The evening world., 1894-10-05
A MERRY FERRY WAR.
Rumor Says that CAROLS Backers
Have Grown Timid.
And that Lawyer Boardman's Claim
Is the Cause Of II.
Carroll Declares He VIII Execute
the Lease in Due Time.

The intense rivalry, to put 1t mildly,
which exists between the Staten Island
Rapid Transit Company and Howard
Carroll. has greatly interested the 10000
residents of Staten Island, who journey
daily to New York to do business.
This army OF twenty thousand has sue
ceeded in interesting at least five times
as many New Workers in the subject,
which has been discussed with more or
less animation since MIR. Carroll bid in
the ferry franchise.
AS result of such discussion there
have cropped to the surface all sorts
of rumors concerning the good faith
of one or both parties to the transac-
ton.
A rumor which has found some ere
dence and is of considerable interest, Is
to the effect that the Staten Island
Rapid Transit Company has felt conf
dent of a monopoly of the ferry fran
chise all along and did not mean to be
lured into competitive bidding with
Howard Carroll or any one else.
An incident in confirmation of this
rumor is the sale of Communication tick
cts by the Company for the month Of
| October, after the Company had lost
its legal right to run boats. as the fran
chise had become the property Of MIR.
Carroll.
1t is now said that Mr.. Carroll had a
number of wealthy men partly pledged
to join him in the ferry scheme and that
they were about to bind themselves by
paying in the necessary money to make
a pool for the operation Of the ferry
and the building of a competing railroad
on Staten Island, If necessary.
These men. II is asserted. were scared
off by the announcement Of Lawyer
Boardman. that the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad had the right to land it's pas.
sengers in New York, under the Genera
Railroad act
Mr.. Carroll, Corporation Counsel Clark
and Comptroller Fitch deny that the b
and o. has this right, but all conced,
that there Is something in the claim
which requires looking into. That, 1t Is
said, was enough to scare off capital
lists.
Comptroller Fitch asked Mr.. Board
man and General Supt. Cannon yester.
day not to act hastily. He intimated
that Mr.. Carroll would execute the lease
next Monday. and that IL he failed to dc
head.
In view OF the fact that the stock o.
the Rapid Transit Company Is not OF
the market. although there are thos,
who say 1t can be purchased for fifteer
cents on the dollar, and that 1t pays lit
tie or no dividend. 1t would appear diff
cult to interest capital in the building o
an opposition line. However. the who'll
affair is in allegiance until next Monday
at least.
When Howard Carroll was asked wha
he knew about the above rumor he said
| a.
sll. 900 as forfeit. and have spent thou
sands of dollars in addition theret,
WHICH no sane man would think Of ex
pending. By the express terms of tn
lease, we have fifteen days in which t
execute 1t, and no one ever heard Of an
ferry changing hands within thirty days
The Rapid Transit Company Is de
manding $4,000, according to the term
time permitted by the terms of the sal
and do not propose to be hurried. w
are not lawyers, but steamboat men, an
have to employ lawyers. 1t is thes
| lawyers we are now waiting upon"