Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-11
why the Franchise should be Granted.

WHY the Franchise should be Granted.
10 the EDITOR OF the Rtorstsr:
The writer don't know whether newspa-
pers flourish better by being antagonlstlc
10 each other or not, but one thing is GER
tain. the public generally suffers from such
a course. If there is any public enterprise
under con .eration by the city officials II
is always championed by ont OF our pa
pers, and anlagonizod by the others-neVer
all for nor against public improve
the new railway franchise. This enterprise
is being knitted in many ways that are dark
and questionable, and which does not speak
well for the parties dOingit. There are no
good reasons why this new railway should
DE refused admission 70 the city, as we are
a progressive people and desire every out
let and inlet possible to bring the
adjacent population into our city, (of
whio.l we only geta small poruon)
This new railway desires 10 place us
in direct touch with population variously
estimated at from thirty TO forty thousand
people, all of whom are anxious to get here
and we are anxious 10 have them come
az all prejudice is laid aside), and
because this railway wants 10 bring
these people right into the heart
of the city, instead Of dumping them out
more than a mile away, requiring them to
do their dealing at that point or choose one
of two incouvenieut modes OF getting into
tho CITY. viz: Paw toll and walk or trans
fer to q wagon and thence to the Island car
line into the city, either OF which is unsat-
isfactory. There are some OF the people
and one or more papers which rise up In
holy horror and shout we can't allow them
10 cut up Main street with another track,
and It would ruin property on South street.
These people should just ask themselves
il they ever knew Of any property being de-
preeiSted in value by having a street car
line on the street, either in its front or
roar. The writer OF this article is doing
business at 3 point on Main street
where be has car tracks all around him,
and does not feel that their being there IS
any injury TO his business but On the con-
trary is q benefit. And the fact or draw
ing the trade Of population OF thirty
thousand people 10 the city for the Friyl-
lege Of using aoont two miles OF the Guys
streets, is VIC vthy Of verJ crave consider
alton before being turned dOwn 1t is also
unwise to load the new company Own
with binding clauses To try and rJcompeuse
for the looseress displayed in tn grant
10 tho old company. 1t is perfectly
right for Council to protect the city's IN
terest that is what we elect them for), but
thew can do Just as mucn injury 0y oelnR
overly zealous in this matter as by being
TOO liberal. This now road will employ
about seventv-hve men 10 different capacl-
ties and tho salary list every week will be
from 81, 500 to $l,S00, a great per cent. oil
which will be spent in Wheeling directly,
and the remainder will come indirectly
through the merchants OF the ad-
Joining towns. The question OF go
ing down Main and through Eleventh
street seems 10 be q bone OF CO. tention.
This could probably be overcome by one OF
two other routes which are both possible
and practicable. and one Of them already
been sanctioned as better than the Elev-
enth street route by one of the company,
and that is east on Main TO the west side OF
the market house and down that street 70
Eleventh, it being q feet wide from curo
10 curb. and Eleventh is only 81 feet wide
between curbs This is the route spoken
! of above as being deemed preferable oy
one of the officials Of the company. The
other route is to buy the property on tue
north side Of the alley, opposite
the new bridge, and running
through TO Market street and go
through that way. II the price
asked for the property is considered too
high il can be condemned and opened up
as a street the company and the city shar-
ing equally in its cost, this being done
on the part of the company IN considera,
ton of the franchise over the route named
in its grant for thirty or thirty-hve years.
There are no good reasons why the com
panv should be refused grant entirely
while the reasons in its favor are all good
and numerous.
The gentlemen of the new company that
! are in its old company low operating IN
this city have shown that they desire to do
business fairly, and that when they tell US
we will have a frst-class road in all re-
spects they are deserving Of confidence.
Gentlemen of the Council by all means
do not make the restrictions on the new
company prohibitory. Deal fairly and io-
orally. / think they viii make them
selves congenial. IL