St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-08
The JOBBING Center
Made Permanent and Great
by the Fixed Subrailway
Scheme.
Shipping Tracks to Be Laid
From Trout Creek to
Broadway,
And Many New Houses Will
Locate Along the New
Line.
Business Mems Union Revives
and Carries the Plan
Through.


have made good resolution, the deter
mination being to put through the sub
railway scheme in the KittsOn addition.
The matter of drayage with the whole
salers is an enormous item. The plan,
which was devised three years ago by
the Wisconsin Central railway, was to
put through means by which whole
Salers could dispense with the drayage
expense. In May and June, 1890, the
company secured the passage by the
city council of an ordinance granting
permission to lay sub-railway through
the alley in the blocks of Kittson's addl-
ton, between Fifth and Sixth streets,
from Trout Brook valley to Broadway.
The plan was to lay the tracks so far be-
low the grade that the cars could be
loaded from the basement of the various
wholesale houses which might establish
on the line.
The city council passed the ordinance
granting permission to build the rail-
way, and that was the last of the scheme,
so far as building was concerned. The
Wisconsin Central about a year ago
transferred its interests in the matter to
the Northern Pacific Railway company.
And afterWard the latter company sent
to the common council a petition asking
that they be released from any further
obligation in the matter. The common
council failed to accept this renOunce-
ment, and the matter has stood in statue
quo ever since. However, the interest
of the railway company iD the scheme
has practically lapsed, since by the pro-
visions of the ordinance the railway
must have been built and placed in Op-
Grafton by certain date.
The business mems union has picked
the matter up, and proposes to carry it
through. There is only one party stand
ing III the way (the city is to be con-
graduated that there are not many
standing in the way, and as soon as he
is disposed OF, the union asserts that
everything will go through in good
shape. Options Oh all the property, eX-
cept that of the one person mentioned,
have been secured ut reasonable rates.
Among the very many who have
agreed TO put up large wholesale houses
on the line of the subway, are FarWell,
Ozmun d. Kirk, who have secured an
option on a Broadway corner lot; The
Crescent Creamery company, which has
secured an option on lots extending 250
feet on the line; Il. l.. Blood & Co., and
six other firms. Every one OF these
firms proposes TO put up houses aYerag-
ing five stories i'll height.
There is nothing now to defeat the
carrying out of the scheme except pure
haggishneSS Oh the part OF property
owners: and, as stated, there is only one
property owner now standing i'll the
way. Could only one Whit Of the spirit
of Minneapolis strike st. Paul for
week the whole scheme would be bird.
And i'll a very few years we Wodld have
a wholesale district superior to any city
in America. The expense which would
be saved to the wholesalers on the line
would enable them TO underSell any
wholesale firms IN the United States.
The advantages gained to the city can
not be estimated. 1t is now known that
could the scheme be carried through
every lot on both sides of this alley from
the Trout Brook valley to Broadway
would be covered by an immense whole
sale structure, and the KlttSOn addition,
which is now an eyesOre TO the city,
would be converted into one OF the live
liest spots in the Northwest.
The Oiginal plan contemplated by the
Wisconsin Central company was to
build the railway entirely underground
and extend it west of Broadway through
the entire wholesale district. But it
was soon found that the city sewerage
system stood in the way of this, and
that if it did not, the character Of the
soil made such a plan impracticable.
The depth at which the railway would
have to be put would throw it down into
the swampy ground, where it could not
be operated.
The idea was soon abandoned ana the
company then proceeded to ascertain at
what figures the lots i'll the kittsOn ad
ditiOn could be purchased. Everything
seemed favorable for a while; but as
soon as the prospect seemed flattering
that theScheme would be carried through
the lot owners on the line began to adj
vance the price of their property. They
very soon had it at figure which caused
the company to give up the project.
The business mems union has taken
different tact, and secured options on
the property. As stated, they are
blocked out by but one man. OF course,
ii this man stands out long enough he
will defeat the whole matter and will
be left to hold his worthless property
until some comet bumps against the
world and knocks it into smithereenS.
On the strength of the prospect Of
carrying through this scheme several
capitalists have laid their plans to put
up immense business blocks this side
of Broadway. And the city Will boom
as it has not done before, if the fool
killer can make way with the Stun
bling block referred to.