Telegram-herald., 1890-03-23
NEW FRANCHISES
Granted 70 the Street Railway Co.
IN Grand Rapids Township.
4 sEW AIR LINE TO REEDS LANE
IL wiH san Every Day In the Year snd
Essry Hail H0 our 0f the Day fnFsagh
Wealthy ave. ana Baruard-st.-
East.sI. 10 be Abandoned.

The Township Board Of Grand Rapids
township held meeting At Clerk Van
Weotenbrugge's oftice yesterday after
noon and transacted important busi-
ness.
superintendent Bevier and Attorney
McGeorge Bundy were on hand with
formal request tor franchise, granting
the street Railway Company of Grand
Rapids the right OF way IN North Colt
ave, from the city limits 70 Fifth-st. OF
Comstock's addition. This was readily
granted. The gentlemen then asked
Tor franchise through Wealthy-aye.
and Barnard-st. to their pavilion al
Reed Lake. Here the gentlemen met
with considerable difficulty. The board
seemed willing enough 10 grant them
the privilege, but they were bound 10
hold the company 20 ccrtaiA conditions
THAI Mr.. Beyler thought were both un-
reasonable and unnecessary, but all
ms persuasive powers were wasted.
After three hours of conference
the franchise was granted and the terms
of the ordinance are 10 this effect: The
street railway company snail have the
right 10 construct, operate and main
tam all electric street railway III
the township Of Grand Rapids, COM
menclng at the intersection OF Fuller
81. and Nealthy-aye., 10 the bank Of
Fisk lake, and through Barnard-st. TO
the pavilion AT Reed lake. Ine ears
shall be permitted 10 run az the rate OF
fifteen miles an hour, and the road shall
be operated ali the year round, and
cars shall run over the line AZ least once
every half hour. Tie fare shall bc
cents from the lake 10 the center of the
city. The condition that the cars shall
be obliged to run all the year round
aud that the fare shall be cents TO the
center OF the city were TOO much tor
Mr.. Bevicr to accept at first, but the
board had set It's stakes and would not
bulge. and so the company had 10 ac-
cept.
The news viii be welcomed by the
general public. for the change means
an air hne to the lake, with improved
facilities for transporting passengers.
and all for five cents.
There is a strip along the south shore
of Fisk lake where the right of way
viii be through private property, but
there will be no difficulty about this. as
Mr.. Jcnison, the owner, has already an
nounced his intention 10 grant the right
when ever the company desires it.
Street railway facilities IN the eastern
part OF the city viii be all that can be
desired when the road is completed.
The Cherry-st. line viii be rontinued
out Lake-ave. to Fuiler-st. ana through
Fuller-st. to Wealthv-ave. The
Wealthy-ave. line Will be continued
across East-st. and straight out to the
corner Of Fuller-st.. where it Will con-
meet with the Cherry-st. line and the
lake line. The new line, running from
the end of West LeCnard-st. across the
city, will be continued out Thomas
st. 10 Fuller-st., and It's terminus will
be only five blocks from the junction
of the other lines.
The tracks in East-st. will be removed
and the Shcrman-st. line TO the lake
will be abandoned as soon rs the new
line Is ready for operation. The only
obstacle remaining TO be removed IS
the opposition OF the Reeds Lake
Gravel Road Company, who contest
the passage of the street railway from
the Boulevard to FuIier-st., a distance
OF about five blocks. The residents
along the line say that they believe
the Gravel Road Company will be
amendable to reason and to the wishes
OF the people, and will sell the street
railway right of way. The city limits
Will be extended to Fuler-st. in 1872,
and tEen the disputed territory will pass
beyond the control Of the Gravel Road
Company, so it would seem that, for
reasonable compensation, they will be
willing TO part with their rights in this
section at the present time
The township board has treated Us
with the utmost fairness in this matter"
said Mr.. Bevier, land, although some
OF the members of the board aud
myself have had personal differ
ences. still they have not lard it
up against the company. They evi-
dently are gentlemen vino Will look
after the interests of the people rather
tnan crafty any personal piques they
may have against an individual or a
corporation. They are aware that
line 80 the lake operated by respOnsi-
hlc company has become a necessity,
and they are willing TO assist us IN CIV
ing tine people a better service than
mas been given heretofore