The Cairo bulletin., 1906-03-17

A meet'ng of the street and ordi
nance committees Of the city councl
was held last night with representa-
tlves of the Cairo & Thebes railroad
Company and the Cairo Traction com
pany The members Of the committee.
were Aldermen Snyder Koehler, Mag
ner, Fuller Lawler, Antrim and NeH
ail of whom were present with Mayor
Parsons in the chair The Cairo &
Thebes railroad company was repre-
rented by President Smin, Vice Pres
dent Magee. f. G. Pink and Judge
Dewey. The Cairo Traction company
was represented by John s Aisthorpc,
Dr. Ebert Wing and w r halliday.
Besides these gentlemen several 9th
ers were present among them Hon.
Reed Green and Attorney Lcek.
Mr.. Smith stated that he did not
wish to crowd The proposition his
company had submitted but wished TO
have 1t di cussed to determ nc wheth-
er or not an agreement could be reach
ed, and to settle II as speedily as pos
sible, consistently with proper re-
gard for all interests.
The clerk read the ordinance re.
ferred 10 the committee az he recent
council meeting and the mayor called
for expressions Of on nion by tho
present
Mr. John S. Airthorpe, speaking for
the Cairo Traction company said the
company was not n a position to take
any stand in the matter; that SO far a
It's own interests are concerned, 1t was
satisfied with the present situation
and wa not asking for anything. Yet
L was rot the purpose OF the company
to stand in the way OF any great enter
prise that would benefit the city and
was willing to do anything that would
be fair to aid such an enterprise, The
question would naturally arise, if the
Cairo g. Thebes railroad We're gram
ed a right to cross Walnut street with
eight tracks what po ition would the
Cairo Traction company occupy. The
latter companys tracks would be ser
iously nterfered with and II should be
granted some other right-of-way for
its tracks In order that the public
might be served. He hoped the rights
of the Traction company would be con.
s,dered In passing upon the ordinance.
Pre-. ident Smith said the Cairo q
Thebes company had considered vari
GUS plans fcr avoiding trouble 10 the
Traction company A subway woul
be impracticable for his company ana
an elevated track would be equally SO
for the Traction company His suc
gestion was that the latter company !
be granted a right-of-way over Fiji
teenth and Seventeenth streets and
Washing on avenue between thee
two street, and that it remove ifs /
tracks irgm Walnut street As 10 the
objection to having the depo.s located
near the Public Library, Il would not
hold good, as his company expected to
put up fine depot buildings TO I'll up
an unsightly hole in the ground which
would otherwise be occupied By sham
les. Il will take much money ana !
labor TO carry out the plans made by
the company and IL viii be easy 20 +
discourage the enterpr Sc. The com
pany wants only what is fair and the
city council should consider the inter
csts of the people first.
The mayor said he wished 10 asst,
the railr1 ad company to a reasonable
eytent The street railroad company
had rights also which should be con
sidered. The change Of route pro
posed would require a leng hening of 4,
their line by over a thousand feet and I,
VIII 'le the increased cost Of operation
would probably be made up By bu.i
pess. the Cairo d Thebes should stand
the cost OF change
Alderman Koehler said the commit
tee Rad as vet nothing 70 do with the
interests Of the Traction company, but
had first 10 consider the question of
allowing the Cairo & Thebes road to
crors Walnut street
Alderman Snyder said but for eigh-
teen words in the ordinance as pre- n
senied he believed the committee
would be really to pass favorably upon
it at once These words related 10 the
cross ng of Walnut street
Alderman Antrim asked Mr.. Smith
TO state If tbe company could nor get
along just a. well if q stopped west
If Walnut street.
Mr. Smith said they wished 70 reach
ashingt0n avenue n orcer 10 hH
: lat big hole and improve it. West II
s-a1rts4 ----4fs 80 -