Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-20
IT WAKES WARM.
TIE FIGHT BETWEEN THE RIVAL ELECTRIC
ROADS IN BRIDGEPORT.
Tha Friction Between The Corporations Leads 70 the
Arrest Of William ErSkins, Yesterday, Upon
tho Charge Of melting Parties e
Institute S1iS.

the news of the day, printed from the
.peighboring town Of Bridgeport, that
there was lively rivalry going on over
there between the electric RAILROAD cor
porations which have been striving for
the mastery in the territory along the
river front Of Belmont county, between
Bellaire on the south and Martins
Ferry on the north.
There have been ordinances adopted
and ordinances repealed, talks about In
functions, threats Of suits, and gen.
eral war, largely OF words and docu'
mepts. but to a considerable extent Of
actions also, and the result has been
that in Bridgeport the average citizen
has become street railway partizsn,
and a majority OF them inclined very
strongly towards the new corporation,
headed by MesSrS. a. X. Leyda, John
X. Jolly ana others, which has secured
franchises in Bridgeport, Bellaire and
Martins Ferry, and which has already
laid down q very considerable amount
OF railroad track.
This rivalry and general friction re-
suited yesterday afternoon, In the ar
rest OF William ErSkine, Esq, OF this
city, in Bridgeport, upon a warrant
sworn out by John w. Fowler, a resi-
dent OF Bridgeport, who made an ain
davit before Justice Howell that Mr..
Erskine was melting others TO insti-
tute suits, etc, with intent to stir up
strife, and all that sort OF thing. This
charge, II the intent existed, would
amount 10 something like cham
perty, or barratry in this state,
but il the intent be absent, as Mr..
Erskine AYERS il is, il is pretty hard to
define the offeuse, or even TO make any
offense out OF II az all. Mr.. Erskine
was duly arrested, however, and was
taken before Justice Howell, where he
waived an examination and gave bond
In the sum Of 5000, dis sureties being
Attorneys George c. Mckee and George
Duncan. Mr.. Fowler, the complainant,
is in the employ Of the Leyda-Joliy
Company, now building on the Ohio
side OF the river.
The arrest grows directly out OF the
street railroad trouble, which Is In a
very complicated state. Mr.. ErSkine
is one Of the attorneys for the Wheel
ing Electrical Railway Company, and
has, as matter OF course, been quite
active In looking out for the interests
OF his cor pOration on the Ohio side OF
the river, where the active operations
of the new railway company have con-
ficted very materially with the plans
OF the Wheeling corporation.
The complications are somewhat diff
cult 10 uRrayel, but a general idea Of
the situation may be CLEANED from the
following:
The Wheeling Railway Company,
which is the successor Of the old John
NJ. Sweeney corporation, is snd has
been for a year and a half or so, Oper-
sting the electric road, through the up
per portion OF the town Of Bridgeport,
on the route 20 Martins Ferry, the
right to do 50, so far as Bridgeport is
concerned, having been granted by an
ordinance passed October 81, 1891, TO
John NJ. Sweeney g. Co. The same
grant required the building OF a road
southwarcly from the bridge 10 the
Presbyterian church In Bridgeport, cut
Il was included, as condition, that the
town Of Bridgeport should open a con-
nection from the west end OF the new
lEtnaville bridge 10 the Ohio Valley
pike az the upper end Of Bridgeport,
and that o., in two months
after the street had been open
ed, the Street Car Company had
not completed its tracks, and II cars
were not running within thirty days az
ter the completion OF the road the Com
pany should forfeit It's rights and fran
chises in the town OF Bridgeport, and
should remove all tracks, wires, poles,
etc, from the streets of the town. The
clause Of the ordinance requiring the
new street opened by the town Of Bridge
port has never been complied with by the
town Council, and as result Of this
failure to act, as is claimed by the man
agement of the Wheeling Electric Rail-
way Company, the KirkwoOd extension
OF the line was never built.
Relying upon the franchise so
granted by the Council Of Bridge
port, however, and feeling that the
street would be opened az some future
time, the management Of the Wheeling
Electric Railway Company, who had in
mind an extension OF their lines, not
only TO Bridgeport, but to Bellaire aud
out the Bridgeport pike as well, enter
ed into a contract, in October last, with
the Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Com
pany for the rebuilding OF the Back"
river bridge. This contract was to ex-
tend for twenty years, provided that
cars weighing not over thirty thousand
pounds should be run over it, specified
the yearly tolls, and set forth that II
the cars Of any other Company should
run over the new bridge, then the toll
was not 70 be increased in amount, but
was 70 be divided pro rata between the
Companies, and ia Ike manner II three
Companies should run cars over 10.
The Wheeling Railway Company
claims, that at about this stage OF the
proceedings one Of their syndicate, to-
wit, Mr.. Leyda. sold out his interests ia
the Wheeling Company, and aSSOciat-
ing himself with Mr.. john *. jolly and
others, proceeded 70 acquire franchises
on the Ohio side OF the river which the
Wheeling Company mad proposed 20
obtain for It's use, when the proper
time should arrive, the franchises 50 ac-
Quired including tho route previously
granted 10 John NJ. Sweeney & Co. and
claimed by the Wheeling Rail-
way Company. After the ordi-
nances tn Bellaire. Bridgeport and Mar
tins Ferry had been secured by the new
company, 10 March last, Mr.. Erskine,
in the employ OF the Wheeling Railway
Company, and its large stockholders.
began 10 investigate the proceedings.
and 10 conjunction with other attorneys
brought q suit Tor Mr. Charles Smith, Of
Bridgeport. who was dissatisfied with