The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-30
PROPOPED VACATION
OF STREETS MEETS
WITH AN OBSTACLE
Assembly Committee Delays
Action onPetition of Northern
Pacific for Closing Certain
Thoroughfares.

The proposed vacation of Locust,
Willius, Neil, Kittson and part of
Fifth streets, all in Old Town, for the
benefit of the new railroad terminals
for the Northern Pacific Railway COM
pany received another setback from
the assembly committee on streets yes
terday afternoon.
Property owners and interests in the
vicinity of Swede Hollow and Daytons
bluff want KittSon street left open to
traffic and they mustered enough
strength to induce the committee to
instruct the company to reconstruct
the plans so as not to close Kittson
street.
The point raised was that Kittson
street, via the Fourth street tunnel. is
the natural outlet for much of the
teaming and foot traffic from the hol-
low and Dayton'st bluff, and to close
KittSon street would compel a detour
as far west as Broadway which would
be expensive and announcement. The
point was also raised that it would
practically pocket considerable of the
property near the proposed terminals
John Marti and Benjamin Knauft,
representatives of the Bremen Lum-
Der company, g. B. Nineaber, team
contractor for the Northwestern Fuel
company, and Herman Deebach, presi-
dent of the Second Ward Improvement
to protest. They had no objection to
the vacation of Neal, Willius, Locust
and Fifth, butthey were decidedly OPP
posed to the vacation of Kittson street
unless it wasp done under stipulation
that a passageway should be main
tanned for teams and foot traffic.
Knauft Would Start Something.
Benjamin Knauft was the most vigor-
Gus in this respect, and informed the
committee that if his fathers property
was pocketed he would start trouble.
The others spoke in the same vein.
What the council will exact from the
company for the vacated streets is
practically what it outlined some
weeks ago-the payment of all assess
ments for local improvements now
pending and to be made the right of
the city to- enter upon the property at
any time and use it for the mainte-
nance of sewers, wires Or any other
public necessity. and the compulsory
building by the company Of any
bridges needed to accommodate traffic
over the property when so demanded
by the city.
In respect to assessments for local
improvements, the exactiOn is very
broad and includes everything by
which the property might be benefited
or public necessity might require. A
sum of money. over and above this. is
included, bat the exact amount is yet
to be determined.
While willing to put in a foot bridge
over Kittson jsstreet. the company is
unwilling to maintain grade crossing,
as it,scontendseth that it would be both.
impracticable andesEt the same time
dangerous Kittson street, is on grade
and lnecessi tates the construction on
terraces of the dozen or more tracks
that will cross It. This no teams, the
company says, could cross with safety.
The latest, exaction to be proposed
for the vacation is the widening of
Sibley street in the vicinity of the
union depots Assemblyman Schiff-
mann is behind this proposition. and
he is trying to induce the other mem
bers to stay with him. Both he and
Assemblyman Van Slyke have inter-
ested themselves in this matter. AS
semblyman Schurmeier is also partial
ly interested in the scheme.
The vote of at least one of these
members is necessary to pass the va
cation. Six of the members are al
ready favorable to the vacation on the
terms first outlined.