St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-14
EIGHTY-FOOT Street.
That Breadth Required on
Selby Avenue for Rapid
Transit.
Property Owners Badly Split
Up, and a Compromise
Probable.
Sewer Contract Approved and
the Work Will Be
Pushed.
Fifth Ward Citizens Complain
of the Street Railway
Company.

Consequent upon the probable ex-
tension of the Selby avenue cable line a
preliminary order was passed at re-
cent meeting of the common council for
the construction of q sewer on Selby
avenue, from Victoria street to Fair
view avenue, distance of about two
miles. The matter was referred to the
board of public works, recon-
mended favorably, and in the due
course of business the board awarded
a contract for the improvement to
George }. Symonds. at S26,55S. The
Job is a big one, and will require con-
siderable time That there might be no
unnecessary delay, Mayor Smith called
a special meeting of the council for last
night to dispose of the matter. The
contract awarded by the board of public
works, with the necessary SuretieS. was
taken up and approved by unanimous
vote. Work on the sewer will be COM
menced at once by large force of men.
Several other contracts of minor i'm
pOrtance were also approved before the
adjournment.
At the close of the session, Chairman
Yoerg called the committee on streets
to order, when another matter closely
allied to the cable extension was taken
up. 1t was the petition of Midway
property owners asking for the
WIDENING OF SELBY AVENUE
to a uniform width of eighty feet be-
tween Dale street and Fairview avenue.
A largely signed petition for the change
and large protest against it were laid
before the committee. 1t is alleged by
the city railway company and the Mid
wav property owners that the street
must be widened to insure the safety of
running cars on the cable extension at
a speed of twelve miles an hour. Their
proposition Is to condemn ten feet of
the property on either side of the street
without awarding damages, claiming
that the property will be benefited to
the extent of any possible damage Ey
the alleged improvement. 1t WIS
claimed that the railway company has
issued an ultimatum to the effect that
the ttOrOughfare must be widened be-
fore cars will be run at any rate OF
speed faster than their cable cars are
now operated. Several interested prop
erty owners stated their views in the
matter. A vigorous kick against any
such condemnation was registered by the
owners of property east of Victoria
street, while those owning land on
Selby avenue west of Victoria street
were unanimously in favor of the prop
Osition. Notice was given that the east
end owners would positively not submit
to the condemnation under any circum-
stances, and that they
WOULD FIGHT THE MATTER
TO the end in the courts. The change
of street line would leave many of their
residences flush with the street, and
would necessitate the raZing of several
valuable buildings. They were willing,
however, to give up their boulevard,
and to narrow their Sidewalks to
width of six and half feet. leaving
forty-six feet of street between the
cur6s. This, they claim, is sufficient,
and that cars are running at twelve
miles all hour on Cottage Grove avenue,
Chicago, which is of the same
width. But Col. Barr could
not see it that way, h lding
that the company must have eighty feet
| if rapid transit is desired. Attorney
Cornish, representing the east end own
ers,'held that the alleged improvement
would benefit no one but the railway
company, that much property would be
| damaged and none benefited. and for
| that reason no damages could be as
sessed. There was no opposition to
widening the avenue west of Victoria
! street, and several plans were suggest
| ed by which the company could run its
cars at the present speed over the
four blocks from the present ter
minus to Victoria street. None
| of them suited Col. Barr, however, who
insisted on running his fast cars over
| an eighty-foot thoroughfare. As COM
! promise, on motion of Aid. Gehan it
! was decided to recommend the widen
| ing of the avenue between Victoria
street and Fairyiew avenue, leaving the
four blocks on the east end in the pres
| ent condition. The east end owners
are perfectly willing to extend the lin
its of the roadway by giving up their
! boulevard and narrowing their side
walks, and this will probably be done.