The Portland daily press., 1896-06-17
CITY GOVERNMENT,
Hearing for Electric Railroad Track
on Free and Oak Sts.
A COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO LOOK
FURTHER INTO THE MATTER.

to Il. j. Cady-Mr. Harlow's Case Goes
Over Till Next Meeting-Mrs. Ellis
Charged With Recommending Inn
proper Persons.-The City to Have a
Salute Fired q nd Bells Rung ON the
Fourth,
A special meeting of the board of alder
men was held last evening. In the alb
sence of the mayor the board was called
to order by Alderman Thompson the
chairman.
All present.
ELECTRIC TRACK ON FREE ST.
Aldermen Thompson announced that
the meeting had been called for hear
ing on the laying of track by the Port
land Railroad company on Free and Oak
streets and read the published call
Alderman leighton read "a ramon
STRANGE to the granting of any location
for the tracks of any street railroad COM
pany through any part of Free street be-
tween Congress and Center streets. The
remonstranoe was accepted aud placed on
file
Gen. Anderson spoke in behalf OF the
romonstrants. He said: Sin the winter
Free street which is SO narrow will be al
most impossible if tracks are placed
there. for now the snow piles up in the
street terribly. Congress street has two
tracks already and oonveniences the pub
lie. Congress street is q wide street with
plenty of room even after the two rail.
road tracks are placed on 1t. Everyone
knows that since the railroad has been
put on Congress street Free street has
been used for carriages. We think the
railroads ought not TO complain.
Alderman Kehoe asked to hear from
the road.
Judge Robinson said that in the alb.
senoe of Hon. q. E. Libby he was here to
speak for the petitioners. 1t is known
that subscription of $780, 600 has been
made by citizens for building for public
place of amusement to be erected on Free
st. The railroad having been asked for a
track that would enable the public to
take cars at its doors have presented thia
petition. The road is not responsible for
| the selection Of the lot for the theater.
| Superintendent Newman said the re-
quest for the road to locate on Free and
| Oak streets came from committee of
| the Opera house directors to the railroad.
to locate this road there, but if the pub
lie required it they were willing to bear
| the expense.
Mr.. Newman said it was the intention
of the company to have the road running
1 at the time the Oprea house was COM
pleted.
DR.. Thayer Thought people who owned
horses ought to have some means OF
getting from one end of the city to the
other without going over paved streets
occupied by car tracks. Furthermore he
didn't think the public demanded the
| track.
| DIR. Bray protested against the track.
! DIR. Warren said Free street was now
used by all the heavy teams and if you
pave it and put electric tracks there
| there will be no room for DOCTORS teams
at their doors.
/ Judge Robinson said this track was not
intended for through traffic but only fol
delivering people at and taking them
from the theater and only for a short
| time at night. The board can judge best
whether to have the cars out of the way
on Free street or in the way on Congress
street.
DR.. Bray thought they would be just as
| tn hc
considered there was as much travel on
Free street at these times as on Congress
| street,
Mr.. Henry P. Cox said for the directors
| of the Opera HOUSE, that he had no idea
there would be objection to the use OF
| Free street.
The hearing then CLOSED.
| Later Alderman Kehoe presented an Or
der granting the required permission.
| but Mr. leighton said he wasn't prepared
to vote and moved that the order be re-
ferred to committee of three to be
appointed by the chair to look more
thoroughly into the matter anu report at
the next meeting, either regular or
special, and it was SO voted. The chair
appointed Messrs. Leighton, Pagan and
| Howell as said committee.
| FrTZSIMMONS & RYAN'S WOOD.
| SHE'D.
/ Mr.. Pagan said Fitzsimmons & Ryan
| wanted to erect coal and woodshed OIL
| Cumberland street. They were given per.
mission TO erect an Office at a former
meeting and by misunderstanding
started to build tho shed and when it was
about finished stopped work to see what
the board will do in the matter. Mr.
Melody said the coal and wood shed had
been placed within three feet of his
property and the insurance people say il
the shed stays there he must pay double
insurance rates and he didn't think il
right. A buzz saw also makes great
noise. He protested against granting the
petition.
Mr.. Gately also protested against tht
shed.
Alderman Kehoe said the shed wasn't