The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-05-17
THE DEPOT ON PAPER.

The II ERALD has never CONSIDERED
telling the trcth as abusive. When
we state that the Louisville Il Nash
willie Railroad Co. will resort to any
means, fail or foul, to influence leg
islation, we simply remind the pub
lie of what they already know.
When we state that this same cor
poration is attempting under the
cover of law to obtain assistance
from the CORPORATION Of Columbia
which, under the spirit Of our char
ter the Board cannot allow, we state
what seems to us a self-evident pro-
position from careful reading of
their proposition and a knowledge of
the facts.
If the railroad company is not urg-
ing the acceptance Of their PROPOSE
ton, who is? The Citizens Com
mittee is not. The people, con-
fessedly, are not. The Board of
Mayor and Aldermen are nearly if
not quite unit against it. Mr.. g..
T. Hughes, the attorney for the rail-
road company, and Mr.. G. w. Brad
shaw. their roadmaster, were the
only citizens present at the last two
meetings asking for further con-
sideratiOn of the proposition. They
had a right to be there, either as
citizens or railroad representative !;
but we submit that their zeal aud
interest in the matter, and the APP
parent indifference of the other six
thousand citizens of this city, is sig
nificant. This, IN connection with
President Smiths letter to the Citi-
zen's Committee, saying that the
railroad company had placed the
depot matter in Mr.. Hughes hands,
is all the more significant.
OF course we do not deny the Eek
press terms of the contract" These
express terms" call upon the cor.
poration of Columbia to open streets
they do not need, and to close streets
they do need. We are opposed tC
the terms. The changes would be tC
the manifest interesr and convent
ence of the railroad, and to the
manifest injury and Inconvenience
of the PEOPLE. We are not willing
to discommode the people, for the
convenience of the railroad, or fol
the sake of new passenger station
We would like we'll enough to have
new passenger station, but are no
willing to pay the price asked
What the raih DAD company is after
ia more yard room. They do not Elk
press that in "plain terms but tha
is the real trouble in the way. If &
new passenger station was all there
was in it, they have all the room
they want, and could build withou
ask ing anybody's aid or consent
A new passenger station does mo-
necessitate the closing of Garder
and High streets and the tunnelinl
of South Main. Neither is tn,
danger from these crossings the con
trolling motive. This danger wa
not nearly so imminent when thu
gate question was up, If you remem
Der. But what the railroad want
and needs, is more yard room; anC
they are simply using the new pas
senger station argument to furthe
their Interior ends.
Now we have not the slightes
"prejudice" or objection to the rail
road company having and OWNS
and controlling all the yard room
they need and want. We shonld b,
very glad indeed if they had NOR
here than they have, for the lack @
it seriously inconvenience oul
shippers.
But, we are not willing to accom-
modate them by selling them on
public streets for their private pur
pOoSoi duu pdyihS bho udLhdSoo v
boot. If they need more yard room
(apd they do let them buy it from
those who have land to sell. lie
them rearrange their yards to sui
the demands of their business. An
this they can do and should be re
quired to do, without disarrangin
the property rights and persona
convenience of others.
Nashville, a city with nearly on
hundred thousand inhabitants, unit
the last year or two, used Churc
street, one of the main thorough
fares of the city, running betwee
the freight and passenger depot,
With that object lesson before US W
cannot share Mr.. Hughes alarr
concerning the mot far distant
conditions that will imperativel
demand some provisions for a SAT,
unobstructed passway' at High an
South Main streets. That pOss
bility is too remote for the argumeu
to scare.
Our contention is, first, that tn
city ought not to close High sire,