Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-11
NO MERCY THERE.
couSCILMRN SLUG THE STREET CAR CON-
PANIES,
Over the Ordinance 10 Strengthen the Track Down
Town - The Proposed Increase in
wagss-ROutns Matters.

4
proposition to release the street railway
companies from paying for certain paving
ON the South side When the report OF
the Committee On Ordinances was read, In
the Second Branch, as outlined fully in the
REGISTER yesterday morning, the resolu-
ton authorizing the committee TO employ
counsel in the matter of the protest of the
Natural Gas Company of West Virginia,
was approved without debate. The reso-
luton of the committee, recommending
that five hundred copies of the amended
rules of Council be printed in pamphlet
form, was likewise adopted. When the
street railway ordinances were reached,
however, there was something of hitch.
The Wheeling Railway ordinance came up
first, on its second reading for amendment
and debate, and Mr.. Harrell moved to
amend by striking ont the section pro-
yiding for the release of the Com
pany from paying for the pavement be-
tween its tracks. He said if this precedent
was set, the Elm Grove Railroad Company
would have Just claim against the city OF
a similar kind. He believed that the value
of the franchise was so great that the Com
pany ought to be willing to pay for the
paving, and he was in favor of making this
demand of all railroad companies seeking
to pass through the city or over its streets.
On Mr.. Harrell's motion being put, Mr..
Alfred Cald we'll, representing the railroad
Company, addressed Council, by invita-
ton, explaining to Council, as he had TO
the Ordinance Committee, the equity Of
the relief sought. The Company was lily
able to pay the expense of this work,
which it was not originally intended the
Company should pay. The sum was q
small one to the city, but it was Of great
moment to the Company, and he urged
that the favor be granted.
Mr.. Harrell answered Mr.. Caldwell's ar
gument, saying il he should come to COun-
|
tanned in the ordinance, simply because he
had been improving his property and had
overreached himself, or had had bad
year in business, he would be laughed at.
Yet rich corporation was here asking
aims" of Council.
Mr.. Geo. B. Caldwell made answer to
this, saying the Company was not upon the
basis of ordinary citiz,ns 1t had to pay
the usual and ordinary taxes, and in addi.
ton an oppressive and extraordinary levy,
without any corresponding benefit. The
Company was one which deserved the con-
sideration of Council and the people.
Mr.. Wheat said that ''for pure, unadul-
terated gal'' he had never seen the equal
of this demand from the railroad Company.
If the right of way was worth anything, it
was worth the paving between the tracks
Mr.. Allison was opposed to making the
grant, for reasons which he proceeded to
give at length. The street railway Com
pany had accepted the terms Of the ordi.
nance granting it the right of way through
the streets, with its eyes open, and he held
that members of Council, in fulfilling their
sworn duties, had no right to break the
| terms of the agreement thus made. He
held that the public had already suffered
enough from the combination of the two
Companies, without having to hand over a
slice of the public money beside, rs would
be the virtual result of releasing this Com
pany from payment for the pavement. -.
Mr. Geo. B. Caldwell replied generally
to the arguments of Messrs. Wheat and
Allison, and the debate was continued at
great length ky Messrs. Wheat, Harrell
aud others. The amendment by Mr.. Har.
| rell striking out the clause releasing the
Company from paving was then adopted
by rim rsee vote. Mr.. Harrell then Of
fered the following substitute:
''Sec. 2. That the Wheeling Railroad
Company be and are hereby required to
pave between its tracks and one foot on
the outside of same when the said tracks
were put down, with the same material as
the city uses in paving Jacob street, to the
satisfaction of the Board of Public Works"
This was adopted.
Mr.. Gilleland then offered the following
as section 81
'In consideration of the above grant,
the said Wheeling Railway Company shall
not be entitled to any right or privilege of
constructing or operatiDga street railway,
granted them by an ordinance passed on
the 9th day of August, 1887, entitled: An
ordinance granting to the Wheeling Rail-
| way Company the right to construct a
street railway On the following streets of
the city: On Twenty-seventh street, from
Chapline TO Eoff street, on Eoff street, from
Twenty-seventh to Thirty ninth street, on
Thirty-ninth street, from Eoff to Wood
street, on Wood street, from Thirty-ninth
to Forty. third and hereby abandon any
right or claims it may have on the above
named streets"
Then followed the usual provision, re.
curing the Company to file an acceptance
Of the ordinance before August LIST.
Mr.. Gilleland spoke in favor of the
amendment he offered, saying the Com
pany did not intent to build the line on
the streets named and it, therefore, ought
to be compelled to give mp the right. The
Company held all the streets in the lower
end of town in its grasp, and it ought to he
shaken lose. The grant was originally
given in the expectancy that there would
be competing line. There had been
consolidation, and the people wanted their
grant back and would have it.
Mr.. Caldwell said Mr.. Gilleland had
some real estate on the present line of the
road, and desired to keep the track where
it was on that account. That was Mr..
G. g "nigger in the woodpile."
Mr.. Gilleland denied this, and the
amendment to the ordinance was adopted.
The title of the ordinance was then
changed to conform with the amendments,
when Mr.. Caldwell, on behalf Of the Com
pany, asked to have the ordinance with
drawn. He desired to give public notice
that the ordinance, in its present shape,
was not only not desired, but that the Com
pany had asked TO have it withdrawn.
It occurred TO Mr.. Maxwell that "the
proceedings were little bit high handed.n
The Company had offered an ordinance,
and Council should either adopt it or re-
ject it. and not utterly change its nature
Mr. Allison said 1t was plain to him that
the Company would never accept the or
dinance, and this being so, it was no use
to pass the ordinance. He moved to in
definitely postpone.
Mr.. Caldwell promised that the poles Of
the Company, which had been erected
along Jacob street, would he immediately