The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-04

diana and the city He secuted the idea
that property owners would be damaged
without compensation from the company
His company wanted 20 get in, he said
ana the route was minor point that could
safely be left 20 the judgment of the Board
of Works. The Southern had already spent
lot OF money TO obtain rights or way
along Pogues run, and that fact should be
taken into consideration. He asked the
board TO consider that there Is no puolc
enterprise OF far-reaching effect that does
not damage to some degree private in
terests.
Mr. Woollen. for the demonstrators, de-
clared In mis- opening statement that war
on the road as a general proposition has
not been declared; il is recognized TO be
benefcent enterprise. 1t is the particular
route that is objected to, a route which Is
sure to entail severe hardship on the resi-
dents of the South Side. Property in that
section of the city has been damaged al
ready he said, as much for 40 per cent, In
the judgment of a real-estate man who
had talked with him. He denied that coal
would be cheaper by the building OF the
road and asserted that whatever saving
was made in the price of fuel would go into
the pockets Of the Southern company and
not 70 the citizens. He contended that
there are sufficient tracks now laid, and
that the Southern could secure entrance
over the starch-works switch or the tracks
of the Pennsylvania Company.
The remainder of the morning was occu-
pied by short speeches from southern IL
diana visitors. Mr.. Beckham, of Ferdi-
nand. stepped TO the board table and placed
on it a good sized lump of high-grade coal
That's the kind of fuel we have where L
live" he said, and the kind you need We
would like TO ship IL here. We have no
means to do so new. 1t is for you TO de
termine how both my community and yours
shall be benefited"
c. II. Colt, of Nashville, told the board
that the product o. the orchards or Brown
county sought a market IN lnd 1lstIa;n2
The Rev. s. C. Bates, of Brownstown,
stated that his section of the State Is inter-
ested in facilities for shipping stock ana
county want market in Indianapolis anil
hope for the building of the southern. MI.
Kennedy, of ROckp0rt, called attention 10
the Importance for Indianapolis OF having
ready access to the great stone and coal
''''D7' FATHER GAv1sKs PLEA.
When the board convened at o'clock in
the afternoon Father Gavisk delivered an
earnest appeal in behalf of the South Side
citizens. He drawn into the contro-
versy, he said. against his own will, but
standing as he does in close relationship
to the citizens of. a large section OF the
South Side he felt It his duty to take an
active stand. Il am not inimical to the
road" he said, "but l am unchangeably
opposed to the route asked. 1t trails its
dangerous way through two of the most
cOnReSteQ wards or the city, par l
of Indianapolis where children are sub
jected even as 1t is TO mucn danger on lnelr
way to school,
There could be policy no worse, he
thought, than to admit railroad through
such a section of the city. The southern
should make a track arrangement with a
road having tracks already laid, he said
Father Gavisk intmated that the South
ern is a paper" road and that no one has
| received assurance of the sincerity or the
company now at its head. He had no hesl-
in COLL inc n a
Attorney Horace T.. Smith, appearing IN
/ behalf of the South Side Improvement AS
ISOLATION. spoke at length in favor of the
admission of the road by the route which is
| asked. He admitted that there may be
| danger to life as stated by the remon-
/ strators, but he asked the board II danger
/ to life unusual to many things which
/ tend to municipal progress. he SAID tnat
/ there is not one electric car now crossing
/ indianapolis streett which is not ten times
/ as dangerous as the Southern would be,
/ since il crosses ten times as many streets
/ as the Southern will cross. In referring to
the fact that Mr.. Woollen had declared
/ the road is a private enterprise he asserted
/ there is no quasi public institution which
/ is not a private right. The board, he said,
| has nothing TO do with the question or pri-
/ vate rights, but it does have TO DO with
/ questions affecting the public good.
! y. G. Ayres said ile represented two man
ufacturing companies which are awaiting
! the action of the board before putting up
| buildings. They are companies, he said
! that will add largely TO the industrial life
/ of the city. He remarked that the state
/ ments which had been made TO the effect
/ that the Southern is something of a fake"
! are ridiculous when the character of the
/ men who are at its head is considered. He
/ said that the Southern people would be
/ willing to come 10 track arrangement
/ with another road if it be found possible,
1 but he remarked that companies which are
/ already on the inside are against giving
/ privileges to outside companies. He cited
/ the interurban situation and the attitude
! of the Indianapolis Street-railway Company
! as an illustration of his point.
COMMERCIAL CLUBS SIDE.
! For the directors of the Commercial Club
! Secretary Hunt made a brief statement.
! The club has considered no route, he said.
! 1t is concerned with what concessions the
road shall make to the city Of indianapolis.
While the city will undoubtedly receive
vast benefit from the Southern, the road
will be benefited as much, if not more, by
| the exceedingly valuable franchise which
1T will secure. He asked the board to de-
mand from the Southern a guarantee that
/ in the future Indianapolis shall not be
i charged eXorbitsnt prices for coal. With
due regard for the grade crossing evil, he
said, the action of the board would meet
/ the wishes OF the Commercial Club
William Fortune. representing the grade
! crossing commission of the Commercial
! Club asked the board first OF all to ascer-
/ tain whether it be possible for the South
ern to enter existing tracks. If that is
not possible, and Mr. Fortune expressed q
doubt that il is, provision should be made
in the franchise for the safety and comfort
of the people. There could be instituted
4 easily, he said. a system Of track eieva-
tions and street depressiOns which would
do away entirely with all grade crossings
along the line of the road until within two
! squares of the Union Station. and the sys-
tenn could be put in by the Southern with
| out prohibitive expense. There is some
! thing more in life than dollars" said Mr.
! Fortune. Il cannot imagine such gentle
| men those who are here urging a fran
/ chise for their road sitting in comfortable
/ homes reading of another grade crossing
killing which might have been averted by a
little expenditure on their part
| L. 5. Gordon, who followed, declared that
bers of the Commercial Club in his state
| ments. Speaking for himself and others.
he would be glad TO see the road enter on
| almost any terms. As an institution for the
| benefit of the city there is no limit to its
| possibilities. he said
d. NJ Parry made. the shortest Speech of
the day, he said: mo man ever knew me TO
work off gold bricks on the city or a citi-
zen. If we get the franchise we will build
| the road and will run the road"
Although the board will endeavor to SET
tie the question as expeditiously as posi-
be, there is such large mass of papers of
| al kinds dealing with various points that
| there is no telling when a decision will be
| reached-not before three weeks at least
Thomas +. Colbert n PatroIman
Thomas F. Colbert. superintendent of no.
lice under Mayor Sullivan, was yesterday
reappointed to the police department nv