The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-16
THE ELM GROVE MOTORS.

Some Strict urcs on tho Action OF City
p councii-A Popular Vote Proposed.
To the Editor oithe lu,elliSencct "g.
Sin:-The action Of the First Branch Of
Council last night deserves more notice
than the short report in this mornings
papers. ~
According 10 the report Of Council pro,
ceedings they passed an ordinance permit.
ting the use Of steam motors on tho Citi.
zens' Railway Company's line and then
vetoed the action OF the Second Branch,
granting the Wheeling 4 Elm Grove road
the same right. Why was this To write
themselves down Us asses? Or, WIS II be.
cause the mighty and powerful President
Of the Citizens Railway Company used bis
influence to accomplish Il ID order TO yet
even" with Reymann, Of the Elm Grove
road, against whom he has political
grudgc.
Every one Of my sense knows that the
Citizens Railway Company do not want
that It would take fifteen motors at cost
OF 5000 each, or SO, 600 to furnish them
with motors enough 10 do the same work
TINT Is now done by horses, and that the
cost OF repairs, engineers pay and interest
on the $1,000 would makeit Too costly IN
operation for monopoly which cl,urges
more fare than almost my other street rail.
road known, and which Is yet loo poor to
lay down flat rails for the convenience Of
teams and saving Of the streets.
The Elm Grove road IL essentially the
poor mans road. 1t is tho only means nj.
fortled common people OF getting out OF the
city. II Inns been run for years IN der many
different arrangements, and has always lost
money.
Now MI enterprising citizen who makes
Wheeling his home md invests his money
here, Is willing us q last resort 10 try II the
road can be made to pay by using noise
leSs steam motors. lie is willing to inves,
$1,000 iu order to save what he las already
invested, and II he succeeds in that, the
road is saved 10 the people. Tho writer has
seen the motors IN use III Dubuque and
Minneapolis, where they huve been, mud
now are, Il success, for Just such roads as
the Elm Grove; that IL, tor roads running
out OF those cities into the country for
several miles. 1t has been demonstrated
by frequent tests that steam motors do not
pay for street cur lines in cities, and thut
they do ray on such roads US the Elm
Grove, where horse cars do not pay.
1t seems that the opposition to the road
comes from the wealthy residents Of Chap.
line street, and even they are willing that
the motors should run down Sixteenth
street TO the Capitol. Trey object to the
steam on Cllapline street because, they say,
it is dangerous 10 them and their families,
but, according to their leading spokesman,
it makes no difference how dangerous it
may be to the people on Sixteenth aud
McCulloch streets! The fact is, that the
motors are more slightly looking and make
less noise than the horse'cars, and the only
possible inconvenience they can cause is to
compel some Of our "nabobs" to sell the
fancy horses they now own and buy others
that will not scare ut the motors; and the
probability is that not five people in the
city will be compelled to do that.
Are the thousands Of people who want
the Elm Grove road to be deprived OF it
to accommodate the few who object TO il?
Is the First Branch OF Council 50 forpetful
Of its duty to the people, us their reprcscu.
tatives, rs to how to the will Of afew moss.
backs who happen to have more money
than patriotism? II the members Of the
House OF Lords have any doubt Us to the
sentiment Of the community let them sub
nit an ordinance toa vote Of the pee
pie. II they do not do this or grant the
right asked for by the Elm Grove road,
they will find that the people will take the
matter into their own hands and ut the
next election see to ii Int Il representative
Council is elected.
Tour correspondent is in error Council
did not pass an ordinance Tuesday night
granting 10 the Citizens Railway coppuny
cright to use steam motors, but merely
instructed the City Solicitor 10 prepare and
report such an ordinance for the consider.
alton Of Council, the same course Ms was
taken in the case Of the Elm Grove roud
last week.-ISTELLlGEScEp.1