The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-08
CITY NEWS.
ALDERMEN FAVOR
! Line ON LAKE ST.
CITIZENS PRESENT EMPHATIC
PROTESTS TO COMMITTEE.
Nevertheless the Aldermen Instruct
the City Attorney to Prepare the
Necessary Motions for the Lake
Street Route-Council May Take
Action This Evening.

No formal vote was reached on the |
cross town trolley line proposition before
the council special railroad committee
yesterday afternoon, but it was plain that
majority of the committee faVors the
Lake street route, and the opponents OF
the plan admit that they have no hopes
from the council this evening. z't~'-s%s =.
City Attorney Frank Healy was directed
to prepare such motions and resolutions
and ordinances as may be required to val
idate the arrangements between the street
railway company and the city council.
One of the conditions, imposed at the
suggestion Of Alderman F. M. Powers,
provides for the transfer to the city Of
a thirty-three-foot strip in the center of
Thirty first street from Nicollet avenue
to Calhoun boulevard. Alderman H. G.
McLaskey proposed clause providing for
fifteen-minute service on the new line
and for a system of double transfers,
so that people in the southern part Of
the city could reach Minnehaha or Lake
Harriet by the new line without going
down town.
The committee met again this afternoon
to consider the various measures drafted
by the city attorney. .-.-- .-.
.r-@ Citizens Present In Force.
About two hundred citizens, the larger
number being from the eighth ward, at
| tended the committee meeting yesterday,
The proceedings were characterized by the
| most acrimonious debate and personal Bit
terness, the aldermen, the street railway
company and the members Of the Mime
apolis Real Estate board being often CEN
Sured In unmeaSured terms.
The debate was opened by T. J. Janney,
who said that the real estate dealers fav
Ored the plan of the company, as 1t in
creased the value Of property, not only
on Lake street, but in the whole south
ern part Of the city. Representative w.
l. Nolan declared that the Lake street
route was mostly opposed by AUTOMOBILE
| lists, Of whom there were but few in the
| seventh ward. The residents Of that ward
| wanted the car line on Lake street.
! F. A. Manner spoke Of the advantages
Of a fine driveway which Lake street had
become. 1t was the only drive between
Minneapolis and st. Paul not occupied by
railway tracks and was destined to be-
come more popular with time. 1t was
! unjust to take from the people this source
Of pleasure on which so much money had
| been expended. G.. G. Joslyn said that
| there had been agitation for cross town
! line for fifteen years. It had been ig-
nored by the street railway company
which suddenly sought to lobby a scheme
thru the council without the knowledge
Of the people.
-, Arguments Pro and Con.
One speaker intimated that the sudden
conversion Of the street railway company
was due to the appearance of a rural
trolley line company which would seek
entrance to the city and the comanyl was
resOrting to it's usual tactics Of gObbling
4 up all the principal streets. .ats@ =
! :; Their speaker maintained that the
interurban line to st. Paul along Lake
street would never be built as sanction
could not be obtained in st. Paul.
Erland Lind stated that If the Lake
street line was built, forty acres near
Lake street and Forty second avenue S
would be donated to Gustavus Adolphus
college. r. D. Cone argued that Thirty
first street could be made into as fine, a
driveway as Lake street.
f. B. Lathrop made one Of the most
strenuous talks of the meeting, declaring
the general proposition an outrage to own
ers of the property OIL Lake street, which
was never a business street. Any one
who believed that the line would benefit
their street was simply crazy.
The Lake street line was defended by
H. G. barrow, F. G. Griswold, Frank w
Powers, Walter Badger and opposed by
W. S. Herbert, III. A. Chamberlain, J. w
Fitzgerald and J.. II. Lincoln and others.
4 A protest from sixty owners of property
on Thirtyfrst street against an inter
urban line on that street was presented
The petitioners did not urge the LAX,
street route, however
Conditions on Thirty first Street.
; Toward the close of the meeting Genera
{ Manager W. j. Held Of the street railwa,
| company explained why an interurbal
| line was impossible on Thirty first street
He said that thorofare was too marrow
east of Ncollet avenue. Lake street al
ready had a 4O-foot roadway and if tn
side boulevard was abandoned could b
g widened to fifty-two feet. This woul
9 leave eighteen feet on each side Of the ca