Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-10-14
A STREET RAILWAY DAY
CHARTERS PASSED BY THE
BOARD YESTERDAY.
The A. Clermen at a special Meet
ing Give Franchises to Two
New COmpamies-There Will be
NO Meeting of the People OH the
Fare Question.

NO Meet1Hx Oh tHS hcOpiS Oh thC
Fare Question.
"As one of the committee on the ten
cent fare matter / recommended last
week that meeting of all interested be
held in the court house on Friday night
But as that seems to have created a
good deal Of excitement move that the
ten-cent fare matter be made a special
order for 4:3O O'Clock Friday afternoon,
and that the meeting be held in this the
MAYORS office. We don't want any out
side opinions. but jrSt those which viii
aid US in dcci, ion. Alderman Brcvard
in the meeting of the aldermen yesterday.
Railways! railways. railways
That's what was dinneG into the ears
of the board of aldermen yesterday. A
special meeting was held at 4 O'Clock in
the mayors Office, for the consideration
of new and old street railway projects.
Mayor Blanton welded the gavel, and
all the aldermen were present except Mr..
Reynolds.
As the railways interested the tobacco
men, there were several of those present,
among them X. p. Walker, J. NJ. Smith,
!. Y. Barber, N. 7. Chambers and W. {.
Sprinkle
Then there were J. S. Adams, attorney
for the Ashevile and Bitmore line; Col.
K. MCBraver, for the Vest Ashevilc and
Sulphur Springs line; Capt. NJ L. Garter,
F. A. Sondey and T. A. Jones, for the
Ashcvile street railway line.
And last, but by no manner OF means
least, was Maj, Martin Tor "Col." as he
asked Col. McBrayer to address him
! who had deigned to drop in and follow
the business of the board.
Asheville and Fillmore.
Mr.. Adams company's charter for a
car line from the city limits to the square
bv Valley street, was taken up first. The
committee had made few changes. The
clause as to maximum charge of three
cents per hundred for freight was
stricken out. lengthy discussion was
INDUCED in, and finally the ordinance
granting the charter was adopted, by
suspending the rules. There were no
dissenting votes.
T. A. Jones, attorney for the Ashcville
street railway company, asked an
amendment to the charter of the COM
pany, allowing it to extend its road
across Atkin and Valley streets. This
amendment was adopted.
some Fun Here.
Col. McBrayer asked the board to al
low the charter asked for by him for the
West Asheville and Sulphur Springs rail
way company. They wanted to come
from the passenger depot up Depot
street to Bartlett, Bartlett to French
Broad avenue, French Broad avenue to
Patton avenue, up Patton avenue to
street in rear OF government building,
across Haywood and down Coi!cse to
North Main; also down Water and Wal
nut streets. They desired privileges of
freight traffic as accorded to the other
companies. They would begin work in
thirty days and complete within eight
months The fare would not be more
than FIVE cents. They would give bond
to indemnity the city against damages
for widening the streets, after the board
decides ON the streets which are to be
widened.
Attorney Jones, for the Ashevillc street
railway, opposed the granting ofthc char
ter from moral and equitable view and
from legal view. The board of alder
men had in good faith granted an cxclu-
sive franchise for ten years over some OF
the streets asked for by the West Ashe-
vile company, and this board should not
go back on what it's predecessors had
done. The aldermen should work for
the best interests Of the city and not for
a private speculation. The West Ashe-
vile company was pictured by Mr..
ones as company OF men who
would suck the blood from Ashe-
vile, and build up Sulphur Springs,
where the men own property which they
want to sell. Again, Patton avenue, Mr.
Jones said, was too narrow for two car
tracks. The Asheville street railway was
. already built, could carry all the passen
gers who want to ride, and was giving
satisfaction except possibly in the ten
cent fare. His company was willing tc
build on Walnut and Water streets, tC
accommodate the warehousemen. Any
how, if the board granted the charter
the action would involve, not only tn,
West Asheville and Asheville companies
but the city, in endless litigation. Hi
company would certainly sue out an IN
junction to prevent the other compan'
from coming onto Patton avenue.
F. A. Sondley, representing the Ashe
- vile street railway, also spoke in oppo
siton to the granting of the charter. II
y asked If as question of business pru
2. dence it would be wise to set two CON
panies to pulling hair in a court room
spending all the revenue in law suits
The granting of the exclusive franchis
by a previous board was matter c
J good faith as well as legal obligatio
upon the present board. 1t would hav
bad effect upon capital to take tn
rights of the company that has spent it
money here and give them to a new con
pany
= Col. McB'ayer's Compliments.
T Col. McBrayer then took the foo,
after being assured that there wer
no more speakers Tor the Asheyille stree
railway company. He said he had e,
pectcd to raise disturbance with th
charter, and had not been disappointed
There had peen more actively in stree
railway circles in the past two days tha
:, he had ever seen. He didn't want til
' city to believe that it would be involve
in any lawsuit. His company could nc
be scared. Of course Col" Marti
would like to have an exclusiy
privilege. A board of aldermen could nc
grant an exclusive franchise to any con
= pany. When the West Asheville con
pany entered Patton avenue, let II
Asheville company take the matter int
the courts. His company was ready fc
Y the fray. The Ashevile street railwa
l company was trying to bluff, but h
company could not be blufied. If
could not find the authority for his pos
ton as to the exclusive franchise.