New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-06
JACOB SHARP HAS HIS SAY.
WHAT He THINKS OF THE ATTACKS ON HIM

| BRIBEr ANY ONE SING SING IS HIS PLACE.
TRIBUNE reporter callel on Jacob Sharp yester-
| day and asked him il he desired to say anything
regarding the Broadway franchise matter and what
had been published regarding him. Mr sharp
made tho following statement:
There Is great deal OF fonseuse being put out by
the newspapers to the Broadway Railroad steal as
| ihcy call 1t. | am constantly charged with having
stolen millions from the city But where ia the evidence
OF it Because $500 900 oi bonds issued by the
railroad company IL said stole that amount from the
city, but there is word OF truth in it. want to
know what difference it makes to tho city how many
bonds were issued by the company Suppose mouth
after the tonds issued they had all been burned up
what dineront relation would the city he public hold
to the rnioad company from that which they now hod
Or to either for that matteri The fact Is, 1t makes
difference to the city the puac whether twenty
five bonds twenty five millions were issued That IS
only msttcr which the holders OF the bonds
those who paid their money FOR them and no holder OF
any bond has said word in the way OF objection that
have heard of.
al bbei the Aldermen then the city and the public
have good right complain and ought to 20 TO jail
Now say didn't bribe the Aldermen. OF course, ex-
cited tho public shant be believed as to this
but It Mr. Conkng took good care not to glvo
me a chance 10 dony 1t under oath. II murdered forty
men shoud e entitled to trial by The conrts on evil
dence, not title tatc. by committee whose riihe
members and their counsel aiming to make popular
the excited newspapers, who will by and by become
ashamed OF the injustice of their course
You say the fact that mortgage OF S2.5OO.OOO was
put the Broadway road that is worth great
and this shows that the city cheated In its
bargain and that that have been done by bribery
There is good deal bad logic there 1t seems To me-
But you Judge by the OF stock and bonls
issued by the city railroads why do you pick out the
Broadway road as the only sinner DO you know the
of the stock and bonds issued by the other cy
roadsl tell you OF them: Belt road three mill
ions; Third Avenue. four millions; sixth Avenue, two
millions; Second Avenue, nearly three millions; Dry
Dock, two millions and SO on. Those are old roads
do present the figures rs to the new ones ike the
Forty street and Chambers Street. Out they are
on tho same SCALE don't deny that the Rroa0way
Railroad is valuable thing. But in the first place. In
Judging whether the city cheated you must look at
things as they when the bargain was made not as
they appear after the road is success Every sue
ces sfu corporation time when one would
have an thing with It, How 1t when the telc-
graph company first started and the telephone company
and the Elevated railroad and lots OF other schemes
THE QUESTION OF VALUE.
Now when the Broadway Surface Company was seek
ing its grant the whole question OF its value was ex-
amIned. The Corporation Counsel opposed the grant
and said we were charged enough. He troted out
all the experts he could find, in the employ OF rail-
roads aud hc didn't nnd one who would swear We Wero
not argod enou gh When ho got through the Judges
Daniels Is his name. isn't iti-sad the amount We
agreed TO pay was enough 1 dOnt say anything about
| the Commissioners who said the sane thing, Tor 5lr
Conkng and tho committee lnsnuae .ley were bribsd
But haven't heard that the Judges were bought yet
Then again just think o. it. Wo got grant only after
fight OF Oyer year. During all that time the highest
| price that any PIT upon the grant WAS million OF
| dollars No one offered than that and never
heard Of any genuine bona hde otter OF that mch Bus
we pay in the first year what amounts to per cent
on two millions and II our business doesn't Increase
| we are Obliged after three years pay what viii
amount to per at least three millions and tbat
forever. Isn't that better than million OF dollars
down which would probably nave been wasted by the
city in . Marine Bank or somewhere elsc what Is
there mat to show the Aldermen were bought and the
| city oheatedi
Yon say If tho city wasn't cneated how does 1t hap
pen that the company afford to the interest on
its bonds besides paying this to the ethyl Is that
what you meant Now, young man, I'll tell you about
that. Tho road wasn't and isn't worth half what wo
agreed to pay the city I: could not 20 connected with
the Broadway ana Seventh Avcnue road. SEQ now tho
matter stood went for tie grant. The Legisla
ure has said no grant sh, be made any street for
over thousand feet .hero is already any track In the
| street. The Broadway and seventh Avenue Company
was thus in effect declared by the Legislature to have
monopoly oi Broadway above Fiftcerthst. The thing
was 20 get from the Battery to Central Park Any one
but the seventh Company Or some one having
contract with them couldn't carry passenger above
rttoentb st. nnless they had by Otlcr route
above that street Where we're they to goi fou
vonln't have asm 90 up Fifth ave-. would you'll Nor
around through the tInue on Fourtha even II thoy
could have done that. which under the law they
coulnt and II they had they wouldn't hayc got to tue
Park Or perhaps you think the passengers should nave
been ALI dumped out Feenth.st. changed cars and
naIc to pay another fare. II that had been the arrange
ment don't YOU suppose the papers would have sworn
| that clear proc! OF briberyf
| WORKING FOR BROADWAY FOR YEARS.
"Tben again. had FOR years been working for road
on Broadway OF course had got no legal rights there,
but had got good many people VINO felt aud SAID well
II there has got TO be railroad on Broadway, snarp
ou.ht to have hand in 1t. tell young man. there
vas mighty lot OF that feeling and anyone who tried to
Get road on Broadway without letting me In would have
oudl pile OF opposition from people with whom lau
no connection Tue seventh Avenue directors knew aud
felt that They saw that any ROAD thst didn't work In
with them would utterly destroy their ROAD, and they
SAW too that tera tw1 three sets Oi sch emers at
work 10 get the grant and that their best way was ID
co,rhioe forces with and to make agreement to
carry passengers frOm tho loot OF Broadway TO flly
ninth st Tor fare and without a change OF cars
This agreement made before wo tried TO get the
grant from city ana the fact that We could do this
and that no one could 30 1t the chief thing that
r.ve ns the grant The commissioners said and the
Judges SAID Iou remember tue great tning Tor tnS
ci,y ~ not 10 money out OF the streets bat p mako
it conv for the people 10 get up and down town
sIppose the Broadway road will carry great haly
million rassenge this year its tracks below ff-
tretn ST. any but road had got the grant
nJst hy acr the Logisature have paid two fareslO
cents Yseai OF cents apiece. The Broadway surface
road is profitable ell you. because of this connection
with the Broadway and seventh Avenue and chiefly DO
| cause of that suppose company had got grant
from B,ttnry to Fifteenth only, what would have
neeu the result Why In the first place. the company
would have had spend for lis depOt mOrs than tue
| a,nnuut of bonds Broadway Surface Issued. Re
| men ner IL must have ts line. aud communicating
with RroalwAy stables for ITS hundreds OF horses and
tor.0. for its II would baye needed pretty near
bock OF ground big stewards between Ninth and
| rsuth sts Where Broadway near II between Bow
| ling Green and Fifteenth ST could you bnd room
enoughi II you could bny IT, wouldn't land ana n1lId-
hay bren big row II any had undertaken 10 put on
| or near Bt Jadway such dig stables as thati
| Rnt ,nppo,e some Que had HOt the grant from the
Ratt,ry To- Piiteenth-st. and paid this big sam for