Telegram-herald., 1891-09-16
HOW DID Il GIT 1RllI
The Authority of - d n&G
Railway Company onau1fsnc


-s ~@ou - 80 u
Grand Rapids was In its fn1ancv. -
psratiseiy speaking. there wor z = So
running from Fuiton-st. A : roreS'
westerly direction uu1a & foourv 3
campaa. known as Ferry-st~ 4 49,
scrutiny of the present nap wlI rou11r.
IA its being found yts ahonf -
block and hall long and ssven<y -
wide. Like Aonroe-sf.. and o>nerS. -
was conceded TO the municiprol1w
when the city was plated. 1hs cour,
eli has had control OF IL In the n1efv.
forgotten past. but OF laks yea.v a.
G. Il. & I. Railroad Conrasy Ne
claimed 1t. In fact. that corporea1oo
has bodily conf:sated II and usAA a.
TO the exclusion Of al othera n.
strip OF land Is a valuable one. nna =
was like finding SO much money q
come into possession OF a pirce a.
property as nd the G. Il. s 1. Railroad
Company 10 ferry-st- Some of the
railroad officials were inclined Ia f1,>
bel.ef that back somewhere a n esriv
seventies the city granted khc railroad
company the right 10 lay = track
through the street.
The Records show ss Aufhes1as.
Admitting this much 20 he 1rue.
there is no readily accessible record ~
such action having been taken. and A.
must he inferred that the comD4nv
has presumed upon that unccrta "a
right until there are now four tracks
and the prospects OF another one. ar
that ss. there was a prospect o{ an
other one until the ever wafchful Wis
ner Taylor happened To think that tho
railroad company had no right 20 lay
track therein without permission oi
the council. Consequently the ctr
marshal wis ordered 10 issue q man
date commanding them 10 desisg- The
company seemed To acknowltdge fhS
power OF the council and the work VA
stopped. At the last meeting Of 9bo
city fathers the q. II. 4 /. naked 10 -
allowed to lay the additfonSi frock
Up to the present time the prlvilexo
has not been granted Engineor
johnson, of the q. r. 4 l.. has bocu
busily looking over musty papers q =
vain endeavor to discover the covele1
ordinance. but has not yet nlcccodeG
in unearthing one. The railroad con-
pany own the entire south side of the
street. The other side Is owned By r.
u. Gilbert, Leonard & Son, =. ".
Wood and Harvey j. Holtstef. r.
j. O'Bricn, attorney for the road. Wa
approached yesterday atternooQ by =
reporter for the Telegram herald -
relation TO the matter.
..u- L. ~ XAm "a , I
1. company's rights In Ferry<t.T va
asked.
II don't know. We have been 1ook<
ing that up lately" WAS the nnswe
''Hase you anything ca record Wn.c. ..e.!
gives the road any rights 0peo - ~ S
II suppose there Is eometn1
that effect, though where ~ = g
what St Is 1 can't say.
Searching the Archtvea
Ibid you ever hear u an ordinanoo
being passed granting the company
lhe rigat 10 lay tracks there2"
1T seems 10 me that tslcrc wae eoue-
thing OF that kind passed n 1919. 4
resolution or an ordinance, believe
IL might have bcea the intention q the
city no allow the company TO lay O.
track, though l hardly think IL Was
Intended that the entire street ei1ouz4
be occupied. Who has been raising
kick. Mr.. Woaod?"
sIt was brought up n the councs
Monday nsglit.''
I'm regard to that street IL b Just
like this. The company own the south
side and the property owners on the
north side do moi object. The tracks
are accordingly laid and the city ac-
quicsces In the manDcr Ia which the
street Is disposed Of. II has hen going
on siat way for ten years, and Mr..
Wood has never made "A kick until tho
last track was about TO he put
through The beet place 10 lind OUT
about this is at the city hail.
City Attorney Tsyisr 1ntsrsiewea.
City Attorney Taylor waa called
upon. DO you know anything about
the right Of the Grand Rapids 4 1ndi-
ana Company 10 occupy Ferry ST.
whether there was ever an ordnance
passed granting that road the prjvi-
tcge OF laying tracks through thcrc?
II am familiar wish all the city
ordinances passed since 1867. and !
have never heard OF one granftn9
shem that right. I have eearcbed
high and low Tor one. bat have not
found it. 1T H. a conundru1B 70 Ne
whore the company got the priyi1eU1~
Without an ordinance granted -
that effect. can the Grand Rapids =
Indiana Company take poeeession q
n strcet?''
1T reens that II has done 10. but
IL is certain that IL had no right"
What are yoB going 10 DO ab0ut
y can't say az yet. though eho1l
eventually recommend some courw -
The czyunrjz -
The reporter for the Telegram Her-
aid made a personal search through
the city records. buf no more success
ful than cStv Attorney Taylor. The
municipal authorific< have awakeue1
70 the fact that while Grand Hapi1G
r. growing, and during tf,e whln 81
succeeding events. the Grand Rap94g
Indiana Railway Company Qu5fe1r
took possession Of an ifnportAu5
thorouEbfare- There n coDsSd<ra&1o
saik about compelling The company -
rssnove M tracks. though 10 e<fln'1g
pian of aetsen has yot been oeotoe9
Npon