The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-17
RETURNS TOO SMALL
Mr.. Brooks Says For Wichita
to Get Such Franchises
AS LARGER CITIES GET
Proposition to be Made by
J. O. Burdette of Boston.

New offers to build new street line
| in Wichita continue to come in and 1t Is
probable that by the time OF the next
council meeting there will be at beast
half a dozen in addition to the offer of
Mr.. Scott Mr.. C. H. Brooks, attorney
for Mr.. Scott's interests In Wichita, was
asked yesterday IL he thought Mr.. Scott
would accept the proposition as amend
ed by the council Monday night.
SCI do not know" he answered. att is
conceded by. every gentleman who Is &C
quainted with the situation that an in
vestment required to put in such a sys-
tenn of street railway as Wichita wants
will not yield any return for at least five
years. Mr.. Scott does not expect to get
anything out of It for i've years. We
have had a very poor service here for
years. People have bought rigs and
I wheels TIL nearly everybody has some
way Of getting about without depending
on the street cars. So that they do not
use the cars except in cases of extreme
hot or cold weather or very wet weather.
It will take years of good street car serv-
ice to educate the public into a use Of
the cars again. Wichita cannot expect
to get favorable franchise here such
as larger cities get when there is q
heavy business and immediate profits,
for capitalists cannot see enough in 1t
to warrant the risk. I do not know
whether Mr.. Scott will accept the fran
chise or not. The council put in consid-
cradle dead line, and Mr.. Scott may quit
altogether now, though I don't know q
thing about his intentions"
The following is a rough draft of q
franchise proposed by J. o. Burdette Of
Boston. 1t will be offered subject to
amendment by the council, and Mr.. Bur-
dette proposes to accept any reasonable
amendments.
An ordinance authorizing Joseph o. Bur-
dett, Of the town Of bingham, state OF
Massachusetts,, his successors or as
signs, to construct operate and main
tain lines Of double or single track
electric railway. furnish light and power
along the streets and alleys and ave-
nues In the city OF Wichita and to fur
nish light and power to the citizens Of
said city.
Be 1t ordained by the mayor and council
of the city Of Wichita:
Section /. That Joseph o. Burdett, his
successors and assigns, be, and the same
are, hereby authorized, empowered and
granted the right to construct, operate
and maintain an electric railway. either
single or double track, upon and along
the streets. alleys and avenues Of the
city Of Wichita, Kansas, except as here
inafter provided: Provided, however. that
said Joseph o. Burdett, his successors
and assigns, constructs, operates and
maintains all the lines OF street railway
in conformity to the provisions herein
after specified, and shall at all times be
subject to all reasonable regulation
which may hereafter be required by or
dinance. The franchise and rights here
by granted to said Joseph o. Burdett,
his successors and assigns, shall continue
for a period of twenty years from the
date of the acceptance of the provisions
of this ordinance by said Joseph o. Bur-
dett, his successors and assigns, which
acceptance shall be within thirty days
from the publication of this ordinance
and shall be filed with the city clerk of
the city of Wichita
Sec. 2. The said Joseph o. Burdett
shall, within thirty days from the ac-
ceptance Of this ordinance, enter upon
and actively begin the construction and
building Of street railway system'in the
city OF Wichita, as hereinafter provided,
and shall prosecute such construction
and building diligently to completion,
and shall have the same fully completed,
equipped and in operation on or before
the first day Of -. The construction
of said street railway shall include all
the necessary switches and turnouts, and
the equipment shall include the furnish
ing and the operation OF not less than
twelve new. modern and first class cars,
heated with electricity, and not less than
twelve new, modern and first class open
cars. The closed cars to be operated dur
ing the cold season and the open cars
to be operated during the warm season.
Double track shall be constructed and op-
Grated on the streets in the city of wich-
tia where double tracks are now ana
have been operated by the Wichita Flee
trio Railway and Light company: Pro-
vided. however. that no rights to said
Joseph o. Burdett are granted to con-
struct a street railway on either of the
following described streets in the said
city, to-wit: Emporia avenue. Lawrence
avenue. Waco avenue and University
avenue.
Sec. 3. The said Joseph o. Burdett IS
hereby granted the right to erect and
maintain poles and lines necessary to be
used in the construction and operation OF
said electric street railway system upon
the streets, avenues and alleys Of said
city aforementioned, for the purpose OF
prupelling the cars of the said railway
by electricity. and is hereby granted the
right to erect and maintain poles and