The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-15
SHORTENING A PILL
COMMISSIONER sANDELL'S LATEST
DEFENSE OF THE RICE
STREET PAVING
Is VERY QUICKLY DISPUTED

Five Property Holders He Said
Asked for Brick at One of the
Board Meetings-MayOr Kiefer In
terested in the Improvement
John Sandell, Of the board of public
works, has now added to his various yo-
cations that Of journalist" having made
his literary debut yesterday morning in a
haif-column letter to the morning Repub-
lican organ, the apparent purpose Of
which is to give the board Of aldermen
justification for confirming the final or
der for the Rico street brick paving,
which is probably to be railroaded
through tomorrow night.
Mr.. Sandell writes:
With reference to the paving Of Rice
street now before the board, on Oct. 16 a
delegation representing twenty-five prop
erty owners along that street came before
the board to urge the paving Of the
street; each one was asked what kind of
material he preferred. and all were in
favor Of brick.
This statement is disputed by a prop
erty owner on the street, who says he
willrgive Mr. Sandell $500 If he will pro-
duce twenty five property owners who
made any such, assertions at such q hear
Ing. There was one occasion when Pres
ident Pottgieser, sometimes known as
"Brother-ih-Law Me- explained to the
board that the mayor, who owned prop
erty on the street. favored brick, because
Of the fact that the street railway had
tracks on the street. The mayor, or Mrs.
kiefer, is accredited with the ownership
Of q corner at Summit and Rice, and
some other; frontage near Como avenue.
Mayor Kiefer can hardly he looked. to
to veto the confirmation if it should be
railroaded through the council, In the
light Of the statement of "Brother-in-Law
Mic" reg
Mr.. SandeIl, In his letter, continues:
A final order for brick paving was pre-
pared and sent to the council, and on
Dec. Ia. and during the time the board
was advertising for bids for brick paw
seventeen property owners asking sor
asphalt pavement, instead of brick, was
filed with the board. These petitioners
psn Ia fr0nage Of 1875 feet On
of 1.TS1 feet on Rice street, was filed with
the board asking for brick pavement, in
of those signing the petition for asphalt
changed their votes and asked to be con-
sidered as fayoring brick pavement.
II Ii lOL luulCdleQ ny h1r. SdnQ6ll Wn6tn-
er or not he knows that the reason one
of those who had signed the petition for
asphalt, prominent down town mer-
chant changed to the brickwas because he
was Influenced by one of those who must
pass upon 1t officially, with the threat
that no paving but brick would be or
dered, giving him to choose between brick
and leaving the street in its present state
of disrepafr.
Neither does Mr.. SandelF state whether
or not he knows that another prominent
business man, at one time high in official
station himself, was similarly threatened.
Mr.. Sandell does not state whether or
not he knows that people whose names
were attached to the petition presented
favoring brick say they did not sign the
petition at ALL nor whether or not
1t Is true that some of those signing have
no property fronting on Rice street.
Neither does Mr.. Sandell, in his piece
for the paper" state whether or not it is
the disposition of the board Of public
works to consider the request of the real
estate exchange for a hearing in oppo-
sition to the paving of the street with
brick
One Of the men interested in the cirou-
Iation of the petition in favor Of asphalt
paving informs the GLOBE that the
signers thereof own q majority of the
frontage on the street, and include prac-
tically oil the people who favor repaving |
at all.