Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-11-17

The Board OF Pubic WORKS Side OF the
Zane street Controversy.
TO tas Ednor of tAs Raoists-::


| ceived by an article in the local columns
of the REGIsTER this morning, and in
order to place matters in proper light
before this community, we beg to have
the following statement OF facts pub
lished In your paper:
The meeting OF the committee on
Streets, Alleys and Grades and Board Of
Public Works was called in relation to
| the differences with the Street Railway
| Companies while one member OF the
Board was away from the city. The
subject matter 10 come before the meet
ing could only be viewed and properly
considered at daylight meeting. in our
judgment, and we, therefore, are not In
favor of taking it up at night meet
| ing.
The street railway manager, Mr..
jelly, has without a permit from the
Board of Public Works and in gross
violation of the ordinance or the city
| fixing rules and regulations concerning
our streets, torn up portion OF Zane
street, about three weeks since, with
out charter right In the companies or
either OF them, and he has ever sincs
totally refused and neglected to comply
with notice from this Board to replace
and repair the street, although the new
| brick street crossing, over Zane street
between North and South Huron streets
was torn away and the street rendered
/ practically impossible. We fully agree
with the writer Of the REGISTERS arti-
Gle that for this to continue would be
an outrage TO the general public, and
particularly to those travelling to and
from Bridgeport"
tits not the fault of the Board that
this condition OF affairs exists. The
manager of the companies, Mr.. Jolly
totally disregards the order Of the
Board aud Street Commissioners, issued
to the Street Railway Company strictly
In discharge of public duty and without
bias or prejudice.
The Directors cannot be ignorant OF
his utter contempt for the city authori-
ties, for it is so plainly demonstrated
and long continued that any citizen
passing along our street iE the neigh
borhood OF the street car tracks can not
fail TO observe the outrageous condition
of the paving. We have done our ut
most TO obtain compliance with the law
by these companies but without sue
cess.
The issue has become fixed and there
is no way 20 avoid il. Either the Off
Gals OF this city are to continue power.
less to perform their duties under their
official oaths and the government Of our
city surrendered to the street car man
ager, or else such conditions must be
placed upon any further grant o! priv
ieges to these street car gentlemen as
will compel conformity to the city laws.
The Board is not prejudiced in this
matter, but we deem it our duty as city
officers to call the attention OF Council
and the public TO the situation. III a
corporation manager can cody violate
the laws and contemptuously disregard
the orders OF the city officers, the use
fulness of this body Is gone and the
Board OF Public Works might as we'll be
abolished and the streets and alleys sur
rendered TO the magnanimity OF the
street car manager. This manager has
not contented himself with simply re-
fusing or negecting to obey the city or
dinanees, but ne has grossly insulted
the Board and its officer,s will be shown
by the appended affidavit.
In conclusion we will only add that 1t
will be OF interest to our citizens to see
whether the council will rigidly per-
form its plain duty and bring the
street car people TO sense OF the
rover and virtue Of its bodies, and
properly support its officers in their ef-
forts for public law and the decent re-
pair of our streets, or whether the city
fathers have been made the victims Of
the Establishments and wiles OF
the employees and attorneys OF the
foreign owners OF the street car
line, who have no interest In our streets
except to run cars on same, the travel
in which will increase in proportion to
the lack Of repair OF our thoroughfares.
We respectfully submit that no coun-
Gilman who is an officer, employe, or
agent of either Of the street car CON-
panies should be permitted to vote upon
the matters in difference or serve upon
a committee relating TO same, even
though he should be indicate enough
TO doso. If such persons are 10 Coun-
ell they are not entitled to much con-
sideration at the hands Of their fellow
members.
We simply desire the Committee to
meet with the Board in broad daylight
and go over the street car lines ia the
light OF day before making up a report.
and not smother this matter in the dark
ness Of night. CHAs. SCHMIDT.
A. NJ. HAMILTON.
HENRY SCMULBAca.
Mem bers Board of Public Works.
November IS, 1898.
State Of West Virginia, County Of Ohio,
tout:
James G. Gray. being duly sworn,
SAYS that he has been inspector OF paw
ing for the Board of Public Works OF
the City Of Wheeling since the early
spring of this year; that as such be has
had charge of repairs TO paving which
the Board ordered made by the street
car company; that his duty compelled
him to be present when the work was
being done in so far as 1t has been done
by the company; that Mr.. Jolly, the
manager Of the company, would
frequently come to where the
work was being conducted and with
great violence and outrageous swearing
ADD cursing interfere with the proper
performance of the work and intimi-
date the afiant in his duty Of super
vision; that on five or six different
times said Jolly stopped tle men 10 the
performance OF work ordered by the
Board and finally in tie latter part OF
September last, with voluble and dis
gushing curses, he ordered the men to
cease work aud swore they should not do
another id bit OF work ordered by the
Board. although there was great
quantity ordered and not done aud
vast amount Of repairs to paving. neces-
sary and directed by the Board OF Pub