Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1902 [PAGE 247]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

228

UNIVERSITY or

ILLINOIS.

[Mar.

11

between Champaign and Urbana the Committee is unable to see any objection to either of these amendments. If there is any trouble about the second one it could be arranged by the action of this Board of Trustees, and probably would be by the city council of Urbana upon request. The third is merely carrying out the understanding. However, the road has refused to accept this franchise and make good its agreement. Nothing was done touching the laying of track and stringing of wires upon the old right of way, however, until yesterday morning, when a large force of men was employed to do the work quickly before the University would be likely to take action; but Mr. Smith, the President of the Board of Trustees, promptly secured an injunction stopping the road from further proceedings, and this is the situation at present. The University owns the lands upon which the road formerly ran, and which are now in question, subject to a right of way conveyed to the road by Drusilla G-. Preble, October 6, 1863, the deed containing the provision that, " If the said railroad shall not be commenced over and through said premises, or if said railroad company shall at any time cease permanently to use and occupy said railroad so constructed, or the said track shall be abandoned, or the route thereof changed so as not to be continued over and through said premises, then in that case the said lands and premises hereby granted shall revert to the party who shall be lawfully entitled to the same." It is at least ten years since the road has made any pretension to operate cars upon this track. For many years much of the iron has been removed, and it has been impossible to run a car over the tracks. In view of this your Committee is of the opinion that the right of the University to the land is absolute, and that it should be protected. Your Committee therefore offers the following recommendations: 1. That counsel be employed and every effort made to enjoin the road from all attempts to use or in any way occupy the old line through the University grounds. 2. That in the event of the University not being sustained in its injunction proceedings, and of the road continuing to attempt to operate two lines through the University grounds, the Secretary of this Board be directed to notify the railroad company promptly that the privilege heretofore granted the company to operate a line through the University grounds near to and parallel with Green street, is revoked and withdrawn, and that the company must forthwith remove its tracks and wires from said last mentioned line, and that in case the company refuses or neglects to do this for a period of twenty days after the sending of such notice, the Superintendent of Buildings be directed with such help as he may find necessary to employ, to stop the operation of cars over said line, and remove all track and appliance belonging to the company and found thereon. Respectfully submitted,

THOMAS J. SMITH, S. A. BULLARD, ALEX. MCLEAN, A. F. NIGHTINGALE, MARY TURNER CARRIEL,

Committee on Buildings and Grounds.

A. S. DRAPER.

T h e Secretary presented a report of t h e fees due from s t u d e n t s att e n d i n g t h e S u m m e r T e r m of t h e U n i v e r s i t y , 1901; t h e first semester of 1901-02 at t h e U n i v e r s i t y ; t h e first semester 1901-02 of t h e P r e p a r a t o r y S c h o o l ; t h e S u m m e r T e r m a n d t h e W i n t e r T e r m , 190L02, of t h e School of M e d i c i n e ; t h e D e n t a l School for t h e session of 1901-02. H e also p r e s e n t e d t h e r e p o r t s of e x p e n d i t u r e s b y t h e Illinois S t a t e L a b o r a t o r y of N a t u r a l H i s t o r y for t h e fourth q u a r t e r of t h e year