
The chamber of commerce resolutions
and the city engineers report relating
to the Summit avenue crossing of the
cable line, were submitted by Mayor
Smith, with communication signed by
he mayor, calling the attention of the
council to the dangerous condition of
the crossing, which he characterized as
a standing menace to the lives
and property of citizens. The mayor
recommended that the council take
such action as will result in-the reduc-
ton of the grade on the Selby avenue
hill to point of safety and suggested
that it might be advisable to effect such
changes in the grade as
to make an underground cross
ing at Summit and Selby avenues. He
hoped there would be no difference of
opinion among members of the council
and that a speedy remedy would
be obtained for an evil invOlv-
inc not only the safety of in
diyidualS, but the preservation
of one of the most beautiful avenues In
the city. La making these improve
ments, the mayor says, property
owners should be amply COM
r1ancotaJ for dapamaS 1NrOp-
erty. The mayors communi-
cation, with the chamber of commerce
and city engineers report, were re-
ferred to the committee on streets.
Aid. Kahn introduced resolution that
the committee on streets be instructed
to ascertain from the president of the
street railway company the reason why
THE THREE-CENT TICKETS
which are to be used on the cable cars
between and o'clock i'll the morning
and 6 and O'Clock in the evening have
not been provided. Aid. Sanborn intro
duced a resolution that special COM
mittee of five be appointed to investigate
the action of the railway company
in the operation of its various
lines of railway in the city, and
ascertain whether the company is fur
nishing suitable and proper accommo-
dations for the public travel; whether
the company is violating or has
violated any of the provisions of
the law and ordinances under which
it is acting, and if so, what action can
lawfully be taken for the relief of the
company. This was referred to Aid.
Sanborn, Petsch, Weber, Kahn
and Bryant. BefOae the meeting
Aid. Sanborn also introduced
preliminary order to the board of pub
lie works to investigate and report on
the matter of changing the grade of
Selby avenue, from Third street to
Nina avenue, so as to form proper
grade for the cable and its railroad i'll q
tunnel under Summit avenue.
While the aldermen had on their in
vestigating clothes, Aid. Cullen intro
duced a resolution providing for u
special committee of five to inquire
why
THE GAS COMPANY
has furnished suoh inferior light during
the winter, and that during such inveS-
tigation the city comptroller be in
structed to pay no claims of the gas
company. On this committee were APP
pointed Aid. Cullen, SanbOrn, O'COn-
nor, Hamm and Long.
A communication from the st. Paul
JobberS' union and from Manager Hall,
of the Underwriters union, relating to
the size of water mains in the business
dietrict, was read. Mr.. Hall expressed
the opinion that between Broadway
and Wabasha streets and Third and
Seventh streets, all the mains running
north and south should be twelve
inch mains, and all running east
and west should be siXteen-inch, except
frH Ctr x1fIia
should be twenty-inch. He said he had
been asked TO increase insurance rates
25 per cent in the district named
unless he could have assurance from
city authorities that by May the i'm
prOvement was provided for. Aid.
Cullen took the floor and asked to have
the matter referred to a special COM
mittee of three to fully investigate
and learn whether the present
mains are sufficient, and if not, why
not. He had understood from the water
board that the mains were large enough,
and if there had been lack of water
supply at recent fires the fault was
somewhere else. Aid. Cullen, Sanborn
and Hamm were constituted such COM
mittee.
ELECTION DISTRICTS.
The report of the special committee
to designate election districts and poll
ing places was presented and adopted
with few amendments. The bound
aries of election districts in the
first nine wards are left as de-
fined by the legislature. The Tenth
ward is divided into two districts on Il
line running north and south along
Prior avenue, formerly Westwood ave-
nue.. The Eleventh ward was divided
into two districts by the committee, but
the council amended by dividing the
ward into three districts. Dis
trict No. l is all that portion
of the ward lying north of Summit ave-
nue.. District No 2 is that portion of
the ward lying south of Summit avenue
and north of Randolph street. District
No. is that portion lying south of Ran
dolph street. This makes total Of
thirty-Seven districts; the polling places
IL each is given below.
First Ward-First district, Cpl Lafay-
cite street; Second district, 964 Burr
street; Third district, 70l Lawson
street.
Second Ward-First district, 21l
Bates avenue: Second district, ia East
Seventh street; Third district, $40 East
Seventh street.
Third Ward-First district, No.
Engine house; Second district, north
east corner OF Eighth and Wac0uta;
Third district, southeast corner OF owe
and Seventh.
Fourth Ward-First district, court
house: Second district, city hall; Third
district, southwest corner of College ave-
Il. int A.