St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-17
MILWAUKEE, ROAD DARES THE
CITY COUNCIL TO DO ITS
WORST,
NO SUMMIT AVENUE BRIDGE
WITHIN THREE YEARS, THE ULTI-
MATUM OF THE DICTATORIAL
RAILROAD.
LOWER FIFTH STREET PAVING
PrOvOkes Lively Discussion ut
the Meeting of the Assembly
Committee ON Streets.

The assembly committee on streets
held protracted session yesterday af-
ternoon, for the purpose Of consider
ing the final order from the board of
public works for the paving of Fifth
street from Wabasha street to Wa
couta, and also the resolution from the
board of aldermen, directing the Mil
waukee road to replace it's wooden
bridge on Summit avenue with a steel
or iron structure. The latter matter
was taken up first Owing to the large
number of property owners in atten-
dance the committee met in the coun-
ell chamber
The matter of the Milwaukee bridge
was referred, four weeks ago, to Chair
man Arosin, of the committee, the city
engineer and the corporation attorney,
as subcommittee, authorized to come
to some understanding with the Mil
waukee road, if possible. Chairman
Aros1n announced the result of the SUBJ
committees work. Upon communicate
Ing with the Milwaukee road it had
received in answer a proposition Of
fering to replace the present wooden
bridge, three years hence, with a steel
bridge eighty feet wide. The company
declared the present bridge to be safe
and insisted that it would continue so
for ten years, and therefore didn't
think 1T should be asked to remove the
present narrow wooden structure. In
reply to this offer, the subcommittee
asked the company to build steel
or iron bridge 100 feet wide in the sum-
n
thus far been received by the COM
mittee.
j. G. Chandler, the Northwestern
agent Of the Milwaukee, who was pres
ent, furnished verbal answer then
and there:
All L have to say" said Judge Chan
dler, is that the railroad company has
no other offer to make than the three
year proposition. We will have no
money for such a purpose for at least
three years. If this is not satisfactory.
the committee will have to do as 1t
sees fit
Mr.. Van Slyke inquired whether the
city could compel the Milwaukee road
to build bridge wider than the ay-
erage width of all the city streets.
namely, sixty feet.
Assistant City Attorney Phillips
stated in reply that the city contend
ed that the railroad company must
put up bridge 100 feet in width He
believed that the supreme court would
require the railroads to build and
maintain their bridges in a manner
suitable and in keeping with the sur
roundings
Mr.. Van Slyke suggested that COM
promise might hn
city and the railroad company.
All the property owners and citizens
present were of the opinion that the
present bridge over the Milwaukee,
tracks was unsuitable and should be
replaced with an iron or steel bridge
at least 100 feet wide.
u. Il. Noyes said that instead of
oHeTlng TO build an eighty-foot bridge
In 1899, 1t should build a bridge I00
feet wide in 1897. Mr. Noyes declared
tnat the present wooden bridge was in
adequate to accommodate the travel
and he also doubted it's safety.
Col. X. M. Newport thought that
the Milwaukee road had not met the
people fairly on the issue. The pres
ent bridge was, in Col. Newport's
opinion. by-gone structure, totally
inadequate and unsuitable
Il wouldns be satisfied" added Col
Newport, with proposition from the
milwaukee, road for 100-foot bridge
unlesS 1T was made in writing and put
into the form of legal contract"
Col. Newport said subsequently that
ne mad learned by experience that
railroads would not make expenditures
unless they were compelled to.
Gov. Ramsey agreed with the others
that the time had come when so i'm
portant thoroughfare as Summit
avenue should be put in a better con-
dition.
r. B. Wheeler and James Weed
were opposed to any bridge less than
loO rect Wide. MIR. Weed called at
tention to the splendid financial show
ing recently made by the Milwaukee,
road, and remarked that the comnanv
ought not to be niggardly at this time
Assemblyman Strouse at this Juno
ture oHered an amendment which dis
pcSed OF the. matter for a time 1t was
that the city ask the Milwaukee COM
pany to build an iron or steel bridge.
loo feet in width, over it's right of way
crossing Summit avenue, during the
year 1898. The amendment was car
rled. Judge Chandler informed the
committee that the resolution contain
Ing the last proposition would be SUBJ
mltted to the head officials of the road.
and that reply would probably be
forthcoming within two weeks.
Ihen followed the old-time dispute
between the advocates of asphalt and
brick in the matter of paving Fifth
street, from Wabasha to Wacouta
street. The written petition upon
which the final order of the board of
public works was founded indicated a
majority of some 500 feet of frontage
in favor of asphalt. This did not carry
any weight with those who favored
brick paving, inasmuch as some of the
property owners who had signed the
asphalt petition had also signed for
brick. Chairman Arosin announced
that the committee would like to hear
the opinions of the property owners
present. In response, William Dawson
Sr.. D. r. Noyes, Maj. Epsy, Mr.. Tay-
lor, of Smith & Taylor; H. T. Drake,
e. j. Hodgson, of Minneapolis, and
other property owners, expressed their
preferences.
Messrs. Noyes, Drake, Hodgson and
Taylor all favored asphalt in prefer
erce to brick, while William Dawson
and Maj. Espy were opposed to asphalt.
Mr.. Dawson, who represents 200 feet of
frontage, said that he would prefer to
see lower Fifth street paved with ket-
tie River sandstone but in case the
sandstone could not be obtained he
would favor brick rather than an as
phalt pavement. Mr.. Dawson added