Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-10-12
OLD CITY
CHARTER
Is a Handicap to Growing City
Like Watersown---Was O. X.
in Village Days.
FAHNESTOCK FAVORS CHANGE
Lively Discussion Over Proposition
to Vacate Street 10 Please
Railroad Company.

The necessity for the city of Water
town to get out from under it's anti
Quated special charter and to adopt
form of government that is up to
date and suited to present needs was
made manifest at the last meeting of
the city council when the matter of
vacating streets and of constructing d
vjaduct over the tracks was brought
up for consideration.
The discussion arose over the mat
ter of the vacation of First street N.
w. and of other streets, which had
been asked for by the M. & st. l.. Ry.
Co. several weeks ago.
The ordinance granting this peti-
tion of the Ry. Co. was passed to
first reading at a former meeting of
the council and was supposed to come
up for final passage at this time. A
petition. however, was presented to
the council, at this time, with over
one hundred signatures asking that
the street be left as it is
Attorney A. Sherin appeared before
the council representing one of the
petitioners = and :4terad protest
against the council taking such ac-
! tion. =,
He told them 1t would be impossible
under the city ordinance, as we'll as
the state laws, for them to proceed
with the work of vacation setting
forth the fact that a street to be va
Gated must have a petition with the
signature of every person living in
the block affected, also the sworn
statements Of two. ~
Mr.. Sherin called the councils at
tention to the fact that the petition
signed by R, G. Kenely, as an officer
OF the railroad was not sufficient to
be considered "a legal petition because
the petitioner was not property own
er in the city and could not petition
the council for the favor he was ask
ing.
Mr. Sherin also informed the coun-
Gil of the fact that the advertisement
appearing in the paper was wrong be-
cause of a mistake on the part of the
drafters of the same, the advertise
ment reading the vacation of First
avenue, northwest, instead of First
street, northwest. 5... #g
Attorney George w. Case, repre-
senting the st. Louis, while he adj
mitted that technical error had
been made, stated that it was only a
small matter and could be fixed up.
He continued by referring to that
clause in the ordinance calling for
vacation which gives the city per-
petual easement or in other words
gives them the right to erect via
duct over the street at any time. Also
Mr.. Case referred to that part of the
ordinance which compels the railroad
company to sign contract agreeing
to hold the city harmless from any
damage suits that might be the result
of passing the ordinance.
Gunder Shold was present and in
a short talk before the council pro-
tested vigorously to the vacation Of
the street.
& Fahnestock Fayors New Plan.
Alderman Fahnestock stated that
he did not want to lose hold on the
street any more than any of the sign
ers of the petition but that he was in
favor of reserving the right to put
viaduct over the tracks. If this could
be done he estimated that the only
good the city would ever get from the
crossing in question would be over
head traffic. Mr.. Fahnestock stated
that he understood that the only way
the city could go ahead with the i'm
proyement needed was to 60 under
the new form Of government and he
was anxious to do this as soon as pos
sible.
II the city is to adopt 9 new plan