The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-04

It is seldom that a council committee
meeting has excited as much interest
among the business public as that of the
committees on streets, alleys and grades
and on railroads, which met last night in
the FIRST branch council chamber aS .
Joint committee, to consider the petitions
OF the Wheeling & Elm Grove Railway
Company and the Suburban Electric
Railway Company for franchises TO oper-
ate electric street railways in the ea1tern
part OF the city, which 1t Is proposed
would extend on out the pike to the Sev-
eral suburban communities.
The surprise Of the meeting was the
appearance hf n third applicant Nfor q
franchise. over a route that is IN many
respects the same as those wanted by the
Suburban and Wheeling & Elm Grove
companies. This applicant was the
Wheeling Railway Company. which y
desirous Of running a line from It's city
system out through the East End TO the
Peninsular cemetery.
The ordinances framed by the Wheel
ing & Elm Grove and Suburban COM
panies were read and certain amend
ments offered. Among other amend
ments, Mr.. Russell, for the Wheeling q
Elm Grove company. offered one BY
which the city would receive twenty-five
per cent OF the net earnings OF the COM
pany, after the stockholders had been
paid a five per cent dividend.
Mr.. SommerVille, for the Suburban
company. stated that his company would
agree 10 give to the city percentage OF
It's gross earnings, proposition that
would make It assured that the city
would receive a considerable sum for the
granting OF the franchise.
From this It will be seen that the day
Of free franchises in Wheeling appears -
be nearing Its end.
Chairman Connolly, OF the joint COM
mittee on streets alleys and grades and
railroads, presided. Clerk O'Brien call
ed the roll, developing the presence oe
the following members OF the two COM
mittees: Messrs, Eesbltt, Ebellng, Nc
Fadden, HaZlett, Otto. Higgins, Hahne,
KnOke, Horkheimer. MeETRil Schmidt.
McLure. In the lobby were many we'll
known citizens, including Messrs. Paul
o. Reymann, J. q. SOmmerVille, =.
Randolph Xix, City Engineer White,
William Erslfine, A. r. Campbell, James
p. Maxwell. Henry N. Russell. Gilmore
Brown. General Manager WriEht,oi the
Wheeling Railway Company, DR.. 3. A.
Hiidreth, Henry BaeF. Colonel Thomas
O'Brlen. F. C. Caldwell. william Baird.
Senator y. f. Whitaker. c. II. FriEsoll.
N. A. Chew and others.
The petition OF the Wheeling & Elm
Grove Railway Company already print
ed. was read by Committee Clerk
O'Brien. A gradual change from steam
20 ola r1f fa gNpnFTNiHnH and
tended line is outlined, In case council
grants the franchise. The route Is from
the present terminus at Sixteenth and
ChapIIne streets, down Sixteenth and
South Streets. to Water, to Twelfth, etc,
and out the Peninsula to a junction
with the present line Electricity will
be used on the new line. A double track
on Sixteenth and other streets Is also
asked, as It is proposed to run both
steam and electric lines for a time. An
ordinance In accordance with the petl-
tion was presented and read by the
clerk. The document was OF great
length and over half an hour was occtl-
pied in its reading.
Mr.. McLure. understanding there are
amendments to the ordinance WANTED,
he moved that the representative Of the
Wheeling & Elm Grove Railway Conn
pany be given the floor to explain.
Mr.. Hahne preferred TO have the petit
tions OF the Suburban and Wheeltng
companies investigated first,
Mr.. Mcclure did not favor having the
petition OF the Wheeling company heard
now, as it has not yet been referred to
the committee by council. in fact Il has
not yet been presented IN council.
Mr.. Ebellng wanted the Elm Grove
matter laid aside until the petition OF
the Suburban company Is heard This
course was pursued and the petition Of
the Suburban company's petition was
taken UP.
Miss Caroline Knote. property own
or on Eoft street, near Fifteenth streeI.
objected to the construction OF a street
railway near her property.
At this point there was further dis
cussion regarding the reading of the
Suburban company's petition. Finally q
motion 60 hear this company's petition
was passed. by a vote OF 10 to :, MeSsrs.
Megrail and knoke voting no.
The petition and ordinance were then
read. a franchise over the following
strets Coal, Market. Eleventh, ,Chapline,
Fifteenth. McCulloch, Baker, Peninsular
road. to corporation line at Fulton.
Cars to be running within hfteen
months Electrical power TO be used,
Guage 10 be flve feet two inches; only
u IlNf NtNk AATE W AN NlleAA HNAs ANO
clal tax to be levied on the company by
the city. The capital stock, however. 70
be subject to taxation. The top Of rail-
to be on level with the street pHving.
The company TO keep the paving With
In It's tracks IN good condition.
Mr. Ebellng wanted the petition OF
the Wheeling Railway company read.
Chairman Connolly did not think Il
proper to have this communication
read. as council has not had It before
u, but, being addressed to the commit
tee. Il was read. It's text Is as folloWs;
To the committee OF the council OF tho
city OF Wheeling on railroads. and the
committee on streets. alleys aud grades,
acting as n Joint committee:
Gentlemen:-The board OF directors OF
the Wheeling Railway Company, at y
meeting held on Saturday, May ], 1887.
decided to apply TO the council OF the
city for the right to make an East
wheeling extension to It's road; and. Inc
asmuch as certain street railway peti-
tl0ns and ordinances, which arc OF IN
tcrest TO the public. rs well as the
wheeling Railway Company, have been
referred 20 your Joint committee. We
deem II advisable to at once apprise you
OF this action Of the Wheeling Railway
Company, IN order that your committee
may he able so consider the same. and
act for the best interests OF the people
OF the city.
We regret that e has been impossible
to prepare draft Of an ordinance Ia
time 10 submit ~ TO your meeting TO
be held to-day. bot we herein aive an
outline ot what will be asked by couns
ell
Tho Wheeling Railway Company will
,sk fnr tho right To prumptly construct
an electric street railway line, to be
operated In connection with lts present
line, as follows: