The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-18
HAS NOT PAID THE MONEY.
The Macon and Dublin Fails to Meet
the Condition for the Extension of


the Condition for the Extension of
Its Grant.
The Macon. Dublin and Savannah rail-
road has evidently decided not to build
to Savannah, for the present at least.
thereby abandoning the franchises and
privileges granted it here and for which
it has paid 5000 into the city treasury
This is to be regretted, but if the back
ers OF the road cannot see their way clear
TO complete it, it cannot be helped The
Macon, Dublin and Savannah first made
a request for terminal facilities upon the
city in the spring of 1892. The financial
hackers of the enterprise, a party Of Chi
cago business men, stated that they had
already invested considerable money in
the road from Macon TO Dublin and were
DESTROYS of completing it to Savannah,
and would do So provided proper induce
ments were offered them here. They did
not ask the people of Savannah to invest
any money in their enterprise All they
wanted they said, was desirable terminal
facilities.
The gentlemen were evidently sincere,
and council dealt literally with them. Lots
81, IS and 50, Springfield plantation, and
the large lot lying to the north of these
three lots were granted to the company,
together with rights Of way into the city
along Olive, West Boundary, and Bay
streets and also along Twelfth street. The
conditions, in which these rights and fran
chises were granted were the payment Of
$3.50 into the city treasury and the COM
pletion of fifty miles of road from Savan-
nah within six months from the date of
the grant.
The company demonstrated that it was
in earnest by paying the amount stated,
but no work was done during the year,
and at the expiration of the
time an extension was applied
for. AS the representatives of the
company made a good showing of their
ability and their intention to carry out
their contract, an extension of two years
was granted, but the right to use Olive,
West Boundary and Bay streets was
withdrawn.
With 1888 came the panic, however, max
ing it impossible for the company to float
its bonds in Chicago and Michigan, as
had been intended, and work was deferred
from time to time to await the return Of
confidence in moneyed circles. 1t is hard
ly necessary to state that this return of
confidence was very slow, If indeed 1t has
ever returned, and the expiration of the
extension in the spring of 1895 found the
company with still nothing done here.
The Atlantic Short Line Company want
ed the same terminal property, but after a
consideration Of the matter by council the
grant was continued to the Macon. Dublin
and Savannah for one year. conditioned,
on the payment OF another 1850, which
was paid. Still another year passed and
nothing had been done. The company had
paid 5000 into the city treasury for which
it had gotten nothing except the pleasure
of holding sort OF an option on some val
liable property.
An earnest petition for a continuance of
two years more was made, but council
seemed inclined to think that the COM
pany never really expected to build here.
The continuance was granted, however,
with the condition that the company
should pay another 81, 500 into the city
treasury within four months from June
8, the date Of the adoption of the ordi-
nance. This condition was opposed by the
company, but was insisted upon by coun-
Gil The time allowed for the payment of
the money expired Oct. 8, so that the
railroad company no longer has a legal
right to the lands west of the city.
1t is not unlikely that some effort will
be made to have council grant a further
extension of time In which to make this
payment or to remove the condition. alto
gether, but nothing has been done on this
line as yet, so far as is known.