The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-24
SCOTT CLASHES WITH
HEATING COMPANY
REFUSES to Permit Crew to
Tear Up Street in Front
of Theater

An attempt of the American Heating
company Of Cleveland. O., to dig up the
south side of Sixth street. from Robert
to Minnesota street. Saturday night was
prevented by L. N. Scott of the Metro
poIitan opera house, who notified the
police.
The heating company has been in
stalling mains and laying pipes under
the downtown streets fer some time A
main was established at Sixth and
Minnesota streets last winter, and for
some time the company has been work.
ing up Sixth street from Jackson, in
tending to run their pipes into the main
at Minnesota street. They were given
permission by the city engineer to run
the pipes along the north side of Sixth
street, and were allowed to dig up the
street sixteen feet from the sidewalk.
Owing to the extended length of
TIME on account of lack of material
that was required to lay the pipes and
repair Sixth street between Robert and
jackson streets. Mannheimer Bros.
whose main entrance to their store is
on the north side of Sixth street. near
Robert, called a conference with the
civil engineer in charge of the work.
After some parleying Mannheimer
Bros. agreed to allow the company to
come through Sixth street on the north
side, but demanded that the work be
nn1Shed in shorter time than was re-
qufred for the completion of the work
between Jackson and Robert. They
also demanded that a space of fifty feet
directly in front of the entrance be
left untouched. This would mean the
company would have to tunnel under
the street for fifty feet.
III. Austen, the civil engineer in
charge of the work. decided to cross to
the south side of the street. as by doing
so he would avoid tunneling. which
takes a great deal OF time and is ex-
pensive.
Scott Orders Work Stopped
About II o'clock Saturday night a
crew of men set to work with pickaXes
and were chopping a path in the as
phalt from the north to the south side
or the street when l.. n. Scott appeared
on the scene and requested that the
work be discontinued. The engineer
refused to stop, Whereupon Mr.. Scott
notified the police. Austen was ordered
to cease operations and was told he
would be arrested if he attempted to
continue the work. The engineer in
sisted that he had a perfect right to
cross the street if he so wished. and to
settle the matter City Engineer Rund-
lett was notified. The city engineer
stated that the permit possessed by the
company gave them permission to
work along the north side of Sixth
street, but did not allow them to dig up
the south side. Austen decided to con-
tinue the work regardless of conse-
quences. but after thinking the matter
over decided to call off all work until
Monday morning. when he will confer
with the city engineer.
City Engineer Rundlett said last
night that the heating company would
not under any circumstances be al
lowed to tear up the south side of Sixth
street.
THE permit reads the north side of
Sixth street" said the engineer "and
the company will go up the north side
of Sixth street or not at ALL"
H. Austen, the company engineer,
says that he was not trying to steal a
march on the city. but thought that
crossing to the south side of the street
would be the easiest and quickest way.
He said that the reason the work was
commenced at midnight was so as to
have the street torn up and most of the
dirt hauled away by Monday morning,
SO as to not impede traffic.