The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-29
STREET RAILWAY COMPANY Is
EVIDENTLY ANXIOUS TO GET
OFF THE HILL.
DEPOT AND BROADWAY, ALSO.
IL mlUi.r CuNCEDE BOTH II IT
COULD BE GIVEN A NEW
ROUTE.
Showed a Disposition On the Part
of the Street Railway People to
Get to Work.

Another meeting of the special COM
mittee from the board of aldermen to
confer with the street railway officials
as to what would be done by the COM
pany was held yesterday. At the last
meeting President Lowry was present
and explained TO members of the coun-
ell and representatives from the cham
Der of commerce, Commercial club and
retailers union that the company was
willing to do just what the city and
the citizens wanted in the way of a
depot loop and changing the cable to
an electric line. 1t was at this meet
ing that the proposed plan of making
an open cut or -Viaduct on Selby ave-
nue. hill was brought out President
Lowry, While not making any promises,
stated that this seemed the most feast
bic plan yet suggested and he was in
cIined to think that it would be all
right, providing the expense would not
De too. great on the company. 1t was
announced at the first meeting that
the plans had been prepared by Chief
Engineer Stevens, Of the Great North
ern road, and would be at the service
OF the council and the street railway
officials at any time. In consequence
the meeting was called for yesterday
afternoon, and Vice President Good
rlch General Manager Held and Supt.
smith, Of the street railway, met at
the council chamber with President
BlgeloW, of the board of aldermen. and
AID. Kenny, Lindahl and Sanborn for
the purpose of looking over the plans
Iof the Vladuct. Chief Engineer Stew
ems, OF the Great Northern, however
was out Of the city, and this together
with the absence Of the plans prepared
threw wet blanket on the conference
One thing, however, was deveIoned
and that was that the street railway
officials would much rather onarata an
electric line on Third street across the
park at the head Of the street and
out Nelson avenue to harrington and
on harrington to Selby avenue than to
pay for viaduct UP Selby avenue hill
vice President Goodrich was prepared
TO agree to operate the Broadway loop
ana also put in depot loop, if the
council would allow the company to
oulld and operate line on the route
mentioned above. Aid BigeIow and
oanborn raised the point that this
would be impossible owing to the fact
that the park at the head of Third
street was public park and could not
be used for street railway purposes
MT Goodrich questioned this assertion
anG said he had been Informed nv M
ID. Mum that the city had the RIGHT
TO use the park for this purpose. or
at least a part of the ground. Mr.
Mum said he had given this opinion
ana argued that the city had a perfect
rlSht to allow a roadway to be opened
through this or any other park for the
use OF the public. The dedication Of
the property for a park, Mr. Mum
saId, only prevented it from being sold
by the city or used for building pl1r-
poses, Tut that it would be perfectly
legal and proper to use a portion of if
Tor the purpose of making a public i'm
proVement. Aid. BigeloW and Sanborn
failed to see the matter in the same
light as did the attorney for the street
railway company or the officials.
Pressed by Aid. Kenny as to why the
broadway loop was not operated, Mr..
Goodrich stated that he could not see
Where the company would be benefited
to the extent Of a single dollar by run.
ming the interurban and Como cars
around Broadway. AS to the denOt
as an example. There, after considera-
Bile expense and trouble, a loop run
ming past the union depot had been
placed in operation. All the cars were
run around 1t, but it was finally devel-
oped that there was no necessity for
this, and now only two lines are run
around the loop. AS a matter Of fact.
there was no particular business done
by a depot loop except when the trans
arrived in the morning, and again
when the evening trains went out For
the balance of the day, there was no
travel on the line. At least that was
the experience in Minneapolis, and he
had no doubt it would be the same
here,
Pinned down by questions as to what
the company would do as to the opera
ticn of the Broadway loop and the con-
struction of a depot loop, Mr. Good
rich was very non-committal He
wanted first to know what was to be
done on the Fourth street line If there
was to be an open cut on the Selby
avenue hill. the company would like
to examine the plans and learn what
part Of the expense the city would
stand. The company, he said, did not
expect to make the cut and then have
to pay the costs which might arise from
the damage done to property by the