St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-20
EVERY SINGLE VOTE
Cast in Council for the Adop-
ton of the Street Car Com
promise.
The End. at Last, Of the Prob
lem of Rapid Transit for
ST. Paul.
All Objections Overcome and
the Ordinance Unanimous
ly Adopted.
1t Will Be Approved To-Day
by the Mayor and Accepted
by Lowry.

By unanimous vote the common
council last night passed the ordinance
granting the st. Paul City Railway
company rapid transit privileges, with
the right to operate all Of its present
lines and future extensions by cable,
electric, pneumatic or gas power. With
few immaterial changes the ordinance
recommended by the joint committee
from the chamber of commerce and the
council committee on streets was
adopted. The business was done in a
manner ''aS smooth as silk" When
the president announced the re-
/ suit of the final vote the cham
Der rang with loud applause. and when
the noise had partially subsidized. every
body congratulated everybody else, and
said that it was ''the best that could be
done under the circumstances" In
fact, it was a veritable love feast, which
could only have been augmented by the
presence of Col. Lowry, as there is little
doubt that the genial colonel would
have been the happiest man in the city
hall.
The session lasted somewhat less than
two hours. The joint committee Or
dInance was presented by Chairman
Yoerg, of the committee on streets, and
placed upon its first formal reading. Ii
remained for Aid. Melady to offer
THE FIRST OBJECTION
to any of its provisions. the provisO of
section six not meeting with his approx
al. In the committee ordinance it read
as follows:
Provided. that in case Of a strike or the in
terposltlon OF any unsurmountable obstacle
the running of cars NAV be suspended for
such time as shall be absolutely required to
overcome the same.
Aid. Melady moved to strike out the
whole proviso. claiming that its adop-
ton would leoye the city at the mercy
of the company in the event of strike.
Aid. Sanborn moved to amend by strik-
ing out the words "a strike Or" alleging
that the elimination of the proviso
would result in killing the ordinance by
placing it in such shape that Mr.. Lowry
would not accept it, the matter having
been previously argued with him in the
committee. Aid. Yoerg in turn moved
to amend by striking out the
words ga strike orr and
inserting after the word obstacle" the
words with the exception of a strike"
Aid. Melady accepting his amendment.
1t was here that Aid. Fisher found an
opportunity to say few words for the
cause of labor as against capital, but it
availed him nothing. The original mo
ton. as amended, was lost by the fol-
lowing vote:
Yeas-Ald. Conley, Fisher, Leithauser, Me-
lady, Yoerg-5.
Nays-Ald Bickel, Blom, Book, Cullen,
kayanagh, Minea Pratt, Sanborn, Sullivan,
Weber, Gehan-1i.
Aid. Fisher finally concluded, how
ever, that it was better to take a half
loaf than no bread, and moved to strike
out the words "a strike or" as origin
ally moved by Aid. Sanborn. His
motion prevailed. Aid. Yoerg
caused trouble next, not being
satisfied with the route specified
for the Winifred street line, West st.
Paul. He moved to insert "another
line, commencing at the intersection of
Dakota and Fairfield avenues; thence
on Fairfield avenue. to Ohio street, to
George street, to Smith avenue, to An
napoliS street." with provision that
the line should be completed as soon as
Ohio street is graded to its full width.
Aid. Sanborn again rose to assure Aid.
1oerg and the council that such a
but to defeat the ordinance and
KILL OFF ALL HOPE
of rapid transit at the hands of Mr..
Lowry, that gentleman having posi-
lively assured the committee that it
would be impracticable to operate an
electric line up the steep Ohio street
grade. Aid. YOerg knew that it was
practicable. He said it was but an
eight per cent grade, and that the COM
pany intended to construct electric
lines on several other streets at a
heavier grade. The Thomson-Houston
company, he said, had considered the
project feasible one until they sold
out to Mr.. Lowry, upon his agreeing to
adopt their electrical system on his new
lines. E. j. Gilman, representing the
Thomson-Houston company, admitted
having told Mr.. YOerg that it was prac-
ticable to build an electric line on Ohio
street, Notwithstanding the heavy
grade and curve, and also admitted
having changed his mind. But his
change of opinion, he alleged, was not
because of any agreement made with
Mr.. Lowry, but because he had con-
suited the cOmpany's electrician and
had been informed differently. Aid.
SanbOrn, supported by Aid. Cullen,
TO the original ordinance, and when a
vote was taken Aid. YOerg's motion
was lost, his only supporters being his
West side colleagues.
Section sixteen, by which the street
railway company agrees to relinquish
its rights to certain streets, was another
point attacked by AID. Yoerg. The
Sixth ward representative found fault
with the condition of the waiver, read
ing as follows:
Provided, however, that this waiver shall
continue and be in force for such time only
as the city of St Paul shall not grant or give
10 any other company or persons the right
to use or occupy said exempted streets or
avenues or any part thereof for or by a rail
road of any description, either upon the sur
face or below or above the surface of said
streets and avenues.
He moved to strike out the words
''either" and ''or below or above the
surface" keeping out only surface rail-
ways. and not binding the city on pen
atty of forfeiture of the rights waived
by Mr.. Lowry to keep out
| ELEVATED OR UNDERGROUND ROADS.
Aid. SanbOrn wasagain successful in
defeating the motion by vote of to IL,
stating that Mr.. Lowry agreed to relin-
] qulSh his rights on the streets i'll Ques-
ton only on condition that roads of
/ any kind whatever were kept off from
| them. He knew Mr.. Lowry would not
! consent to have the clause stricken out.
/ The club welded by Mr.. SanbOrn was a
! formidable one, and was sufficientsto
| put to flight all further objections to the
committee ordinance. The rules were
again suspended, the sections read as
amended, and the ordinance was placed
on its final passage. Before a
vote was taken Aid. Sanborn de-
llvered a short address in favor of
its passage. The citizens of st. Paul,
ne said, have been anxious for rapid
transit to the suburban districts for
many years, so that poor men could 90
into the outskirts and build their homes,
Under the ordinance thirty-two miles OF
railway were guaranteed to be built and
equipped with electricity within two
years, which could but result in great
benefit to the city. A defeat of the ordi
nance, he urged, would throw the city
back to the old litigation with the rail
way company, with no brighter pros
| poets for five years, while in the mean
| lime citizens of st. Paul would bf