The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-10


the cost. It was q question as to
whether the slopes would sustain the
eight bents on which the sheds were
to be constructed without a retaining
wall to prevent the structure from be-
ing pushed out into the river or on the
railroad tracks.
Mr.. Benz agreed with Mr.. Chittenden
that the first thing to do was to desig-
nate the place as the proper one for the
market, and then afterward consider
the cost and construction.
o. J. Reynolds, Of the firm Of Rey-
holds & Reynolds, said there could be
no doubt as to the need Of the city for
q market. The next point was where
to have 1t and how to raise the money
to build it. He had grave doubts as to
the feasibility and practicability Of the
proposed plan. Farmers did not want
cold storage warehouses and market
buildings. All they wanted was sheds
to shelter them from the elements and
protect their products. For such pur
poses a block or two-thirds Of block
would answer all requirements. The
proposed plan, if carried out, would
give but one street which could be
used to enter or leave the sheds. He
had been on the market for the past
ten years and had kept in close touch
with the farmers. He knew Of any
number who would gladly pay 800 per
year for the use of shed to protect
year for the use of a shed to cover
themselves, team and products from
the elements. His idea of a market
house was not an immense pile Of
brick, including cold storage ware
houses but simply shed where farm
ers could come with their products and
dispose of them. The city should not
provide stores. All the city needed to
dow was to provide for farmers. The
business of the city should stop when
it had provided place for farmers to
drive in and out. He felt certain if
private parties could get the right for
fifteen or twenty years from the city
to establish a market the sheds could
be put up at cost of not to exceed
$4,000, and, with a public scale, moth
ing more would be needed. 1t was not,
in his opinion, necessary to have any
such structure as was shown by the
plans presented. The city should not
put up stalls or stores for rent. These
places could and would be provided
by private parties The location of a
market should be bounded by four
streets and not accessible only by one
street. The location, as proposed was
all right, and the market should be in
that vicinity. He thought a block or
part of a block might be secured in
the neighbOrhood which would answer
the purpose such as he had outlined.
Mr.. Benz and Mr.. Chittenden both
agreed that Mr.. Reynolds was in error
as to the chance of securing a plot of
ground sufficiently large to accommo-
date the market gardeners in the
vicinity.
Mayor Doran, being called on for his
views on the question, said the state
ments of Mr.. Jacobson as to the plans
seemed to be most satisfactory The
location was all that could be desired
1t was very picturesque and could be
made the finest market place in the
country. The space for 200 teams, he
thought. would be ample to accommo-
date all the farmers who would visit
the market. The only obstacle, to his
mind, was the raising of the money.
The market house could be sold and
he would say that he had never held
to the theory that unless $500 per front
foot be secured it should not be sold.
The city could sell the property for less
than this price per foot and recoup
itself by purchasing cheaper property
elsewhere. There was a crying need
for market. The question of cold and
| warm storage warehouses was becom-
ing matter of great interest to the
commission men and fruit dealers and
the plan proposed attended to this and
the location appeared to be solution
Of the question If the financial part
| of the plan could be settled there was
no better location for the market His
experience had been that private par
ties had made a failure Of providing a
market for the farmers. This being
the fact, it was but right that the city
should do what it could The city had
an asset in the market property at
Seventh and Wabasha streets, and he
saw no reason why, after private en-
10 ~
should not take hold of the market
question. In answer to a question by
Col. ClouSh, the mayor stated that he
did not know of O purchaser for the cd
market property. Col. CloUgh thought
it was a question if the city had $780,
coo in sight for an enterprise such as
the plans submilteo by Mr.. Benz
called for
Mr.. Chittenden who had been en-
gagged in conversation with Mr.. Jacob
son, said the cost would not be as great
as had been stated. Sixty feet of the
$50 was a part of Market street and
the cost of the property would conse-
quently only be $4,000. By leaving out
the cold storage portion of the build
ing the cost of the substructure could
be cut down to about $4,000. To this
would have to be added the cost of the
market house building, figured at $18,-
0G0, and the cost of the sheds at SIS 900,
which would make the total cost about
Sill, 900.
Mr.. Murray was opposed to the city
going into any cold storage warehouse
scheme at a cost OF $58, O00 He was in
favor of supplying simply a platform
and no market house for hucksters
with stores ard stalls. If he had his
way there would be no sheds for farm
ers without money The idea, he said
of charging farmers ten cents for
| standing in front of ones private
property was all wrong. It was like
collecting toll on bridge, for the small
amount received from toll the city lost
more by driving farmers away. If
cold storage warehouses were ceeded
he favored some of the men with
money building them. and not the city
j. A. Wheelock said he had first sug-
gested the location which had been
presented by Mr.. Benz He had ar
rived at the conclusion, however, that
it was impracticable. owing to the
financial condition of the city. Private
enterprise was, in his opinion, the only
way by which a market could be estab-
lished Under thep resent charter it
with the city for any longer period
than one year. He advocated that the
new charter change this, and when
this was done and a contract with the
city could be made for term of twen-
ty years, the problem would be solved,
as private enterprise would step for
ward at once and secure a place for a
market. The Benz plan he thought,
was not possible, owing to the enorm-
Gus expense He had in mind a block
could be purchased for $4,000, and
could be leased for term of years for
a small sum, which would answer the
purpose as suggested by Mr.. Reynolds