The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-06-25
WILL 1T BE A STREET?
Council Discusses Question of Street on
Wikeen-Larson Property;

council which was held last Thursday
night to further consider the matter of
securing strip of land for street on
the west side of the Wikeen & Larson
property east of the depot did very
little in the way of accomplishing any,
thing definite. All the members Of the
council were present and there
we're a few citizens present to hear the
discussion. The report of the committee
wos called for and was made by Coun-
Gilman Galley who stated that in COM
pany with Mr.. Bryson he had waited
upon Messrs. Wikeen & Larson who
stated that if the village desired to
secure a ifty-foot strip of land from
them for the use OF street that they
would ask the sum of $1,000 for the
same. Mr.. Dickey, who was present to
represent the owners of the land, made
owners would agree to enter into a
contract with the village and the rail-
road company and donate a strip of land
for use as a street and for siding pro-
vided that they would be assured Of a
siding from the Great Northern people.
and that so long as the siding was kept
in good repair and they were allowed
ample shipping facilities, they would
allow the use of the land for the pur-
poses of street and for a siding.
1t was suggested that the council
might intercede with the railroad COM
pany for the owners of the land and try
to have the matter adjusted satisfac-
torily, but Mr.. Galley did not think that
it was the councils duty to do this. He
stated that the railroad had erected a
fine depot in Princeton and that the
company did not wish to have any build
ings erected close to the depot on
account of danger from fire, as it was
the rule of the company, as the official
of the road had stated at previous
meeting, not to have any buildings
within $50 feet of the depot if possible.
Station Agent Rice said that he did
not represent the company but that he
was preset as a citizen only, but he
said that he knew what the wishes
of the company were in the matter.
The officials of the road did not know
of the true condition of affairs as
regarded the location of the land of
Wikeen & Larson until after the sur
veyors had made the blue prints show
ing the proposed industrial track and
the location of the same. When they
discovered that the company had but
sixty-six feet between the depot and
the land in controversy they began to
inquire into the matter and discovered
that they were close neighbors of
Wikeen & Larson. The company had
built a fine depot for the people of
Princeton and he thought that they
should interest themselves to the extent
of seeing that the depot was properly
protected. If the depot burned it was
doubtful if the Great Northern road
would ever build another such station
in Princeton.
Village Attorney Mcmillan was asked
as to the modus operandi of condemn
ing property and he stated that he had
looked over the charter hastily and
could find nothing in the act that gave
the village the power to condemn prop
erty, but that the last session of the
legislature had passed law which in
his opinion would give them the
authority. The general statutes pro-
vided for proper course which was by
jury from whose decision regarding
appraisement of the property an appeal
could be taken to the district court and
and from there to the supreme court,
but he said that the methods all in
volved considerable expense and the
law in this respect was cumbersome
piece of machinery.
Louis Larson was present at the
meeting and made short statement in
which he said that if they built on the
property as they intended to do that
they would ship in the course of a year
good many cars of potatoes, hay,
wood, etc., and that the roller mill
would also use the siding if it was
built. He said that if they could be
assured Of the proper facilities in the
way of siding, etc., that they would
be willing to make some kind of sat-
lsfactory arrangement regarding the
use OF the land for street.
There was little disposition to bring
the matter to focus and it was resolved
to postpone action until the next regu-
lar meeting night with the expectation
that the railroad company and Wikeen
q Larson will be able to adjust the
difficulty in some manner.
Killed Bear.
James Kanley of Macville had a lively