The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-02
AN OLD DEATH TRAP.
East Side Circle Viaduct Before
the Council.
Company Must Repair Or Re-
move Ninth Street Viaduct.
Council Considers a New Park-Fire
Horsss-Coal Contracts Chang
ing Wards.

Il tell you, gentlemen, this is out
rageous. There is too much politics and
not enough business in handling this
matter. were the excited words of As b
Jetmore, as he stood outside the rail
at the city council meeting last night
just before that body adjourned
The cause of his wrath was the fact
that a resolution had been passed to
compel the East Side Circle railway to
either repair their viaduct on Ninth
street or take ii down. Mr.. Jetmore
is attorney for the company and he
went to the council meeting last night
to resist the resolution, but he arrived
too late.
Councilmen Burgess and Drew took
time. by the forelock and upset Mr..
Jetmore's plans. AS soon as the coun-
ell convened Councilman Burgess asked
for a suspension of the rules to have a
resolution passed. The other council
men agreed that it should be done and
Councilman Drew then introduced the
resolution concerning the viaduct.
The other members of the council did
not understand the play. They had a
feeble notion that snap Judgment was
being taken on some one, but they did
not quite understand who. Council
man Nettles and Councilman Stephen
son feebly protested that the resolution
should not be passed hastily, because
the committee appointed at the last
meeting to examine the Viaduct had
not reported.
But the protests did not avail and the
resolution was passed with but two
votes in opposition. Then the council
took up the regular order of business
and ten minutes later A. B. and County
Attorney A. P. JetmOre entered the
room. Resolutions appear last on the
order of business and they had no idea
that anything had been done in which
they were interested.
After the routine business had been
disposed of and the council was ready
to adjourn, County Attorney Jetmore
inquired what had been done with the
resolution and he was told that it had
been passed. He then begged the
council to reconsider the matter. ut
looks as if this company is being per-
secuted. 1 know that they want to OPP
crate this road and are making prep
arations looking to that end. I appre-
bend that the road will be put in opera
ton next spring. This council should
prises. Every obstacle possible has
been put in the way of this company.
The company was compelled to cease
operation of the road because of COM
plants from people living on the street,
and eight men were thrown out of en-
plOyment."
A P. Jetrnore said that the company
expected to improve the park at the
terminus of the line and build a large
convention hall "They do not want
to lose their property said he. TT is
to their interest to operate the road and
make their investment pay. We may
blame the men interested for making
this investment, but we should not do
everything in our power to prevent
them from operating their road. This
company has not been treated fairly.
They were compelled to lower their
track on Ninth street after the city en-
gineer had given them the grade, and
then the city came in and covered up
the tracks 1t is simply outrageous.
The council listened to Mr.. Jetmore
with respectful silence, but no motion
was made to reconsider the matter.
The Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific
railroad companies claim that the Ninth
street viaduct is a menace to the OPP
Grafton of trains, and ii is at their re-
quest that the action last night was
taken.