Evening journal., 1897-04-13
OF GREAT PUBLIC ADVANTAGE

ROAD IN FACT-TWO HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS ALREADY
INVESTED AND MORE IN SIGHT,
TO BE IMMEDIATELY EXPEND-
ED If THE LEGISLATURE WILL
PERMIT IT.
The people Of New Castle county are
vitally interested in the success Of the
New Castle and Wilmington Electric
Railway Company, which has come
into Delaware and located a rural cleo
trio system Of railway between this
city and New Castle and which asks
for the privilege Of extending its lines
northward through Wilmington to con
meet with the Pennsylvania electric line
at ClaymOnt, and southwark through
Delaware City to Smyrna. If the Leg
islature grants the amendments which
1t asks for, it viii complete and oper-
ate its line from ClaymOnt TO Delaware
City during the present year, and dur
| ing the ensuing year extend the route
from Delaware City to Smyrna.
The original charter of the company
authorizes it to carry freight as well a.
| passengers, and when the line is com
pleted it will be in position to handle
any kind of freight offered by the farm
ers along its line.
The people Of the state realize what a
great benefit such a line would be tC
them, but to secure those benefits every
public-spirited citizen should by wCrL
of mouth or letter urge the members o.
, the Legislature to grant the reasonable
requests Of the company.
At present five miles and over O.
road is completed and in operation
and the capital invested amounts {,
something over 100000. 1t will bene-
nit the people because it will add t.
their facilities for travel, and the com.
: petition will reduce both freight am
passenger tolls to a minimum.
The company is net new in Delaware
1t is not a stranger coming to the Del
aware Legislature asking for some
ching for nothing. 1t is one of the in.
stitutions Of Delaware. IL has a larg,
G sum Of money already invested here
and the public must believe that it ha.
4 some claim upon Delaware for an ex
r tension of its rights and privileges
I which are at present incomplete and in.
+ adequate.
The railway does not intend to an
. wiUhin this state, and its officials thinl
e that if the extension is granted and th'
: line put in operation from Smyrna t,
: the Pennsylvania line it would be
/. benefit instead Of a detriment to thu
railway lines that are now opposing j,
Il It would be especially great bench
Z to Wilmington 2 he store-keepels c
d all kinds would be benefited by tn
traffic brought by it from the norA
: and from the south The Commissic
!, merchants would benefit by the in
Is creased opportunity to secure the pro
duce Of the farmers within the rang
q If its line beth On the south a5 we
u as from BIandywine hundred and tn
S, adjoining counties in Pennsylvania
, There Is no reason why Wilmingtcl
IS should not draw largely from the Penn
q sylvania counties that would be con
q nected with this city by the propose
= electric system.
,e Such a system must be had down tn.
II Peninsula, and as this company is al
N ready here, and has a plant already es
le tablished, with power sufficient 10 ru
Z, its cars from Delaware City to tn
" Pennsylvania line, it is the natural an
" cnly probable builder CT any such lin
~ at this time.
This company's charter was procure
four years ago, and at that time sever.
pr responsible men living in this city, an
also others living in New Castle wei
interested in the enterprise, recognii
- ing the great good CT such line frol
r Wilmington to New Castle and viciI
p ity and also believing that it would
a., a paying investment If a liberal fran
in chise could be secured. Unfortunate
OF the opposition prevailed upon the Con
os mittee, on Private Corporations
nv amend the bill to such an extent as
n. prevent the capitalists from putin
their money into it. For this reaso
nothing was done until after the legi
lative session CT 1895, at which certa
,iv amendments were granted which maj
or the charter more valuable, but not
iu' liberal in it's provisions as it shou
have been. At this time the men WI
are now interested in the corporate
%, furnished the money for its promotio
IL believing that if they put the line
si operation Notwithstanding the restri
lions placed upon them by the Gener
Assembly, and showed their good TAI
!, to the people of Delaware by investil
their money. that the law-making bot
would not hesitate at any time in q
- future to give them the opportunity
extending their line to the advanta
of their system, and to the benefit
the state at large Believing this, tn
@. did not hesitate to build plant pr
o'' vided with power sufficient to run 70
times the present length OF line e
e. pecting. as above stated, that the
n would be no difficulty in extending t
10 line either north or south upon apple
tion to the Legislature. And now tn
,s they have shown their good faith
the patronage already secured provl
Il not only a feasible, but necessa
railway system, they are greatly 81
-. prised that there should be any hesi
: tion on the part Of the General Asse
bly, to give them an opportunity to
tend the lines in the directions they
now asking for.
To be sure, the people in the low
= counties have no immediate and dir
interest in the line with the termir
at Smyrna, but it is the intention
this company to continue its line do
the length of the state for the purp'
Of reaching the peach belt and sec