St. Paul daily globe., 1889-08-07
AL EVHV1 UHlVUlEsOE
Seven Companies Desire the
Right to Use the Streets
Of the City
For the Construction and
Maintenance Of Cable and
Electric Lines.
The Entire Batch Will Come
Up for Action at a Special
Meeting.
The Council Routine ReneWs
Old 'Wars--$5,000 for
Street Illumination.

The common council was all but
showed under last night with applica-
tions for street railway, electric motor
and cable line franchises. In addition
to the franchise previously asked for by
Thomas Lowry, six other ordinances
were presented in the interests of diff
ferent companies who propose to give
the city rapid transit. One fact was
clearly demonstrated, and that is
that st. Paul's. street railway priVi-
leges do not go a-begging. There
are plenty of capitalists who are willing
to build lines, not only without exclu-
sive privileges, but under great restric-
tions. The ordinances were presented
in a bunch, and, without reading, were
laid upon the table, to be taken up at an
adjourned meeting next Tuesday night,
for the discussion and disposition of
street railway matters. Among the
companies asking electric privileges
was one composed of William Dawson.
William Lindeke, Amherst Ii. Wilder,
Theodors l.. Schurmeier and Edward q.
Rogers, although no particular lines We're
specified. Lane K. Stone and Walter
s. Morton asked permission to build a
steam motor or electric line from the
present eastern terminus of the cable
line on Seventh street, out Hazel ave-
nue. to the city limits. Robert j. Ander
son, Walter P. Douglas. William Pitt
Murray. q. d. O'Brien, Albert Scheffer,
Eugene a. Hendrickson, Charles FL.
Lienau, |. V. D. Heard, Charles l.. Haas
and E. |. Mabon composed another
company which asked general electric
motor and cable privileges, not desig-
mating streets. Electric motor. cable
line and street car privileges were
asked by William Dawson, Joseph
Jockey, Charles a. Moore, T. f. Bir-
mingham, G. w. Borr, Beriah Magoffin
and c. l.. Sumbardo, with privileges to
construct line from Third and Wa
couta streets on Wacouta street to
Sixth street, to Smith avenue.
to Forbes street, to Douglas street,
to Prairie street, to Pleasant
avenue, to Victoria street. to West
Seventh street, and on to the Fort
Smelling bridge. DR.. William 0. Allen
and d. o. SWiney, capitalists of Daven-
port, To-, also asked a franchise for an
electric line from the union depot Oh
Sibley street to Sixth street, to Pleasant
avenue, to St. Albans street, to Fair
mont avenue, to Victoria street, to Igie
hart street, to st. Peter street, to Sixth
street, connecting with the line pre-
viously mentioned thereon; also from
this line at the intersection of Marshall
avenue to Victoria street. along Mar
shall avenue to the city limits; also
from their line at the intersection of
Marshall avenue with Smelling avenue
and along Smelling avenue to Langford
avenue.
The Thomson-Houston Electric COM
pany, of Boston, Mass, represented by
e. r. Gilman, its Northwestern agent,
presented a communication to the effect
that they have under serious consdera-
ton and are now formulating a fran
chise for the purpose of con-
structing and operating line
of electric motors in st. Paul,
but that their ordinance was not yet
in shape to present to the council. The
matter was referred to the committee on
streets, with power to receive the or
dinance the same as If it had been reg
ularly introduced in the council. The
committee on streets also reported the
electric motor ordinance asked for by
Thomas Lowry, greatly modified, which
was also laid upon the table to be acted
upon Tuesdhy night. As had been
surmised, the ordinance framed
by the committee knocks out Mr..
Lowry's alleged exclusive clauses,
provides for transfer checks to any con-
Meeting line owned by the company, and
provides for a reasonable tax on the
company's gross earnings. 1t is pro-
vided that electricity shall be the only
power used, and that storage batteries
Shall be introduced when it is shown to
the satisfaction of the city council that
the system can be used as effectually
and economically as the system of
wires. The company is also required at
any time to reduce the time between
cars on thirty days notice from
the common council. An annual
tax of S25 per car IS provided, and it is
| further stipulated that after four years
the company shall annually pay the city
| per cent of their gross earnings for
three years, for the three years there
after 2 per cent, and for all time there
after per cent. A bond of 100000 is
| required that the company will faith
| fully carry out all the pro-
visions of the ordinance. A bond
| of $4,000 is also required of
| the company, as guarantee that they
| will build and operate the lines after
accepting the ordinance. The commit
tee also reserves the right to grant any
other company permission to operate
lines over Mr.. LoWry's tracks on the
payment of a just compensation, such
compensation to be decided upon by a
| board of arbitratOrS provided for.