New-York tribune., 1886-02-25
sCHEMING FOR BROADWAY.
MEN WHO CAME BEFORE JACOB SHARP
HOW SHARP OUTwITTED THEM-MR. wHlrNEfs
Observation-Disclosures TIE CHARTER.

MEN WHO CAME BEFORE JACOB sHAKP
posrTIoN-ANNULLING THE CHARTER.
The bearings of the Broadway franchise In
are broadening aud deepening, but there ap
near ust now three main topics in the case INC
possibility of annunent OF the charter OF tho broa
way Surface Company the relation OF secretary "niv
ney to the whole matter and the lack OF concessions
Oh the part of Aldermen past or present. up to GATE
While these topics agitating the minus Vi ia"
vera and laymen, a now element has come 10 tEe
front I'm the shape Of the old Broadway hai"ay
Company This corporation obtained lts Charter on
May 8, 1884, Immediately after Governor 0io'oi"nu
signed the General Street Railroad ACT The corPoa'ors
were the same as in the Fifth Avenue Railway Com
nav and the direotors in both were William c. Whit
new Thomas f. Ryau, George Henry Warren, James A.
Roosevelt, G. G. Haven. Wallace C. Andrews Joseph De
O'DonOhue Rowland NJ Hazard and Brayton lVos Inc
captal stock was 100000. Mr. Roosevelt was eecteo
president but declined the position Wallace T. An
drews was subsequently elected TO that oce Ihomas
F. RYAN who had been instrumental in securing the
entry OF Mr.. Whitney into the company, was chosen
treasurer. held the position In the Cable Com
psny
The Broadway Surface Railroad Company obtained
its charter on May l3. only five days later, ana
then tegan the struggle between the two corpora
tious TO secure Broadway from Union Square TO the
Battery allow the contest resulted is matter OF puDho
record There have been charges and couhtercharges
IN the matter The cable people assert that they Sc
cured the majority of the consents OF propertyowhers
and that Whitney and Ryan got control OF the
stock and tried make deal with the Broadway sur
face people in the of the Union Passenger Trans
fer and Railway Company. now the Metropohtah'
Whatever the actual facts may be. movement IS now
OIL foot among the Broadway Railway people TO step In
as the successors the Broadway Surface Railroad
men, And this action all hinges on their beiet tnat the
Broadway Surface Compapys charter is to be aDnuled
But in this matter there wheels within wheels. One
who is actively in the movement said yestcr
day:
president Andrews Rowland n. Hazard. George
Henry Warren and others OF the board OF directors
believe that the day of the Broadway Railway Company
has last. They and their counsel see great sig
nicaace action OF the Assembly In calling ON the
Attorney to institute proceedings to annu the
charter of the Surface Company. Now wish to state
distinctly and emphatically that we are taking no steps
to inure Mr. Sharp his company, nor have we done
ANYTHING of the kind The situation is simply this: We
believe that the charter is goug TO be annuled; we
know therefore, that some company must go into Broad
way and propose to take advantage Of the situation
Our strong point 10 this: We obtained III 1854
the consents OF majority OF the property
owners In Broadway TO our road, with the
express stipulation that they should have chance
TO subscribe onehalf prO-rata amount OF the socR
As the road worth Si.000000, this would have been
worth least $1,000 to the Methodist Book Concern
which gave its consent. and largo amount would nave
Tenh.s including those which the Stewart Building
Danless the Sinclair House and the st. Denis Hotel
stand But Mr. Whitney control OF the stock and we
failed to get franchise. The question now with us IN
our present purpose is, Will Mr.. Whitney step down ana
QUIT He and friends still hold that stock VIII they
give upl Will they allow the property-owners along
broadway in and band In this enterprise
That is the point in the whole matter IL Mr. whitney
and Thomas Ryan VIII step out, the others wish to 90
IN and put down road"
BRINGING SUIT TO ANNUL THE CHARTER
This is the OF the present scheme 1t hinges
primarily on the question whether Surface charter
will be annulled. On this subject legal minds are
greatly exercised IN this city at present The Broadway
Surface people and their lawyers bold that there Is no
evidence Justify the Attorney General in bringing SUIT
TO annui the charter Tie attitude Of the cable people
and Broadway Railway promoters is embodied In
the resolution introduced in the Senate yesterday by Sen
ator Traphagen Of the Cable Commissioners
who reported in favor OF the cable system ior TINS city,
This resolution calls for the annument OF the charter
Cd the ground that the $2,50OOOO mortgages were i'm
nroperIv fssued and many OF the bonds given away,
while the franchise obtained by bribery and corrup
tion. A further for an annulment Is being
studiously worked up. and that Is that Ger
tain provisions, such as those Win reier-
ence to cleaning the tracks. etc, were
introduced by General Term of the Supreme Court
instead Of by the Commission. This is technical feat
ure the Broadway Surface people hold that even
in itself II might legal weight, 1t would not stand
a moment, view OF the large anu NaIu-
able interests which centre around the grant
Mr. Whtneys position is much discussed. when In
1854 the struggle before the Board OF Aldermen was
going between the Broadway aud the broadway sur
face roads, Mr. whitney and his associates on Augus
H. presented the following memorial TO Mayor Edison;
sueetf"ly ask YOU to examine the Rail-
ROAD Committee the Board of the Board Of Aldermen
Of Aldermen at the last session, on, August
G. and withhold your signature from the
broadway Jacob sharp aud his associates This grant
Swseps oT the public, without imposing any condos
as the exchange OF business with oher roads or re
curing that the road be open TO the travel OF all CON-
Iaues without requiring compensation To the city for
franchise worth very iarge sun, and IN unseemy
IL within the power Of the local author les, and
srn,ions on making sran OF a francnise for surface
railroad shal! benefit the public both by compelling
Otherwise and preventing monopoly; ana by Offering
the franchise at public auction 10 the highest bidder
so as TO the franchise in Br oadway.
regulations or requirements as 70 such inter
change of business. Constituting Broadway "a
thousand dollars for the right TO build and operate
railroad in Broadway. ,,,, - ... T.,
These facts when examined by you viii, we trust in
duce you to veto the ordinance and to assist toward
careful rcexaTiuation OF the subject IN the puohc In
terest D. A hooSENhbl'
GEoRGE HESRY WARREN,
WILLIAM. WmTSEY
On August q 1884 Messrs whitney and Roosevelt
addressed letter to "to correct some msap-
prehensions" regarding their project. They denied
that the company dummy" for any other
scheme aud as to charge that they were cover for
the Cable Company said: although certain OF the
directors have interest In cable system OF road,
they are but individuals Far as this company Is con-
cerned, a majority of the board having no
such interest, and opinion or comntal on
the subject II the secretary has made any
statements TO the effect that the company at all
mtted as to kind OF road TO he built 1t has been