Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-04
A NIGHT WASTED IN WORDS.
Council Spent Three Solid Hours in
Wrangling,

Sfooo AuAVV AV1Au A4ouAo 49,
Wrangling,
And Adjourned at Eleven O'clock
Without Having Accomplished
Anything = A Beautiful Ill-Na-
tured Time Over the Wheeling
Railway Ordinance-Everything
Figured in the Debate" Except
Religion and the Spanish War
council met in special session, last
evening, for the consideration of OIL
dlnances, and they had holy and hot
time OF it, particularly in the Second
Branch, where no one would agree to
anything or with anybody on the prin-
cipal business of the evening-the
IIsland franchise asked Cor by the
Wheeling Railway Company. AS a
result of three hours talk, nothing
whatever was accomplished. But once
or twice there were decided indications
OF trouble of personal nature.
At the opening there were nine mem
bers of the First Branch in their
seats and nineteen of the Second, with
Mayor Butts and President Chew both
present.
In the First Branch business was
begun with the ordinance granting to
]. S. Butts and William Fisher the
right to erect steps on the north SIDE
of Sixteenth street, in front of resi-
dences now in course OF erection, and
in the first instance a protest was
filed by Fred Happy, through John A.
Howard, his counsel, calling attention
to the fact that the obstruction Of the
sidewalks was wrong in principle, and
if such a right was given to che IL
dividual, every other had an equal right
TO a share of a street The protest re-
ceived but scant courtesy, and the
Butts ordinance was put on its passage,
the ayes being and the noes 4, and
the Fisher measure, OF like tenor, fol-
lowed with the same result, and both
went over under the rules for another
majority vote. Later in the night,
however, Mr. Hazlett, who had voted
no, said he had done so under mis-
apprehension, and moved a recOnsid-
Grafton, which was had, and the
measures were both passed and sent 70
the Second Hranch. There the old
resolution requiring that all ordinances
must be printed and laid on the desks
of members, was invoked, and both Or
dinances were laid aside.
The big row of the night came IN
when the ordinance granting the Island
franchise to the Wheeling Railway
Company came up, the trouble all be-
ing in the Second Branch, however,
The ordinance came up in the First
Branch, and was read first time.
There was no objection, and the second
reading was proceeded with. No
amendment was offered during the
reading, but at the conclusion petit
ton asking Council to refuse the
franchise, and signed by a consider
able number of residents along South
Front and South Penn streets, was
read, the opposition alleging that no
good purpose would be served by such
railway, and putting further objection
on toll grounds, it being stated that II
the Railway Company suffered from aX-
cessive toll Island citizens have SUI
fered more" and further alleging tha1
no other city the size of Wheeling en-
acted such tolls from people living al
most in the heart of the city Mr..
Mcclure then presented a counter petit
ton, asking that the franchise be
granted. This petition was also
numerously signed, and opposite each
name was the amount of property own
ed by each, the total frontage en- the
streets included being 6,366 feet. The
ordinance was adopted by vote OF IL
ayes, no. the latter Capt. Otto.
In the Second Branch Mr.. Ali moved
to amend Sec l. by striking OUT
TWENTY-FIVE years as the term OF tie
franchise and inserting fifteen years.
1t was lost, ayes 10, noes ~.
In Sec. 2 Mr.. ALL moved to amend
by providing that on or before All
gust /, 1899, and each year thereafter
until 1922, the Company pay
into the city $500 per mile fer
each mile of track owned and
operated under the grant in question,
and limiting the Company to hve
cent fare on all of its lines within the
limits Of the city. Mr.. Ali spoke to
his amendment. saying the city mad
granted the Company franchise
worth a quarter of a million If II is
worth a cent and further, 81 under
stand this new line is for the benefit
of the State Fair Association and the
people on the south end of the Island.
While it is in the benefit business, we
ought to get something for the people
at large" He recited the recent bur
den laid on the Wheeling and Elm
Grove road, and thought there should
be the same course pursued in this case.
If one pays, another had an equal rignt