Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-01-30
ELECTRIC ROAD FIGHT.
THE BATTLE FOR THE RIGHT OF
WAY is GETTING HOTTER.

Charters, Applications and Yards of Le-
gal Documents Are Presented to Free
lands Counci1-A Great Struggle for
Possession of the Borough Streets.
That Freeland has good thing which
Is wanted very much by some one else
was demonstrated at special meeting
of the borough council on Friday even
ing, when the representatives of the
two electric road companies pleaded
hard for the right of way through the
town. That the borough has a council
which will guard well the interests of the
citizens was also shown by the refusal
of the members to act hastily in grant
ing such valuable franchise without
giving the matter good consideration
and placing upon the company that wins
such restrictions as will be of advantage
to the town.
All the members of council were pres
ent at the meeting. which was called to
discuss the the applications. The Union
Passenger Street Railway Company pro-
cured its charter at Harrisburg on Thurs
day afternoon, and this was shown by
ID. j. Mccarthy, together with the arti-
cles of association. G. Il. Bedford, of
Wilkes Barre, presented the articles of
association of the Hazleton and North
Side Street Railway Company, the char
ter for which Was granted September H.
1892.
The capital stock of the Union is placed
at $4,000, and the charter provides
for the building of three miles of track
in Foster township and Freeland bor-
ough. The directors are II. +. Sweeney,
Drifton, president; G.. w. Whiteman,
w. IL. Jessup jr., treasurer; f. w.
Bleckley, II. E. Hand, all of Scranton.
Each of the above own seventy-two
shares of stock.
The North Sides capital stock is $751;
600 divided into 1900 shares at $50 each
1t is to build twelve and one-half miles
of track in Halle and Foster townships,
Freeland borough and Hazleton. Its
lncorporators are as follows, with the
number of shares each have taken:
Alvin Markle, president, Hazleton, 700;
7. j. Ferguson, Shenandoah, 800; A. p.
Blakeslee, Delano, 800; N. G.. Yost, Haz-
Teton, treasurer, 100, and G. w. Kline,
Hazleton, 100.
President Dooris asked the representa-
tiyes of both companies if they had any
thing to say. Mr.. Whiteman, of Scran-
ton, stated that the parties comprising
the Union were engaged in building elec-
trio railways number Of years and un-
derstood the business thoroughly. They
came here in good faith to build road
and would guarantee it to be equipped
as well as any road in the country.
He called attention to the railway sys-
= TEN in Cleveland, o., owned by Al.
johnson, and promised this would be as
nearly similar to that as they could make
it. 1t would be a local enterprise in
every sense of the word, as the plant
would be here, Freeland capital could be
invested in it and this town would be
the centre Of the system. They would
begin operations as soon as the ground is
soft, and would complete the line in two
or three months, providing there was no
delay in procuring cars, etc. The Union
would also form a company to furnish
electric light here.
MIR. Bedford, of Wilkes Barre, stated
that the North Side would give Freeland
capital all the chance it wanted to invest.
He thought they should be given the
right of way, as they asked for it first.
The Unions application at the last meet
ing was void because they had no char
ter back of it. They are ready to build
through the borough as soon as the priv-
lege Is granted, and their sincerity is
shown by the material that is on the
ground now near the borough limits.
They intend to build a system of twenty
miles, while their opponents have only
three. On this side they will make
Freeland the central point, and bring
the cars from our suburbs here before
going to Hazleton. The North Side will
give employment to more Freeland labor
than the Union ever can, and the coun-
Gil might as well let them run through
the borough as to come to the limits at
Centre and South streets. They intend
to build that far whether the council
grants any further privilege or not, un-
less the Union can prevent them. I'm
til the question of who has the right in
Foster is settled Mr.. Bedford thought it
would be useless to grant anything to the
Union, as they could not go outside the
borough.
d. j. Mccarthy said he did not believe
in this town playing second fiddle to
Hazleton while we have company
here that will work solely for Freeland $
interest. He produced the right of
way through Foster, signed by the su-
pervisors on the Sd inst, granting that
to Ii. Il. Sweeney for the Union. The
North Side since then obtained the
supervisors signature to right OF way
petition, but no men could give away
thing twice, and as the Union has first
claim in Foster they will fight 1t in the
\ courts as soon as the North Side men put
pick in the ground. One of the abest
lawyers in the state, he said, guaranteed
the validity of the Unions right. The
material here now was brought to make
an effect upon the council, as it was or
dered for use in Hazleton. He said the
North Side would not give us the accom-
mondation that the Union will, but
would endeavor to make Freeland su-
burb of Hazleton and try to take our
trade away. We have ten trains a day
to Hazleton, and that is sufficient with
out an electric road. He asked the
council to look to Freeland's interest
first, as both companies were here only
to make money out of the town. The
Hazleton people are making lots of nice
promises, but these would be easily
broken if they are not put down on pa.
NOR and stoned