The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-04
CITY MIGHT GAIN A SCHOOL
COMPANY WOULD BUILD ONE, ITS
ATTORNEY SAYS.
Delegation of Men from Down i'm the
state Argues in Favor of In
dianapOIis Southern.

the city, ard, if entrance be granted, by
what route, were taken, and with the
Board of Public Works rests the hopes of
the friends of the road and the fears of its
enemies. For five hours the board listened
to numerous speeches on every phase of
the advantages and disadvantages which
it is believed the Southern will give TO the
city. The days work was closed with the
statement of Major Megrew that the board
would take the matter under advisement;
would give 20 every side Of the question as
presented by the various speakers the most
careful consideration, and in the settlement
of the matter would act for the public good
impartially.
1t was about o'clock when Mr.. Woollen,
in an earnest and dramatic address to the
board, summed up in his closing argument
the feeling on the South Side against the
proposed route. When he declared that the
citizens of the South Side were the best ex-
ponents of thrift industry and the home
element in American life only the reserve
necessitated by the dignity of the board
restrained his enthusiastic' clients from
loud applause 1.-The question which this
board has to consider" said Mr.. Woollen.
lis the invasion of a resident district.
What a Juror a proposition to admit rail-
road through the North Side would create;
and IL seems to me that the citizens of the
South Side have rights just as sacred and
defensible as the more favored of fortune
farther north Attorney Smith spoke of
permitting the entrance of the road by the
line of least resistance To my mind he
means, unconsciously perhaps, the line
which the people affected are least able to
resist. That is markedly true In the South
Side 1t is a district congested in popula-
ton, of small property holdings. of small
individual fortunes, where, in short, the
people are least able to resist the aggres-
sions of a corporation. Mr.. Smith init
mated that we had only very small part
of the residents our remonstrance and
asked where are the other $1,000 or $4,000
of the population affected? Why, they are
women, children, babes in arms. He fur
ther remarked that private interests are
not to be considered as opposed to public
good. I tell you that private interests are
10 be considered, particularly where they
have been acquired by hard toll. unselfish
labor. Our plea is a humanitarian one.
We are speaking not for land interests or
dollars. but for the protection of human
life and for hundreds of homes who are
unable to speak for themselves"
THE RAILROADS SIDE.
For the railroad, Mr.. Barrett, In his
closing argument, recapitulated the ar
guments previously made in behalf of the
company, and spoke at length on the point
as to whether or not property would be
damaged by the entrance of the road by
the Pogue's run route. Where are the
property owners in the district which would
be affected by the entrance of the South
ern who say that they will suffer finan-
cially by the contiguity of the road?
have heard of none. 1 have seen none Mr.
John Shea, prominent among the remon-
strators, has claimed that his property
will be seriously affected by the South
ern. As to that | will say that if our
road damages Mr.. Shea's property we will
pay for the damage and pay well for
Ii. In case we can come to no terms with
Mr.. Shea or other property owners who
may be affected, the law provides a solu-
ton of the difficulty. 1t will name COM
mission which shall fix the exact amount
in which Mr.. Shea anyone else may
be damaged and that finding of the COM
mission We Will have TO abide by AS to
the remonstrance presented by the gentle
men from the South Side / simply desire
to say that in all the two thousand names
which are said to be appended to IT there
are not more than five hundred ownersOf
property ami taxpayers Father Gavisk
has contended that the tracks of the South
ern will be q constant menace to the lives
of the children who attend school No u.
and to the lives of the little tots who go
TO q kindergarten in the vicinity; as to
that, if the board believes such will be
the case let ii include in the franchise a
provision requiring us to build a school
house which will do away with the neces-
sity of children mentioned by the reverend
chance 70 add TO your school property
The greatest question of all in cOnnec-
ton with the matter. the point emphasized
by the Commercial Club, is the price of
Railroad l promise to the citizens of
Indianapolis that the price of coal equal
to the best Ohio coal will be lowered 81 so
below the present quotations. This winter
Indianapolis will burn coal. Is that phase
OF the situation worthy of consideration -
Referring TO the doubt which has been
to flSo int ion Of ATr TO.~ Il
others TO build the road, Mr.. Barrett de-
clared that no men who had enjoyed a
position of such eminent standing in the
business and financial community. who had
contributed so greatly to the growth and
industrial prosperity of the city. could be
accused of indulging in off color schemes.
They are responsible and will act in good
faith, he said.
THE AUDIENCE.
The closing arguments outlined above
were made in the presence of representa-
tives of the various interests concerned in
the settlement of the question. Seated
around the attorneys table were D. NJ.
Parry, president of the Southern company
w. E. Stevenson and CORTLAND Van Camp,
also of the company; Horace E. Smith,
representing the South Side Improvement
Association; A. c. Ayres. attorney for sew
eral manufacturing companies which, it is
stated, are awaiting dClloH on the IRAN
chise before erecting large factories; Will
liam Fortune, chairman of the elevated
track commission of the Commercial Club.
and Secretary Hunt, of the Commercial
Club. representing the board Of directors
OF that organization. There were present
also the Rev. Francis Henry Gavisk. fore
most in the fight against the proposed
route. and with him from the South Side
the members of the committee appointed to
present the remonstrance TO the board
Thomas Harold. John Agnew, Councilman
John Wolsiffer, NJ C Kelly, John Shea,
James Reach and others
The room where the arguments were
heard was filled. From time TO time prom
inent business men. county and city Of
fcers dropped in for a few minutes and
listened with interest to the discussion.
A delegation which attracted much in.
terest was composed Of men from southern
cities OF the State anxious TO tell the board
how much southern Indiana needs The road
1t was composed OF the Rev. S. c. Bates.
turer, cf Ferdinand, A. II. Kennedy. Sec
rotary OF the Rockport water works;
Charles II. Colt. of Nashville. Brown coun-
~: the Rev. II. &. Carter. of Washington
county. and John g. Rimstedt. auditor of
Spencer county.
The morning session of the board was
devoted to preliminary arguments and
statements from the attorneys representing
the two conflicting interests-the road and
the South Side demonstrators organiza-
lion. Mr.. Barrett emphatic i'm his
declaration CT the advantages which the
Southern woald confer upon southern In