St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-27
The Council Plays Directly
Into the Street Car Mans
Hand.
It Kills the Ordinance He Dis
liked and Passes What He
Wanted.
An Electric Experiment Al
lowed and the Selby Ex-
tension Granted.
Three Other Franchises Are
Granted and a War Among
Them Invited.
1t was Lowry's victory.

IL was LUWIy FlCtOlys
If the council had sent for him, asked
what were his wishes, and then carried
them out to the letter. it could not have
more fully and completely played into
his hands.
The results of the all-day session yes
terday were, in brief, to knock out the
committee ordinance which Lowry de-
clared he would never accept; to pass
the Selby cable extension, as desired
by Lowry; to pass the Ireland-Cochran
ordinance, giving the right to make the
electric experiment; to pass the Lin
deke ordinance, the Thomson-Houston
ordinance, and the LOckey-MoOre Or
dinance; and to refer all others back to
the committee, to give Mr.. Lowry a
chance at them. This was what was
done at yesterdays all-day session.
The council got together early in the
morning, and the first thing presented
was an ordinance giving John Ireland
and Thomas Cochran Jr. permission to
build and operate experimental electric
lines from the corner of West Seventh
and Randolph streets to the river, and
from Grand avenue and Victoria also to
the river. Aid. Sanborn moved to
amend by inserting a protective clause,
by which, at the end of year, the city
could remove the line. whether success
full or the contrary. This prevailed,
and after much chin music, principally
in favor of the ordinance, it was put on
its passage. under suspension of the
rules. The vote was as follows: Yeas
Bickel, Blom. Book, Cullen, Kavanagh,
Leithauser, Melady. Pratt Sanborn.
Sullivan and Weber-11: and Aid. Con-
In the negative, and the resolution to
pass under suspension of the rules was
lost, thirteen votes being necessary.
The ordinance was then, on motion of
Mr.. Sanborn, laid on the table for the
present.
Then came the bursts of oratory,
which lasted until darkness. Arch
bishop Ireland, being invited to speak.
said it was small thing that was asked.
He thought the city railway would will
ingly give up all claims to the streets
designated. He thought the concession
was the smallest that could be asked.
In reply to queries. he said that he pro-
posed to try electricity as motor for
street cars in winter. 1t was his i'm
preston that it had failed elsewhere
during the season of snow and frost.
Mr.. Cochran said he would like to
penetrate the heart of the city with his
proposed lines, but could not hope to be
granted that privilege. He said he and
his associates were earnest and sincere
in their intentions.
Col. Barr, vice president Of the st.
Paul City Railway company, y,pronounced
electricity scientific success, but a
financial failure, when applied to street
railway locomotion.
Thomas Lowry responded to an invi-
tatiOn to speak, by saying that he under
stood certain parties wanted to. ''down"
him. He said the st. Paul system had
lost over $4,000 duridg the past year.
He said controlling interest in the
table basis. Mr.. Lindeke and other gen.
tlemen who had asked for franchises
were looking out for their own pocket
books.
This stuug Mr.. Lindeke and brought
him to his feetin a defensive attitude,
but Mr.. Lowry apOlogiZed i'm his ire
sistible way, and Mr.. Lindeke was mol
lifted.
Attorney Horn spoke on behalf Of the
city railway company, as its attorney,
saying that the company now operates
nearly sixty miles of trackage, including
the cable lines, which last cost upwards
of million of dollars. What the COM
pany now asks is to use electricity OH
the tracks already laid, should cleo
tricity ever be available. He made
long argument in behalf of the vested
rights of the cOmDanV