The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-09
Twin CITY PHONE
COMPANY WEAKENS
Directors Vote to Accept Clty's
Terms and End Underground
Wire Fight

When the case of the Twin City Tel
ephone company against the city is
called before Judge Bum Monday
there will be presented a stipulated
settlement agreeing to the conditions
demanded by the city, the board of di-
rectors of the company having con-
Guided to end the fight against the city.
But for the absence of Corporation
Attorney Michael from his office yes
terday afternoon the papers would have
been signed then and the entire pro-
ceeding would now practically be out
Of court, but O. E. Holman, attorney
for the company, felt confident that
the agreement will be signed tomorrow
and the case. dropped.
IF it had been possible to see Mr..
Michael" said Mr.. Holman, IT would
have been in a position to have made
a definite announcement of the exact
terms of the compromise, but have
every reason to believe that on Mon
day the conditions will be ratified and
the Twin City company permitted to
again string wires on Hague avenue.
Although the dispute is practically
settled, do not feel at liberty to an
nounce the conditions until Mr.. Michael
has signed the stipulated dismissal Of
the application of the company for a
restraining order"
Will Agree to city's Terms
There is no question but that the
basis of the agreement is along the
line demanded by the city. The com
pany is given until Dec. to construct
the conduit, and until May 1 to put in
the cable and make the service under
ground.
These were the conditions laid down
by Corporation Attorney Michael and
Endorsed by Judge Bum, the court stat
ing that if the company failed to agree
to the conditions the restraining order
preventing the city engineer from cut
ting down the poles would be dissolved
on Monday. This would leave the
company at the mercy of the city off,
Gals, and rather than face such sit
uation it was doubtless voted by the
directors of the company to accept the
terms.
The only question in doubt, and one
that Mr.. Holman declined to discuss,
was whether the company reserves the
right to appeal to the supreme court.
If there is such a condition In the Stip-
ulation it is very likely that Mr. Mi
chael will refuse to sign, although he
last evening declined to state what his
action would be until he has examined
the contents of the agreement pro-
posed by the company.
Mr.. Michael contended that the queS-
ton at issue is whether the city has the
right to control and regulate the erec-
ton and removal of telephone and tele-
graph poles and wires from the
Streets and that he would agree to no
stipulation not protecting this right to
the city. Mr. Michael stated, however,
that he believed an agreement would
be reached.
History of the Fight
Two weeks ago, after failing to reach
an agreement with the Twin City COM
pany as to the removal of the. poles and
wires from Hague avenue, from Victo-
ria to Lexington, Mr.. Rundlett, the city
engineer, took large crew of men to
the territory and began. removing the
wires. On Monday most of the wires
were cut down, and the long distance
service of the company seriously Grip
pied.
The engineer had cut down five of
the twenty-five poles when he was
served with an injunction restraining
a continuance of the demolition. Within
two hours after the order had been
secured a large number of men in the
employ of the company proceeded to
replace the poles and string the wires.
The five poles had been reset and the
stringing of wires had begun when the
police appeared on the scene and ar
rested fourteen of the workmen. The
cases against the men, charged with
stringing wires without a permit from
the city engineer, are pending in police
court, but if settlement is reached
they will probably be dismissed