The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-25
TO GET OFF RAILROAD STREET
WEST END RAILWAY WILL TAKE
ANOTHER ROUTE.

Lawyer LazarOn Gave the Council a
Bluff and Got What He Wanted.
Asked That His Company Be Re-
leased of Paying Paving ASSESS
ment on Railroad street and That
the City Donate $4,000 to Pay Tx
peDse of Moving the Track to 9th
er Streets-The Aldermen Couldn't
See It-West End Road VIII Now
Run to the Market
The city council spent about an hour In
special session yesterday. disposing of the
petition of the Savannah and West End
railway for permission to remove its track
from Railroad street, which is about to be
paved, and to make use of a new route by
way of West Boundary, New, Farm, Zu-
bly,, West Broad and st. Julian streets
to the city market.
The petition was read and Mr. S. L. Laz-
aron stated the position of the railway
company. 1t developed from his state
ment that the company did not simply
wish permission to change its route in or
der to escape paying it's paving assessment
and to secure a new and better route, but
that 1t wished the city to make donation
of 5000 to defray the expense of making
the change.
MIR. Lazaron put the question boldly.
The West End company is in a moribund
condition financially, he said. If forced to
pay the paving assessment, amounting to
$500, or to remove it's track to the new
route outlined in the petition, at an esti-
mated cost of 5000, it would finish the
company altogether. 1t had been under
stood, Mr.. Lazaron contended, that when
the company moved its track to one side
at the time of the paving of the Louisville
road the company would be exempt from
further charges for paving. AS 1t is to
the city's advantage to get the track out
of Railroad street, and as the company is
unable to make the change, he thought it
only right and proper that the city should
pay the cost of changing the route, which
he estimated at 5000.
The aldermen regarded Mr.. Lazaron
with wonder and admiration When they
recovered their breath they undertook to
discuss the matter. Alderman Hamilton
expressed his views in a very decided man
ner The company's solvency or insol-
Vency was not a question for the city to
consider, he said 1t made no difference
to the city whether or not the track was
removed. Should the track be removed
the company would escape an expense of
$2,6OO for paving which would fail upon
the city and abutting property owners. In
addition to this, the company asked for a
donation of 5000 to enable it to make a
change to an equally as good and probably
better route. He was decidedly opposed to
doing anything of the kind.
After general discussion of the matter
| the council decided that it would not re-
| lieve the street railway company of the
paving assessment nor would ii donate
5000 to enable 1t to change its route.
Mr.. Lazaron conferred with Mr.. Jacob
Paulsen, president of the West End Com
pany as the result of which he stated that
| the company would accept the new route
| II granted by council. After considerable
| discussion the council decided to grant the
| company permission to change its route as
| requested, on condition that the track be
| removed from Railroad street by 8 O'Clock
| next wednesday. Messrs. Paulsen and
/ Lazaron accepted this condition and stat
| ed that the track would be removed by
| that time.
The permission to the railway company
! brought up the point of a necessary
change in the ordinance for paving Rail-
| road street. City Attorney Adams advised
that it, would be necessary to repeal the
| ordinance already adopted and to form
uiate and adopt new ordinance for the
| purpose otherwise the city would be La
| BILE for the full amount of the cost of paw
| ing the right Of way now occupied by the
/ railway track The work Of paving Rail-
/ road street having not yet begun, he said
| this procedure would be entirely legal
| This step was accordingly taken. The
| repeal ordinance was introduced by AL
| derman Davis, read twice and adopted. A
new ordinance for the paving of Railroad
! street will be introduced at the next meet
| ing.
The members of council present were
Mayor Meldrim and Aldermen Hamilton,
| Owens, Davis Hull, Reid Guckenheimer,
| Smith, Charlton and Wylly.