The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-22
LOO WIRES HELP TO KEEP THE
DOWNTOWN DISTRICT DARK
AND GLOOMY
MANY OF THESE STRUNG
WITHOUT AUTHORITY
Assembly Hears a Report on Matter
From Corporation Attorney and City
Ensineer-Cushing Lighting Fran
chise FaiIs-Lunch Wagon Ordinance
Referred Back to Committee.

In reply to a resolution introduced
by Assemblyman Whitcomb instruct
ing the corporation attorney and city
engineer to investigate and ascertain
how many overhead wires there were
in the central district that were there
Illegally, an opinion was submitted to
the assembly last night which states
that there are nearly LOO wires be-
longing to various concerns that are
overhead in the district covered by the
ordinance prohibiting overhead wires
The opinion is signed by L. VI. Rund-
lett and Corporation Attorney Mark
ham. It Is addressed to the assembly
and reads as follows:
Opinion by Markham.
Under Ordinance No 1875, approved
April Is, 1898, all the companies or in
dividuals then operating wires on the
streets mentioned in the resolution
were required to remove them before
the LIST of January, 1897, and the right
to construct and maintain any over
head system Of wires by any company
or corporation was expressly prohib-
cial privileges have been given to any
individual or corporation other than
the street railway company to operate
and maintain wires in this district"
According to the figures in the opin-
ion, on Cedar street there are SO wires;
Fourth street, ia; Robert street, lis;
Fifth street, IS. Continuing, the opin-
ion states:
Many Without Authority.
"Of underground conduits, we know
of but two which have been put in
without authority. One crosses Cedar
street about eighty feet north of Sixth
street, connecting the two buildings
on either side of the street and con-
tanning steam pipes. Another crosses
the alley which runs between Mime
sofa and Cedar streets in the block
between Seventh and Sixth streets,
connecting the Reardon building with
the Dickson building"
Lighting Franchise Fails.
Another attempt was made to pass
the ordinance granting a heating and
lighting franchise to Luther S. Cush-
ing and George E. Cabot, for the pur-
pose of heating and lighting their own
buildings, but, as at all former times,
the ordinance was finally referred to
the committee on Streets
For a short time while the ordinance
was before the assembly there was
quite a spirited discussion
when the matter came to final
vote the vote stood 6 for and 8 against.
AS 1t takes seven votes to grant a
franchise of this kind, Assemblyman
Wheeler Immediately moved to recon
slider the vote, but this was objected
to ON the ground that Mr.. Wheeler
voted for the ordinance. President
Sch1ffmann overruled the objection.
The discussion resulted in the re-
consideration of the measure and re-
referring it to the committee on streets
by a vote of to 3.
80. Approve Seventh Street PAVING.
The assembly concurred in the ac-
ton of the board Of public works in
awarding the contract for the West
Seventh street paving to Fielding &,
Shepley, but, owing to the fact that
the board of aldermen was unable to
muster up quorum a special meet
Ing of the latter body will have to be
called for either this afternoon or to-
morrow in order to act on the award
of the contract, as the property owners
are very anxious to have the work
commenced at once.
Lunch Wagons 1t Again.
Assemblyman Van Slyke, chairman
OF the committee on license, which
recommended an uNfayorable report
on the ordinance to abolish the might
OWL lunch wagons, moved to have the
same ordinance re-referred to the
committee on license for further con-
sideration.
Mr. Van Slyke, in making the mo-
ton, stated that Aid. Huber, who in
troduced the ordinance in the board OF
aldermen, where it was passed, wish
ed to have the side backing it heard
The motion was granted and the
committee will have chance to tussle
with it again at it's next meeting.
Minor Ordinances Passed.
The ordinance directing the street
railway company to furnish better
ing the busy hours of the day and
evening was passed and will become
enectlve as soon as Mayor Smith
signs, the ordinance having already
been passed by the aldermen.
An ordinance regulating the speed OF
automobiles and other horseless
vehicles to not more than ten miles an
hour was unanimously passed, as was
also the ordinance granting the Great
Northern right to dig tunnel un-
der Third street from the general Of
flee building to the freight houses
across the street The tunnel is to be
used for the purpose of conveying heat
and light from the Office building to
the buildings across the street.
The ordinance to terminate the lease
of the M. A. Gedney pickle works on
the West side levy, near the approach
to the public baths, came up again for
consideration at the meeting of the
assembly, but, as before, was laid over
for another two weeks, and a new
resolution having for its aim the ter
mination. of the Omahas right to lay
the so-called "Gedney spur track
which has been the cause of much
controversy, was introduced by AS
Semblyman Haas.
The new resolution directs the cor
poration attorney to submit a proper
ordinance terminating the right here
tofore granted to the Omaha railway
to construct the so-called "Gedney
spur track" and ordering the removal
of the said track.