The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-06-08
70 Ms Editor Of he hieRigaecr

SIR:-ln news urlcle IN tue INTEL
IldgScRR yesterday 1t was stated that
the street railway people who arebuild'
ing on the opposite side OF the river
have secured tho exclusive use OF the
new back river bridge now being built
to Bridgeport. We regretto be under
the necessity Of making a correction Of
that statement,
Inquiry develops tho fact that that
bridge is being rebuilt OF iron and steel
By the Wheeling and Belmont Bridge
Company, under contract made with
the Wheeling Railway Company, dated
october l, 1892. whereby that company
Is 10 lay its own tracks on the bridge
and approaches, and keep them in re.
pair and pay the Wheeling and Bel
mont Bridge Company in quarterly in.
stalmenIs toll for twenty years,
which in the twenty years aggregates
$4,000. Inquiry develops the fact also
that the new street railway syndicate
has no arrangement with the bridge
company for the use Of that bridge.
There is q provision in the contract
between the Wheeling Railway Com.
pany and the bridge company that If
any other railway company shall be
permitted to use the bridge for Its cars,
then the rentals shall be reduced to
the Wheeling Railway Company in pro-
portion to the number OF other COM
panies permitted to use 1t. But the con-
tract is silent as TO whether 1t will re-
auire the assent OF both the bridge COM
pany, (which is to own and keep up the
BRIDGE and the Wheeling Railway Com
pany, (which is to own and keep up
the tracks, for another or other railway
companies to use the bridge and tracks;
and we may here state that inquiry
develops a difference OF opinion on that
point
The chamber OF commerce, at its
meeting on Monday night, was induced
to appoint a committee to invite
conference with the officers Of tho
company Tor syndicate) building the
road on the other side OF the river, to
see under what conditions the road
can be brought into Wheeling, It was
all very we'll to appoint the commit
tee, but it will be,well, in view OF recent
and passing events on the
other side OF the river and the
movements of the Wheeling Rail.
way company, II that commit
tee, looking to the interests and welfare
Of the city and the citizens of Wheel.
Ing, will inquire into the character and
origin Of the railroad movement on
the other side OF the river, and see
whether or not tho proposed introduce
ton OF new railway TO bring hither
travel from that side Of the river would
not cucumber our streets unnecessarily
aud make the cost OF transportation
higher than the terms already offered
by the Wheeling Railway Company for
the same or better facilities which 1t
planned, and otiers to give.
Few people, perhaps, looking merely
to the question OF street railway facili-
ties, will care much about the means
adopted by the promoters Of thesnew
railroad, or their motives in building
that road. Nevertheless 1t will not do
for our people to shut their eyes upon
means or motives, where they can
rcasonublyI,satisfy.st themselves as to the
probable permanent good or i'll to result
10 the people from encouraging the
movement. No ono will deny the great
benefit to the public Of. having rapid
and efficient street railway service. Tho
work Of the Wheeling Railway Com
pany within the short period since the
new owners came into possession OF it
furnishes too good an illustration OF
those benefits.
Those new owners at the time Of
their purchase acquired also the
Sweeney franchise and tracks in Bridge
port aud Martins Ferry; and they
claim to have planned last fall the pur.
chase Of the Bellaire street railway and
tho extension of lines covering the same
route that is now being taken by A. r,
Leyda and his associates, In proof Of
that claim they show tho contract above
spoken Of with the Wheeling and Bel
mont Bridge Company, aud ask ii it Is
reasonable TO suppose that they should
have made such contract, involving
so great an outlay for twenty years,
merely tor the purpose Of extending
their line the few hundred feet from the
Island car barn to tho west end OF that
bridge. They also say that in September,
1892, contract was made by their COM
pany with tho Central Construction
Company for tho rebuilding, not only OF
all the tracks in Wheeling and Bon
wood, but also for the rebuilding and
extension Of the lines in Bridgeport
and Martins Ferry If ordinances could
be obtained for those extensions, and
that on October /, 1902, the Central
Construction Company gave bond in
a penalty OF 100000 for tho faithful
performance OF that contract, with n
number Of suroties, ono OF whom was
a. K leyda, who was then connected
with the Wheeling enterprise.
Our noighbors on tho other side OF
tho river arc pleased to sec the work OF
construction going on there, and are
promo 10 believe that tho railroad faCil.
tiles which such work indicates would
not have boon secured but for the on.
tetpriso OF Mr.. Leyda and his associates.
We can SEQ nothing in tho situation to
Justify that belief. Tho Wheeling Rail.
way Company had before Mr. Loydu
ielt II, with his cooperation, made con.
tracts too important and extensive, pre-
p,aratory to operations on the other side
oil the river, to leave doubt In tho
mind Of any ono who will investigate
ne facts, as to the intention Of the
wheeling Railway Company 10 furnish
our friends OH tho other side Of tho
river not only the facilities for inter-
communication between themselves,
which Mr. Lcyda aud his associates now
PROPOSE to furnish, but plso facilities for
communication from all OF the points
fonohod by Tint limo. with WhnnlinR bY