The Indianapolis journal., 1893-06-13

Board of Works Consents to Having the
Poles at the Sides of tho Street.
The Board of Public Works. at it's meet
ing yesterday afternoon, addressed q com.
municatIOn TO the city attorney asking
him to draw up q contract providing for
the city TO give permission to the Citizens
Street railroad Company to place the poles
for Its electric extensions on Talbot ave-
nue.. from Seventh to Fourteenth street.
on the aide of the street, and to make the
width between the inner rails of the tracks
only four feet. instead of five. as is usual
when the poles are placed In the center of
the street The board only did this after
considerable pressure brought by the resi-
dent property owners of that thoroughfare.
Several days ago John s. Lazarus sp-
peared before the board and asked that it
give the Citizens company the right to 30
construct it's lines. and at that time he was
informed that the board must decline to
do so. the reason given being that the
board did not desire to enter into
contract of any kind with that company.
mitting that that company had right to
the streets of the city. and thus render un-
tenable the position of the city that the
company's charter expires next January.
q
city attorney would draw up q contract
which would hold the city free of any
future liabilities. but he was not able to
induce the members of the board to his
way of thinking.
He appeared before the board again yes
terday and presented petition providing
for the paving of Talbot avenue from
Seventh TO Fourteenth street with asphalt
to q width of nine feet and eight and one
half inches on the outer sides of tho street.
car tracks; that the street and alley inter-
sections should include the tracks;
that at all other points the tracks should
not be paved; that the poles of the comp
any should be placed at the side of the
street. and that the inside tracks should
be but four feet apart.
The members Of the board were most de-
cidedly against IL. President Conduit
said: There is, no reason for them laying
their tracks over that street. and If l was
one of the property owners, l should!enjoin
them from doing So"
That is all right" retorted Mr.. Lazarus.
but who IS going to furnish the bond and
undergo all of the expense which would DO
attached to such q proceedingp
THAT Is not whatyOu want to do" broke
in Mr. Defrees. Let them lay their track
and then sue them for damages. The
simple fact that the company has q con-
tract with the city OF the rights of the
streets of the city, does not ease them from
damages. If they laid u line in front of my
property / would load q car with iron and
let IL stand on the track for three or four
hours every day while fed my horse"
MIR. Defrees went on to say that the reason
that the company desired TO 20 up Talbot
avenue was because 10 would have TO pay
for going up any other street, and that the
company was never known TO do ANYTHING
which was in conformity with what the
people wanted of It.
Mr.. Lazarus said that the company had
promised TO place it's poles as the citizens
desired them, but bad insisted tb at NJ hing
but Ia double track would suit il, Mr. De-
frees having said that it could Just as well
have placed a single-lIne track up Della
ware street and havo saved ali of this con-
troversy.
Mr. Lazarus also said that he wanted to
get the matter before the Council at it's
meeting next Monday night as the fact of
the tearing up of Illinois street woulG ne
cessitate the use of this line In the immedi-
ate future. Accordingly. the letter men.
toned was sent TO the city attorney with
the request that the answer be sent to the
board this week.
President Mason was asked about the
matter. and he said that the company had
consented TO place it's poles and tracks as
above stated only at the earnest solicita-
tion of the residents of the street He
said il would cost the company not little
more TO do than IL would To have
buiit il the other way, and that il would
also place the tracks out of alignment.
All of the company's cars he said, had
been screened for center poles, and all ar
rangements had been made for them.
In speaking OF the statement OF the MEM
bers of the board that the COMPANY could
iusr aa well have run it's tracks nD Delaware