The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-11
OMAHA ROAD TOSSES
0HAGE AND BATHS
=
IN The AIR
Railroad Backs Away From
Its Proposition to Donate
$500 = Health Commits
sioner Says He Expected
Trouble and Will Now
Fight as Long as He Is
Able for Bath Approach.

Health Commissioner Ohage and his
proposed land approach to the public
baths, ground for which was ordered
condemned by the park board, are
again in the air. The Omaha road has
backed water on it's tender of $4,000 to
help improve the approach, and the
board of public works has practically
agreed that it will have to pass adj
versely on the condemnation proceed
ings. 80
The Omaha withdrawal, if it can be
construed as such, was made known to
DR.. Ohage yesterday in a letter from
Judge Wilson, the roads counsel, in
| which he informed the doctor that both
he and the park board were evidently
acting under a miSapprehensiOn. Judge
Wilson held that the tender was on the
! basis of a roadway along the river side
of the tracks or some other approach
equally as good. He said he did not
consider the triangle a safe approach
and would not bind his company to any
proposition having it in view. The fact
! that it crossed the main tracks and a
| switch in addition, both at grade, he in
| formed the doctor precluded any posi-
| bility of the Omaha company figuring
in the scheme.
The last straw, however, came when
| the doctor received Indirectly informa-
| ton to the effect that the board of pub
| lie works intended to pass adversely on
! the park boards request for the con-
| demnation Of the triangular strip of
ground known as the Fill" The reason
is that no property can be found
| against which the cost of the improve
ment may be assessed.
Ohage VIII Fight:
Flight, I'll fight till hades freezes
over" was DR.. Ohage's terse, but Wig
| orous, answer when asked if he was
going to give up the struggle.
1T rs certainly disheartening and a
poor return for a mans efforts" con-
| tinued the doctor, ''but I'm not through
| yet. There are a few shots in the lock-
| er yet, and if I have to go down it will
be with flying colors., Everybody
| thought that the Ratchet was buried
and the matter settled when the park
board stepped in and came to my aid,
but l never did. knew the Omaha and
what it was after, and 1 was positive
its representatives would funk when
brought to the turn.
when the Omaha road asked for and
was granted a right of way on the
West side l predicted what would hap
pen. From one track the number grew
to two, another was added, then freight
yards, until now there is perfect net
work of tracks, and they are not two
blocks away from the bath approach
either. l said the place would be g.
switching point for cattle cars. That
has not come yet, but watch. I pre-
dicted the others and this will come
true. My information comes from
higher than the local officials"
He Is Through Begging n-zrnl
When the condemnation of the strip
was ordered it was DR.. Ohage's inten-
ton to use the Omahas $4,000 and
what could be obtained through popular
subscription, in obtaining and improV-
ing it, but this is now impossible.
DR.. Ohage says he will do no more
begging from the public, and as to ap-
pealing to the council for the money,
that he will not do. The ground to be
taken includes two lots owned by pri-
Vate parties, on which a fancy price
has been placed by the owners. The re-
mainder of the ground is city property.
All the property fronting it is city
property also, and it is here where the
board Of public works balks. The mem
bers cannot find any private property
that will be benefited.
The Omaha company has always
cOntended that the approach as it now
stands is perfectly safe. 1t crosses the
tracks on grade, but Judge Wilson, in
his letter, says that a crossing at grade
is the most dangerous that can be
maintained. 1t is made doubly so when
a switch is included. The switch in this
case is the Gedney spur. -+-F' 80
The matter as it now stands, is prac-
tically in the air and another session of
the park board will be necessary to ar
rive at a solution. The members of the
park board were generally of the i'm
preston that the Omaha was willing
to give $4,000 for any kind Of an ap-
proach as long as it settled the fight. Tt
was on this basis that they amended
the condemnation proceedings so as to
give the Omaha an uninterrupted right
of WaV =. y