The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-29
MAYOR AND D.B.LESTER CLASH
EXCITING sCENB ~ COUNCIL On
ACCOUNT 90 = LETTER.


hallway Franchise. aud Indirectly
ReaectinE Upon His Motives, Read
nv Rrou~.t 90 the Mayor and an
.wered-ur. Lester Attempted q"
Repiy. hut Was Told 60 Put Whnt
he Had 60 say iu writfnE-He At
tempted 20 Hcnew the Matter with
che Maxor AFTER tho Meeting. hut
WAS Prevented-Pcrsonnl Dinlculty
seemed Imminent for Time.
The few who were in the secret thar
there was a sensation brewing for che
meeting o. Council lAst night ana who
were on hand a. the meeting were nor
disappointed The sensation was the las'
ihiHg o. the Bill bg, Sc came OF al r.ssf.
and 10 10 way was about the warmeFt
thing % the kind Council has hai for
come time.
the aldermen came QUE ~ tho Mayor's
room shortly before O'Clock ana dis
patched tho business before them il about
half an hour Clerk Of Council Bailey
had Just finished a formal reading 81 enc
tax ordinance for 1901 az nshtuins speed
and announced no further business before
the meeting when Mayor Myers stated
chat he had something which be- wished
10 bring 90 tho attention % Council as
matter % personal privilege. lie thor
handed 90 the clerk nnd had read letter
addressed 90 him as Mayor by Mr. j.. IS.
lester. ln which che latter referred 60
statements made az a recent caucus hy
the Mayor. ana also discussed the May
ors position with regard TO the petitions
Gor strccs railway franchises IN manner
which couh hardly be- construed other
wise tnan intended 20 ouend
At the meeting Of the Committee 81 The
whole week before last which was held
10 consider che petitions for street railway
franchises Mayor Myers made the state
ment that tne city wac under no obaEa-
tions - Air. Lester. as the latter bod a'-
tempted Co gouRe the city by demandlna
SIS 90 for about milo of che White Blun
road when Bull stree Ras extended sew
eral years ago This statement reacheI
Mr. Lester and aroused his Ire. Under
the stress 81 This provoaation be wrote
the better which Mayor MYERS had read
e. Couaci last uignt and also similar let-
GERS 20 three of thc aldermen.
The letter ln question reads as follows.
Savannah. Ca. Nov. a. 190-Hou.
Herman Myers Mayor. Ciry-pear Sir.
The aldermen with whom ] have talked
81 ffNt.NIlHf 90 int street franc AINN ff.tis
tion fully agree with mc. when say that
- should Doe settled one way or tho other
81 once. No personal feeiings should
play any part tn adjusting this matter.
Certain statements have been made ln
reference TO his affair that was intended
IL DO mo great injustice.
Some one has aatcd that ! have pre-
viously dealt harshly with enc city go CON
u.cilon with the extension or Bun street
some years ago. and that should be taken
into confederation Ia opposing this mat
ser.
Il has been charged that I tried 70 make
the city pay fabulous price for thar por-
ton ~ the road and that the road really
received $3.50. hut the party making chic
statement did nor say that Jury ~ ms
counfrymeu said that I should have that
amount and the Supreme Court OF ms
state said that the jury was right. hc
did nor Say that years Of litigation and
lawyer fees took great portion OF that
ho ga not say that "a good-eize two-storv
siN-room lathcd and plastercd
house cost quite sum. he
did noe explain that it took money
20 build barnes. stables. waRon-shcie
harness and tool-hou-e sinks wells. and
fence UP the riEht. of-way on each side
Of this now toll house FOR nearly hair a.
mile. h. did not explain that thc income
a. tho road was reduced nearly one-thiri
ard that while o. was right and proper b.
make the change. % was not prontahle
thing 60 the road
if n was necessary FOR this party Co.
have caliel attention 90 this matter nf
oll would e not have been fair upon hi-
tart 10 follow ia up with the oxplauation
5ust alluded to- 10 has also been stated
that this franchise was wanted solely FOR
speculative purposes. and suppose the
statement had reference go che probable
Fale OF one 81 Chatham county's toll roads
j. there a loyal citizen without some
selfish motives who would dare say, tnat
n such thing could be- brought about
that % would not he "a blessing to the
community at large?
notice chat you are very much In
favor Of the city selling rs franchise
now az the very highest price for cash
bat ] have heard nothing about your say
iuE that YOU were director TO- the larE r
street railroad monopoly OF this city. and
between your first term as Mayor 81 the
city and your present term, that
street railroad MONOPOLY stripped
Savannah che city you love so much now
Of the brightest iewcis she had So the
way Of franchises. without onerins "a
penny in return.
Mr. Collins, who was oo-diferiOr with
you IN that same railroad wants prnc-
ideally the same streets that am asking
for and Il strlkes me. that for fhe gem
eral welfare % the city and county 10
would uf the fAENt thluks TOT MI CONN
o. make inside tranic arrangements with
AIR Parsons 20 operate his cars inside the
city and for you as mayor Of Savannah
90 DO ul that you can for an enterprise
that viii add taxable property 20 our city
and give tabor 10 IDLE people
You know as well as / do that every
means OF transportation in and out OF the
city odds wealth and population. gives
eYtm labor 20 tho citizens and reduces
tho cost Of living therein
The delay lu ihls matter has been un-
necessary. and while ! ask no favors. I
do demand what Is Justly due me and ]
trust that YOU viii call Council together
at once and settle the matter. Very
respectfully. ID. - Lcstcr.
From the ouening paragraph n Mr. Les
tiers letter 90 would seem that there was
some personal feeling between himself
and Mayor Myers. IL will also he observ-
- chat he speaks % someone" having
shade the statement to which be- objects
sneteud OF charging ~ directly to The May
or himself letter almost Identical with
ahe one 20 the Mayor. except as 60 tne
opening paragraphs. 20 Alderman Horr-
Kan. was also read. II IS also understood
that letters were received by Alderman
Graham and farrell which were pracri-
Caly the same as the one 90 Alderman