Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-02-02
!. Why Iat PlPt WAS txPostD.''

!" Why the PlPf WAS fxPOSED. .
6ecasse tie Light and Water Csm,aay
Wanted to Try q ''fxperlmeat."
Since the unfortunate freezing Of the
water pipe on the bridge, there has been
what appears to be an organized at
tempt to place the blame for the matter
on the city council. Not only has the
Transcript, the compauy's organ. tried
to do this, but several Of the compahy's.
satellites have gone up and down the
streets pouring into the ears Of every
body statements to the effect that the
council is entirely to blame. These state
ments are wholly untrue. some of the
acts OF the council may be indefens,ble.
but consideration Of the facts regarding
the water pipe will show that no fair
minded CITIZEN can blame the aldermen.
In 1898, more than year ago, an or
dinance was introduced ordering the
Electric & Water company. to take their
pipe of, the bridge, and fining tue com.
pany it the order was not obeyed. The
company secured an Injunction from
the federal court restraining the city
from interfering with the pipe. When 1T
was proposed to repair the bridge some
m onths ago, the Injunction was IN the
way. The clty's counsel was instructed
to ask Judge Lochren to modify the in-
junction so as to allow the repair. How
ever, the city's counsel and the cem-
paDy's counsel met aud discussed the
matter to! see whether the matter could
be arranged without trouble. it being
claimed that resistance would be made
to :the application for modification
aud that long litigation would ensue.
1t is evident that if the company did not
desire to risk it's property, or if it was
afraid OF a freeze, that it never would
have consented TO anything which would
endanger it's property 1t is claimed
that the company did not wish the pub
lie to think that the concern stood in
the way OF the repair. This is absurd. The
com pany neverbas manifested the slight
est concern for public sentiment, as
everyone cOnversant with the history of
the past tew years knows. The repre-
sentatlves OF the city OF course wanted
the space occupied by tue pipe to be as
small as possible. The possibility that
the pipe would freeze without packing
was denied by the company's experts
and by Mr. Berkey, the president OF the
company, who repeatedly said that he
thought noproteeIion was ssneeded. He
sis oI' record
ago, and be has. SAID il many times IS
the last m oDth. He said the removal OF
the cover was an experiment when
he tho1ght would be successful. It is
untrue that the company insisted dur
ing the negotiations on more space be-
cause of danger from freezing. Freezing
was discussed in negative sense. What
the company was principally concerned
about was the right to remain on the
bridge. The ordinance as agreed on
gave a space II inches wide and 13
inches high. This ordinance was object
ed to, as will be remembered by the
mayor and most of the aldermen. and
they only consented to it's passage be-
cause TO do otherwise would prevent the
repair OF the bridge 1t will also be re-
membered that the Transcript wanted
that ordinance passed. that the COM
pany was also anxious to have it pass-
ed. ls it reasonable to think that the
company was afraid of an ordinance
which it assisted in framing, and which
it wanted passed? The ten days notice
OF intention to repair the bridge was
served on the company January 2nd.
There Is not word said in the ordinance
or in the notice of removing ALL the GOV.
ering, although the company itself be
lleved no covering was necessary. Yet
before January End when the notice was
served, the company removed the blank
ing and part Of the inner covering, and
later Atripped the pipe entirely, taking
off the felt which was around it, and
which is recognized as great non-cou-
ductor of cold. With the felt the space
occupied by the pipe was not over the
space allowed by the ordinance, Fur-
thermore, the Transcript says the com.
pany feared the result-"takingo off the
covering"-it must know more than Mr..
Berkey, for he did not fear any bad re-
suit. having stated that be believed the
experiment" would work. If the eom.
pany had really feared the result lpro-
viding it, is sincere) it should at least
have left the pipe covered 30 as to oc-
cupy the space allowed, even if the COW
eri6g was not much. The company used
the I'M junction as club to secure a right