Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-01
SPECIAL MEETING COUNCIL.
Consider the QUESTION OF Giving Track Facili-
ties to the Root Building to be Used BY
the Wichita Wholesale Grocery
Company-keferred Until


meeting to be held IN the evening to con-
slider the question of allowing switch to
be put down in the alley between Main
and Market streets from the Wichita &
| Western on Orme street to Williams
street. The cause for such prompt action
| being the fact that the Wichita Wholesale
Grocery company would take the Root
/ Bros. building on Market if they could
| get railroad facilities. The company had
been figuring with the owners of the
building and the business transaction be-
tween them had been arranged on the pro-
vision that the switch franchise would
be granted. The grocery company had
decided that there was no other building
IN the city suitable for them in size, ar
rangement and strength, and they could
not take it and labor under the
disadvantage Of no trade facilities.
The loss Of time, expense in haul
ing and breakage was al item
| to be considered carefully and was of SO
much Importance they could not face it,
and in the event no other arrangement
could be made they would be unable to
use the building.
AS will be remembered the switch"
! part of the question is an old one dating
! back about two years. Last April the
matter was agitated to some extent and a
/ remonstrance signed. by property owners
representing nineteen hundred feet on the
avenue on the Main and Market side, was
! presented to the council While no one
made application for switch at the time
1t was supposed that the Wichita g. West
ern railroad had such an improvement in
mind, and the remonstrance was out
against the company. The frontage rep
resented on the alley is something over
forty-two hundred feet, while as stated
the remonstrance represented nineteen
hundred feet
The word soon passed around yesterday
that there would be meeting of the
council on the question as it was present.
ed under the new conditions and the prop
erty owners were soon discussing the ques
ton. Some thought, and had always
thought, switch properly constructed,
making it level with the street and plank
ing it; operated under proper regulations
allowing no cars to stand on the track ex-
cept OF ground owned by the company do
ing business would be an advantage to the
property and enhance its value. Of course
those who thought they would be benefit
ted were in favor of the proposed improve
ment and have always worked for it when
ever being agitated. There has always
been an opposition as clearly outlined by
the remonstrance showing ! 900 feet. They
have always maintained that the switch is
likely to damage property and hence were
not anxious to see the franchise granted,
but, on the contrary, fighting it with the
usual courage and earnestness. They
have always claimed that no matter how
the switch was operated it would be
great detriment in getting to their barns
and in the back way to their property.
The call for the council meeting was
signed by the members in face of the facts
that form a history of the matter, beliey-
ing as some of the members stated yester-
day, that the conditions had probably
changed and that the property owners
would probably change fronts to some
extent. They would not venture the opin-
ion whether the revamping of opinions
would find much of change on
the average but thought lpossibly there
might be some hurry burly and 1t was due
all concerned to hold a meeting. AS was
by some the time was short and
the property owners most concerned had
not time to take new bearings and make
anew calculations to find where they
stood. When the time for the council
arrived last evening there was a fair rep
resentation of property owners and the
lobby while different in it's make
up from the average council meet
ing was about as large as usual.
Mayor Clement being absent the meet
ing was called to order by the president of
the council, Mr.. p. V. Healv. Members
present were: Carson, Mercer. Herrig,
Schnitzler, Downing. Coffin, Glaze and
Wight. The clerk read the call Of the
meeting, when the chair called upon Mr.
w. S. Corbett. of the wholesale grocery
company, who responded by saying that
the members of the council were all aware
of the great loss and Inconvenience suf- |
fered by the company, and it had been de-
cided TO resume business if satisfactory
could be made. In resuming |
business the company would expect to do |
just as much business as if there had been
no fire, which would be much more as
result of the big crops. than ever had been
done. The late freight rates had made it
easier to do business and enabled the COM
pany to reach farther. They had exam
ined the Steinhauser building and it was
not as strong as they would like. They
had looked over the city and, considering
their needs, they could find none
better suited to their purpose than |
the Root Bros. building on South |
Market if it could be provided with |
switch facilities. The increase of cost |
without track facilities and damage to |
goods very important one and they |
would be unable 70 occupy the building |
without switch The company would |
handle between seven hundred and eight |
hundred car loads annually, which would |
enable the council to see how important it |
was to have track facilities. He suggested |
that the council grant franchise to some
one to put in the switch temporarily, if |
thought best, and suggested that the fran
chise be given Root Bros. The conditions
could be such as would empower the run
ming of cars at certain hours of the day
when there would be less nse for the alley
by property owners. The track could be
plauked and graded even with the ground
and made as convenient for driving as
possible, and asked that the council con-
slider the matter and allow the switch IN
der as favorable conditions as possible to
the property owners. He then spoke of
the company as aiding in making Wichita
recognized as q wholesale point and the
victories won in that line and
yet to be overcome.
Should the switch franchise be
granted, he thought within three weeks
they would be able to have on hand large
and more complete stock, and the COM