Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-03-16
oIIF ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY

To tie Editor Of The Virginia Free Press
In the Farmers .idroeate of March llth
appears statement of recent ACTON OF
the Town Council in reference to al appil-
cation of the City Electric Light Company
for an extension of their iranchIse-wLlcn
conveys totally erroneous IMPRESSION in'
asmuch a the Company did not ask, nor
did the Council grant, any privilege Tor
lighting the city of Charles Town, but mere
ly twenty year franchise for the use oil the
streets and alleys for the poles, wires, &c.
That the public may be fully informed
the Resolution is here given, as follows;
Resolred, That for the consideration named
in the contract heretofore entered into between
the town of Charles Town and the City Elec-
trio Light Company, and for other good ana
sufficient considerations the said town OF
Charles Town hereby grants the exclusive right
for twenty years from the date hereof TO the
said CITY Electric Light Company to use the
privilege and franchise. heretofore granted by
the said town 10 the said company.
Resolyed. That the Mayor and Recorder be
authorized and directed on the part OF the town
ofCharles-Town to sign new contract with the
said City Electric Light Company in which the
foregoing modification shall be Incorporated
the terms of the old contract remaining other
wise the same.
1t was carried and the Mayor ordered TO
sign the franchise on the corporation coun-
sci passing on its legal g.
Mr.. Baylor thereupon reported to the
council against the resolution, expressing
the opinion that the town could not grant
the franchise for sundry reasons-among
Others that DR.. Neill and the Mayor were
incompetent to vote on said resolution in
view of the fact that they were stockhold'
ers of the City Electric Light Company
While not plesuming to question the cor
rectness of Mr.. Baylor's decision, | would
like to know whySon the same premises, the
present contract for Illuminating the streets
should not be declared void, as from the
following extract from the minutes of the
town council it will be conclu,ively shewn
that interested parties voted for the meas
ures in question:
At a regular meeting of the council held on
Friday evening August l4th, 1879, Mayor
Simmons in the chair, Z. NJ. Hough, Recorder,
Cuunclmen present, MeSsrs. Avis, Baylor,
Davis, Gallaher, HoWeN and Washington,
b. G. Washington submitted the following
ordinance that a committee of three TO be
named by the Mayor be appointed who are au-
thorized to contract with the Charles-TOwn
Gas aud Water Co. to furnish Gas to light the
streets of the town at points where posts are
araafa1 f,rs ha bprnaffar avaafp1
An amendment was offered to the above by
George Baylor to only light the lamps accessi-
BILE TO the mains of Main street, the vote was
taken on the amendment and division being
called for the vote stood as follows for
the amendment, Avis, Baylor and Davis;
against the amendment, Gallaher, H0WeH and
Washington, making a tie the Mayor voting
against the amendment il was declared lost
and the vote taken on the original motion. a
division was called for which counted as fol-
lows Avis, Baylor and Davis voting in the
negative and Gallaher. Hocell and Washington
voting in the affirmative, making tie. The
Mayor, counting his vote in the affirmative, the
resolution was adopted and the Mayor appoint
ed the following councilmen on said commit
tee Messrs. Washington, Avis and Gallaher.
There being no further business appearing, on
motion the council adjourned.
C. NJ. HoueH, w SIMMONS,
Recorder Mayor.
At a meeting of the council, January 90,
1890, the following councilmen were present
Mayor Brown in the chair Hughes Hough,
DUNN, Ho,roH X. II. Phillips.
ION motion of d. S. Hughes. seconded by {.
NJ. Hough, it was moved that the committee
or gas for street lamps accept the proposition
made by Darid HOlUeU for Gas and Water Co.
to furnish oil for lamps at $500, gas for $3.50
per lamp. Carried
And on February Sd, 1890 ION motion of
NELL. seconded by DUNN, that the council
accept the contract rs read by VI. Hoi0eH for
the Gas and Water Co. Motion carried -
Now, if these gentlemen, some Of whom
were personally interested. could legally
commit the town to the payment OF con-
siderabiesum ofmoney for period Of years,
it seems strange that 4 properly constituted
majority Of the council cannot grant priv
ilege to another corporation, costing the
town nothing
This controversy appears to have been
initiated by parties interested in the failure
of Electric Lighting, and il ha, been as
serted that the resolution was introduced
by an interested member Of the council
when as a matter Of fact it was introduced
on behalf of the City Electric Light Co.
by its Secretary who is not member of
the council
JUsTICE.
Mrs. Mary Adelno Waddell, aged SO
years, widow of the late DR.. J. Alex Wad-
dell, of Staunton, died on Wednesday even
ing at Bramwell, W. Va, where she had
been for some months visiting her daughter,