The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-21
ROUGH ON SOUTHSIDERS
BUT CORPORATION INTERESTS DE-
MANDED THE SACRIFICE
And the Council Had "Reasons"--
Switches Go over Protests-sur-
veying Park Lands.


city and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton
Railroad, which was made by the Board
of Public Works and recommended by
Mayor Taggart, allowing the railroad to
place three additional switches across New
Jersey street just south of Pearl street.
This will make total of twenty-three
tracks across New Jersey street. The Coun-
Gil passed this ordinance in the face of pro-
tests from the property owners of the South
Side and the Commercial Club. When one
of the councilmen who voted against the or
dinance was asked why the Democratic
members had passed it he rubbed his fingers
together significantly and replied: :" They
had the best reason in the world
Before the committee on contracts and
franchises met to decide what kind of re-
port to make on the ordinance it heard the
protests of the property owners. Former
Councilman Charles Gauss addressed the
committee. He said that If the Council
granted the c., H. e. d. Railroad the right
to lay additional tracks across New Jersey
street it could not refuse the Pennsylvania
Company the right to lay additional tracks
across Delaware and Pennsylvania streets.
The Pennsylvania Company" he said,
has invested $4,000 in property at Penn
sylvania street. The c., II. & d. Company
has not invested cent in the property on
which it proposes to build new freight
depot on New Jersey street. 1t merely has
an option on that property. You do not hurt
the c., H. & D. Company when you refuse
it the right to lay additional tracks, but
you are hurting the Pennsylvania Company
when you keep it from laying additional
tracks. 1 hope that you will do justice to
the South Side.'
jeremiah Redding then said to the COM
mittee that many people on the South Side
do not allow their children to go to and
from the center of the city because of the
great number of tracks that intervene. He
said that he did not want to hurt the in
terests of the railroads. but he did insist
that the Council keep the city's interests
intact.
The committee then withdrew into a pri-
vate room and in few minutes reappeared.
The Council was called to order and in due
time the reports of the committee were
read. Two of the committee, Mr.. Little and
Mr.. knight, signed minority report recon-
mending that the ordinance should not pass.
Mr.. Little moved that the minority report
be substituted for the majority report, but
the motion was lost. Mr.. Little then moved
that the meeting adjourn, but no one Sec
onded him. The ordinance was read and
reread and voted on by the Council notwith-
standing another motion by Mr. Little to
defer action until the next meeting of the
Council, this in order to give the property
owners another chance at the members of
the Council. The vote was as follows:
Ayes-Allen, Bernauer, Clark Golfer, Cos
tello, Grail, Harston, Higgins, Merrick Mof-
fett, McGrew, Rauch, Scanlon. Shaffer, Won
Noes-Bowser, Knight, Little. Madden.
Smith, Mahoney.
Before the ordinance was put to the vote
of the Council the property owners had in
troduced through some member of the
Council a written protest of the commission
on elevated tracks of the Commercial Club.
Interruptions by members of the Council
who wanted the president to rule the report
out of order prevented anyone from getting
the connected sense OF the paper. It seemed
that President Mahoney was a mother help
less to control her spoiled children He
weakly told members that they were out of
order, but they paid no attention to him and
went on talking. The result was that the
meeting became disgraceful squabble. Mr..
Little Yelled THE CORPORATIONS have all the
rights and the people none in this Coun-
Gill; ~
When the ordinance was passed the Coun-
Gil adjourned and the property owners, who
had been watching the downfall of their
rights poured out of the room a thoroughly
angry crowd. They felt that they had been
outraged and they, were ready to tell the
councilmen so. Ed Bernauer, a saloon
Keeper who is one of the regulation
statesmen" and looks it, was asked why
he voted for the ordinance, He replied. Il
did it for business reasons" After he said
this two or three times it became very in
slpid and young man among the property
owners said, There was a good deal of
money in it for YOU wasn't there, Ed?''
Bernauer took this worst of insults with a
poor attempt to ruff1e up He said. Look
here. that's a personal remark" The young
man laughed in Bernauer's face and re-
peated his charge and Bernauer skunk away
into a corner with a reporter for the even
ing organ of the administration. The prop
erty owners. and especially the Democrats
among them, are wild at Bernauer. They
have a handful which he circulated when
he asked to be elected TO the Council in
which it is stated in heavy black type, LAS
a resident of the South Side am not in IA
vor of laying any more railroad tracks
across streets leading to the South Side"
The most bitter sarcasm was vented in the
remarks of the property owners when they
showed this circular around wait till the
next election said the crowd.
Before the c., IL. & ID. railroad ordinance
was passed some less important business
was rushed through in time for the nfembers
TO get back to their primaries to aid in re-
ducing the soreness which might have
arisen and join in the usual festivities
which attend Democratic primaries. Mr..
Rauch introduced a resolution directing the
Mayor and Board of Public Works to secure
from the stockholders of the water COM
pany a direct proposition to sell the plant
along the lines of the plan of William b.
Hord. which was read at the last meeting
of the board. The resolution was unani-
mously adopted.
Mr.. Grail introduced resolution that the
city should place eight beautiful, modern
electric lights around the Soldiers and
Sailors Monument in honor of the K. of p.
and l.. A. w. meetings. This resolution
was also adopted. and Messrs. Grail, Nc
Grew and Costello were appointed a COM
mitteee to attend to the matter.
The ordinance providing that all vendors
of ice shall weigh the ice before the pur-
chasers, if it is demanded and providing a
fine for short weight was passed, though
several members said it was silly there be-
ing already an ordinance covering the mat
ter.
Mr.. Knight introduced an ordinance pro-
viding that fiagman be stationed at the
crossing of the j.. M. & l. railroad and Ray
mond street and penalty for the railroad
companyS refusing TO do so.
Mr.. Harston. having nothing else to do
between the times of playing with Mr.. Hig-
gins, introduced an ordinance providing a
fine fer blowing 'calliopes' on the streets.
During the confusion which attended the
meeting President Mahonev once weakly
suggested to the members that if they
would pay more attention TO business they
would know better how to vote. Those of the
members who make the noise continued
their playing as If they doubted Mr. Ma
honeys remark. He subsidized into his usual
helpless state.
TO SURVEY PARK LANDS.