Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-01


About Seven Hundred Subscribed
nthe Spot - The Business in De-
tail.
The people of the Island appear to be
determined TO keep the ferry boat
Charleston on running, if it takes the
last cent the Garden Spot folks are able
to raise.
The Ferry Company has gotten into
pretty deep water, financially, Of late,
and hence The call for the meeting of
stockholders last night, but the people
appear to be as fully determined to keep
up their end Of the fight as they were
at the outset and proposition to drop
the boat and transfer their patronage
to the bridges was voted down in the
proportion OF about twenty to one.
Later, after mature consideration Of
the financial situation, it was resolved
by a like overwhelming vote TO raise
five thousand dollars, to pay off all the
present indebtedness and start the
calls being made for an earnest of this
determination, several gentlemen sub
scribed sums ranging from one hun
dred dollars each down to fifty, and a
total of something like seven hundred
dollars was subscribed in about five
minutes. A committee of twelve, di-
v,ded into four subcommittee Of three
each, was appointed to secure further
subscriptions to-day, and the meeting
Will convene again tonight, at which
a report from this committee will be
submitted, and further necessary steps
taken. The overwhelming sentiment
appears to be that the ferry must be
kept going at all hazards, the debt
lifted. and matters put on a permanent
business bass.
The meeting was convened in a va
cant store room in the Myers block, at
South Penn and Virginia streets, and
was called to order by DR.. E. c. Myers,
upon whose motion Hon. J. b. SOmmer-
Vile took the chair. Secretary Mccoy,
OF the Ferry Company, kept tab on the
business.
Chairman Sommerville made a short
address on taking his seat, saying,
among other things:
There has been so much discussion,
lately of the questions pertaining to
the Ferry Company, that l am almost
warranted in taking it for granted that
everybody knows the purpose of this
meeting. The Board Of Directors have
been trying TO keep the boat running.
All ho al,
they can no longer do 50 without assist
ance. There is an old debt of $4,000,
secured by individual notes, about
which YOU all know. On top of that
there is another debt, footing up. with
the cost of necessary repairs, which
must be made if the boat is to continue
to run, to something like $4,000 more.
Something must be done, or the boat
will be stopped tomorrow. The Board
can do nothing more. The members
OF the Board have already obligated
themselves far beyond what they
should have done, and a limit has been
reached.
A Vo.ce-Has the boat been making
any money at all since the last arrange
ment? / understand it did at first.
The Chair believe not.
A VOice-Has the Secretary a report?
Let US hear it.
The Chair regret to say that nc
formal and detailed report has been
made out.
The Secretary-SOme time ago a meet
ing was called to assemble on the ferry
float and a complete statement was
made out. Very few of the stockhold
ers attended, and the report was not
read. The report tonight would be
virtually what it was then.
The Chair am informed that from
the first of the present year the boat
ran little ahead of expenses. .up to
The beginning Of the past month. when
there was a falling off. One cause of
the drop was lack Of business arising
out Oh the smallpox scare over the
river. Now business is picking ND.
and the receipts are increasing again.
A Noice-If there is no report. we are
hardly ready for a meeting, are we?
Dr. Myers-We can make a very
plain statement. When the present
Board OF Directors took hold there was
a debt of $4,000. That was provided
for by nOtes-thirty of them, for S10O
each. None of them have been paid
as yet Besides that there was an
overcheck in bank amounting on an
average TO $1,000. Sometimes it ran
as low as $500 and then it would run
up to over $1,000, depending upon the
amount of bills paid. The boat was
just about meeting running expenses
without paying off any of the old in
debtedness. Then, a month or so ago.
the receipts dropped off. We expected
TO get some of the Fair business. but
were disappointed, and the smallpox
scare hurt us. The result is there is
no decrease in the debt. The $4,000 is
all right but there is the overcheck
and other items making up something
like 81 500 in all-it may be something
more than that l think that is all the
statement which is necessary. | want
to add that 1 will not occupy my posi-
ton another day unless something is
done. The debt must be paid, and if
it is not l Will step out and the boat
will be tied up tomorrow. The chief
trouble is that a large number of Island
people keep going over the bridges. and
yet expect the boat to be kept running.
The people don't appear to appreciate
the situation. The people of the ISL
and are as deeply bound, in honor, to
pay the debt represented by the notes
as are the gentlemen who have put
their names to paper. for the debt has
been incurred in their behalf, and the
Board of Directors have been forced