St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-10
WILL GET A BRIDGE.
A Syndicate Will Build a Toll
Bridge at Cedar Az
enue,
Unless the Legislature Makes
Provision for Putting
One in.
A Well-kttended Meeting Held
at Martins Hall Last
Night.
The County Delegation In
strueted for Cedar Avenue
First and Last.

That there will soon be wagon
bridge over the Minnesota river at
Cedar avenue. whether the present leg
islature takes any steps i'll the matter or
not, is a settled thing. A number of
promineet South Minneapolis gentle
men held secret meeting day before
yesterday and decided upon plan OF
action. which may have tendency
to make the Hennepin county
delegation get up and hustle if
they hope ever again to re-
ceive any political favors. That a
bridge at Cedar avenue is needed was
agreed upon by ali the gentlemen at the
meeting. and the question of how to get
one was discussed at some length. 1t
was finally decided to form a company
and build the bridge, making it toll
one. Some eight or ten men have al
ready gone into the scheme, and have
subscribed from S1.0G0 to $1,000 each.
Whether or not the bridge is built by
this syndicate will depend on the action
of the legislature. The interested gen
tlemen hope that the legislature will
not provide for the building of the
bridge. They admit that at first the
venture would not be paying affair,
but hold that in the long run, when the
Twin Cities had grown and the bridge
was wanted by the two corporations,
the syndicate could set a good price
for it.
The meeting at Martins hall. on
Franklin avenue, last evening to dis
cuss the project of a bridge over the
Minnesota river at Cedar avenue called
over the matter with the committee at
some length. Judge Ellis presided.
Senator SWenson and Representative
Underwood were present and made short
addresses, in which they announced
themselves as favorable to the project.
and said they would do all they could
to help if along.
j. NJ. Ially wanted the whole matter
left by the legislature to the county
commissioners of the two counties. Da-
kota and Hennepin. "The money is
going" said he. lin spite of the cry of
Tetrenchment and reform, and SO lohg
as that is so we might as we'll get some
of it. We can get a bridge across the
Minnesota river for $4,000, and there
fore let us ask for it. Some of us may
be in the legislature next time: and
then. perhaps, we can get more" In
reply to a question as to whether
bridge could be built for $4,000. he said
it could, except, perhaps, the approach.
Senator Swenson stated that there
were gentlemen in the Hennepin county
delegation who would prefer to have
the bridge located at Lyndale avenue,
instead OF Cedar avenue. 1t was there
upon stated that if the bridge was built
at LYndale avenue. only a small portion
of Dakota county would be benefited.
John Lally secured the floor and
remarked that he would not
be displeased if three bridges
or even two were built. Ifnothing else
could be done, he said, he favored the
building of one bridge at Cedar avenue
and another at Lyndale avenue. 1t was
only question of time when there
would be three bridges.
Senator SwensOn replied that it was
out of the question to get two bridges,
and he would like an expression from
the meeting as to what the delegation
should Go if it Was found that bridge
could be secured at Lyndale avenue
and not at Cedar avenue.
Aid. Parry moved that the delegation
be Instructed to provide for bridge at
Cedar avenue. or else let the matter
drop altogether. A discussion followed
as to whether it would not be a good
thing to favor bridge at Lyndalc ave
hue if it could not be secured at Cedar
avenue, and it was decided that this
would not be very good thing. W. K.
Hicks stated that all the business men
i'll Minneapolis were in favor of build
ing the bridge at Cedar avenue. He
roasted the members of the delegation,
whom he said were crying ''retrench-
ment and REFORM and then not living
up to their motto.
The motion to instruct the Hennepin
county delegation to hold out for a
bridge at Cedar avenue. and to accept
no compromise was discussed at some
length, in the course of which the Hen
nepin county representatives were
turned over rather roughly. Some of
the gentlemen wanted the bridge built
at some other point if it could not be Sc
cured at Cedar avenue, and this
called out somewhat animated dis
cussiOn. W. K. Hicks read letter
from G. A. Pillsbury favoring a bridge
across the river. and then asked the
three reporters present not to publish
it. Harry Phillips and Mr.. Hicks in
dulged IN rather sharp discussion.
which ended when the chairman called
Mr.. Phillips down with the remark,
This is no school for debate; sit
down.
Representative Underwood stated
that he was satisfied that the only
proper place to build bridge was at
Cedar avenue. or just below that point.
Such a bridge as is needed could be
built for from $4,000 10 $4,000, he said,
in concluding. a resolution was
finally adopted asking the Hen
nepin county delegation to do
all that was possible to get
bridge at Cedar avenue and not to COM
promise by accepting bridge at some
other point. On motion of Mr.. Pease.
a committee was appointed to draw up
a bill asking the legislature to allow
Hennepin and Dakota counties to issue
bonds to the amount of $4,000, to build
bridge at the point named.
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.