St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
PROTEsTSDON1G0 !.
The Aldermanie COMMITTEES
on Streets Finally Recon-
n1ends
PAVING OF SIXTH STREET,
In Accordance With the Re-
port Of the Board Of Pub
lie Works.
PROPERTY OWNERS APPEAR
And Enter Vigorous Protests,
All to No Pur-
/ pose.

Several Sixth street property owners
gathered in the council chamber yes
terday afternoon to see what the board
of aldermen committee on streets would
do with the report of the board OF pub
lie works, recommending that Sixth
street be paved with asphalt from Sib-
ley street to Smith avenue. The cont
mlttee listened to the protesters, only
one of whom spoke, and also to the adj
V0cates, and by unanimous vote con-
CURED with the board of public works.
and decided to recommend the improve
ment.
The principal speakers were Emil
Geist, VINO is opposed to the repaving of
that part of Sixth street between st.
Peter street and Smith avenue, and 81.
+. Stevens, who represented the major
ity of property owners in favor OF haY-
ing the entire street paved.
Mr.. Geist maintained that upper Sixth
street is in a perfectly passahle condi-
ton, and that with few repairs it
could be made to do for several years.
To make the property owners on that
portion Of the street, which MI. Geist
commended was as yet only residence
district. pay for new pavement this
year, was a great hardship. Seventh
street was still the principal business
street. Mr.. Geist SAID, though be adj
mitted that Sixth street would eventual
ly take its place. AS to the further
argument in favor of making the i'm
prOvement this year, that 1t would give
work to the laboring men, Mr.. Geist
declared that there would be no work
| for anybody till spring. when plenty of
it could be found. He thought it unjust
to make the property owners on upper
Sixth street pay for an unnecessary i'm
| proyement.
Aid. Murphy remarked that ma
| jority of the property owners favored
| the pavement. and that as far as the
need of it was concerned, that upper
| Sixth street was just as bad as the
| lower part. Moreover. the improves
ment would give work to
! Many Needy Men
/ who WONG not otherwise secure any
employment.
Mr. Murphy,o O'Halloran & Murphy,
| the undertakers, who are located on
! upper Sixth street, spoke in favor of
paving the street. He also observed
that it was quite natural that people
living III $4,000 aud $4,000 buildings
objected to being assessed to pay for
new pavement. Nevertheless. it was
not hardship to compel them to do so.
as the street was In such condition
| that repairs would not be sufficient.
| Senator Stevens then took the floor
! ana informed the committee exactly
! h0W the matter stood. The petition OF
| those wanting a new pavement repre-
| scented frontage OF nearly $500 feet,
| 920 of which lay west of Wabasha street
I and the remainder east. The petition
| against the improvement represented
T nothing like as much frontage. 4 large
majority OF the property owners wanted
! the street paved. At present it looked
! like corduroy road in q swamp.
| Mr.. Stevens said that Sixth street
| was the natural business artery
III the city. There were several reasons
, why it should be paved. Unless it was
series of expensive repairs must be
made and paid for out of the public
treasury. The work should be done in
response to the public spirit of those
citizens desiring public improvements.
People riding from The union depot
would be enabled to see that there are
some streets in st. Paul in passable con-
dition. Lastly, the Improvement would
give work to needy men.
In response to Mr.. Stevens inquiry
as to the city engineers opinion or the
condition of the street, Mr.. Rundlett
said that the cedar block pavement had
been down eight years. and that eight
years constituted the life of the cedar
block pavement After that 1t decayed
very rapidly. Repairs were now needed
every twenty or thirty yards.
After hearing from two or more
property owners who favored new
pavement. Aid. Murphy moved that the
committee report adversely on the pro-
test. and recommended the adoption of
the report of the board of public works.
Aid. Hare seconded it, and the motion
| prevailed,