The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-28
ARE PROTESTING AGAINST 1T.
Property Owners do Not Want An
other Electric Line.


The aldermanic committee on streets,
assisted by the aldermen from the
wards affected by, the ordinance grant
ing a franchise for the construction Of
an electric railroad through the streets
of st. Paul, held a session that lasted
for couple of hours yesterday after
noon and listened to vast deal Of
talk about the proposed franchise. And
the result of the hearing was to make
things look gloomy for Mr.. Mcdonald
and his friends in the deal. There was
a good deal of outspoken protest
against the granting Of the franchise;
one of the excited citizens character
lied the ordinance as an outrage and
another said that if the franchise was
granted, he would give his property
away. And Mr.. Mcdonald, in answer
to the attacks made on his bill made
several earnest talks. And the talk
all amounted to nothing for it was
finally decided that the ordinance ought
to be amended in several directions
and ought to receive further consider
alton at the hands of a. full committee
So 1t went over and will be considered
by the committees on streets from the
assembly and board of aldermen joint
ly When Chairman Kenny called the
meeting to order, there was a. goodly
crowd Of citizens present and every
one of them had kick ready to
register. The ordinance was read and
the citizens invited to talk.
Gates A. Johnson, representing the
trustees Of the Central Presbyterian
church on Cedar street, protested
against the passage of the ordinance
OH the ground that the running of cars
on Cedar street would practically dis
troy the utility of the church for re-
ligious purposes.
B. H. Schriber called attention to
the personnel Of the applicants for the
franchise. II am Informed" said he,
that Mr. Mcdonald and his confreres
do not intend to operate the road them
selves, but expect to turn it over to
some one else to run. / believe we
ought to know who we are dealing with
in the matter. The franchise asked
for here is worth not less than a mil
lion dollars, and it is to valuable
gift to bestow unwittingly, for if a
railroad should ask for such a right of
way as is granted here, it would gladly.
pay $50 foot and that would amount
to a million. 1t is an unheard of thing
that a company should ask for the right
to run cars through the streets of a
city of the size of ST. Paul. I must
earnestly protest against the granting
of the franchise
B. w. Smith, who owns the property
at Tenth and Cedar streets, said he
was very strictly against the passing Of
the ordinance IF you pass the ordin-
ance," said he, my property is for sale
and I'll gladly trade it for a yellow
dog. The railroad on Cedar street
would render the property valueless.
The trustees Of ST. Luke's church filed
a protest also.
E. E. Mcdonald. who represented the
applicants for the franchise, explained
that the proposed railroad would not
be quite such nuisance as the opposi-
ton evidently conceived. He called at
fpnti0n n in he FRO
prohibiting the use of steam and said
that the operation of the road would be
no more of a nuisance than the present
street railroad. At present no less than
1900 cars passed the corner of Wabasha
and Seventh street daily, and it would
be many years before the new line
would run that many cars. The heavy
freight would not be transported
through the streets down town for the
freight yards would be on Rice street
Referring to the proposition that the
franchise would be worth 81, 600, 000 he
admitted that it would cost a half
million to get a right Of way into the
Union depot, but said that if that
money could be saved it would permit
his people to put 1t at once into the
building Of the road AS to who was
really to hold the franchise he could
not see that it made any difference;
anyway he could not tell who would
furnish the money. He went over the
old ground of the benefits derivable
from the building of another line to
Duluth and said that the city of st.
Paul could not only afford to grant the
franchise but could easily pay two per
cent on 81, 000, 900 worth of bonds for the
company and then make money on the
investment in the saving on freights.
He intimated that there was another
enterprise of great moment connected
with the railroad which he could not
at present explain.
Mr.. Schriber asked Mr.. Mcdonald if
he would guarantee to carry coal from
Duluth to st. Paul at half the present
rates. The promoter could not quite
see that, but thought that his road
could haul hard coal for the same.
money that was now charged for soft
coal. But he would not stipulate to
haul freight at specific rates; if that
was made part Of the franchise he
would have to hesitate before he ac-
cepted it. Answering a question Mr..
Mcdonald said he would be willing to
insert in the ordinance a clause re-
curing work on the road to begin
within a specified time.
he T<rEoo lie