Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-06-23

Territory East OF tho City, MAN. y
Over an Effort to Get a Five Cent
Fare 10 Elm Grove, rom the City.
The Afternoon Session Was
Short-Furvher Consideration De-
ferrsd Until Thursday Of Next
Week-The Route Along the Pike.
The Board of Commissioners met in
special session. yesterday morning, at
ten o'clock. for the purpose Of consid-
ering the Wheeling and Elm Grove or
dinance. All the members were pres
ent at roll call except Mr.. Fritz, who
came in later.
As a preliminary, however, the mat
ter of the controversy over the board
walk. between the County Commission
ers and the town of Elm Grove, was
taken up. On the question of whether
additional counsel should be procured.
Mr.. SpeideI discouraged a law suit over
the matter, saying that he would much
rather see the matter amicably settled.
On the other hand, Mr.. Glass thought
there should be a test case, and have
the matter settled right. that both the
county and The town might know their
rights.
After some further discussion the
matter was LAID aside without action,
and the Elm Grove railway ordinance
was taken up and read a first time,
quite a large audience Of interested
gentlemen being present
At the conclusion of the first read
ing. the chair said it would be proper
TO hear remonstrauces or petitions for
or AGAINST the measure, before the sec
ond reading.
In response to that Mr.. Burgett pre-
sented a petition, drawn at time when
the Wheeling and Suburban Companies
were still before Council, and contain
ing. among others. a number Of general
provisions either of no present effect.
in view of the changed situation, or
which have been otherwise removed,
and c,her comments Of a fair nature,
as was the whole tenor Of the papers.
There were no other petitions, and in
response to an invitation by President
McGregor, addressed TO all persons pres
ent. there was no reply, and Mr. Rus
sell. for the Company, then said the
petition read. which was substantially
the same as one read before, was a
very fair one. and in saying that for
the petition. he asked the signers to
the petition to also give the Company
credit for being fair. Proceeding, he
said the Company proposed TO make a
large. important and valuable improve
ment in this county. 1t was a business
enterprise. and regarding it as such,
the Company had attempted to look up
on both sides Of the question, and to
provide a great public benefit with some
assurance Of ultimate, if not immediate
return. Mr.. Russell then proceeded to
analyze the ordinance as TO its leading
features. commenting upon and explain
ing them as he went along On the
point OF apparent encroachment on
the pike. Mr. Russell took a diagram
prepared by Engineer Gilmore Brown,
showing the actual travelled portion Of
the middle Of the pike at present, the
actual unused space on each side Of it,,
and the condition as it would be after
the proposed ordinance had been COM
Piled with, the result giving more act
ual road surface, because the pike
could be driven on right up to the
railroad rail. on ground not now avail
able because of the rounding surface
near the sides Of the pike, and its be-
ing encountered with stone and grass,
etc. He thought the engineer had eN-
Srcis-d the utmost care.
On the phase Of the petition asking
for a fve-cent fare from any point on
che line to any other point. Mr.. Rus
sell said a large amount Of money. at
least $4,000 would De required to
make the proposed Improvement and
this being so, the fare had been put
as low as possible when it was made
at the schedule embraced in the ordi-
nsnce-5c from any point in Wheel
ing TO Wheeling Park. and vice versa;
SC from Stack Yard Hollow 10 Elm
Grove. and vice versa, and 15c for a
round trip from Elm Grove to Wheel
ing. or vice versa. with an added pro-
vision for free transportation to holders
Of round trip tickets over so much of
the electric line from Elm Grove to
Triadelphia as lays within the corpo-
rate limits of Elm Grove. That was
the very best the Company could do
and make any money at all. The
schedule in the ordinance would thus
enable a passenger TO ride from the
Stamm House TO the further limits OF
Elm Grove and back 20 the Stamm
sTouse. for Is cents. which was entirely
reasonable and wholly fair.
Proceeding on this question Of fare,
Sir. Russell hsid ne often heard people
who wanted a ive-ceut fare TO Elm
Grove say: why. in town we can ride
from the Ton mill 20 the middle of Ben