The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-02
COMMISSIONERS ARE FIRM.
They Put In Clause That Certai
Amount OF Work Must Be Done
BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF MAY
Declare That They Have Been Fooled Too
OFTEN on the Construction or Lack
OF Construction of Roads
Going to Take Franchise
From Others.


A committee of three headed by A. e.
Townsend, representing the Barberton,
Doylestown and Massillon electric rail-
way company, held conference with
the county commissioners and Prosecu-
tor Day Thursday morning with refer
ence to the securing Of a franchise for
/, the proposed electric line. The commit
Stee presented q franchise which they
asked the commissioners to consider
favorably. 1t provides that the line of
the railway shall come down from
Clinton on the Fulton and Massillon road
and enter Canal Fulton. Passing
through this place it will follow the
Canal Fulton and Massillon road to
Massillon and come in on Erie street.
Then the road will go out West Main
street and take off UP the Massillon
and Wooster road to West Brookfield
and East Greenville continuing on to
Doylestown after it leaves the county
line.
The franchise asked for provides for
a single track railway with poles and
switches and all necessary appurten-
nances. 1t is to be built to the grade
of the road and the tracks will not be
permitted to stick up several inches
above the ground as in the Canton Mas
sillon line. Where cuts are made in the
road it is to be done at the expense
of the street car company and six inches
of gravel or stone must be put on the
surface of the road. Cars are to be
run from 6 o'clock in the morning till
10 o'clock at night at least once an
hour. The company may equip the road
with any kind of power excepting
steam Passengers, freight baggage,
farm produce, express and mail is to be
carried. The franchise is to run for rs
2 [y,en',tsSS.; Nothing is mentioned about the
= rate of fare to be charged by the com
pany.
A To this franchise the commissioners
!, added two articles as follows: First,
. that the company must begin work by
Z the first of May on the construction of
the road and by September must haye
expended $4,000 on the line into Massil-
Ion from the north and another 800, 900
on the line leaving MassilIon for the
west. Otherwise the franchise to be-
come void. Second, the company to pay
to the county $25 mile as rental fee
each year for the use of the roadbed.
The committee kicked on the $25 a
mile proposition and the prosecutor
seemed inclined to yield on that point
but the commissioners held to the idea
with nnnciHara hIn nj ify no
question is still open. The $25 was to
be used in keeping up the road so that
it will be good for travel.
Upon the proposition Of compelling
the company to go to work at once the
commissioners were all outspoken.
They said they did not want any more
fooling about building railroads. Two
of the best raods in the county had been
tied up by companies and not stroke
of work done and they did not propose
TO have such a thing happen again.
Furthermore, the prosecutor was in
+. formed that they wantel him to come in
Nabout next week and start proceedings
10 take the franchises from both the
old companies. One of them has fran
SilDC w LObu IOtu W iAhTOU anQ Tile
other one to Alliance. The commission
ers say they will take both franchises
from them for not building the roads.
Concerning the present contemplated
line the commissioners passed a reso-
luton that before they would do any
thing they wanted the county surveyor
taken over the road and wanted hin,
to report the width of road and all
about the plan Of procedure. The COM
mittee agreed and it was decided that
thu start should be made over the roul
Thursday afternoon. The conference
then adjourned to meet next Monday
morning when the surveyor will have
his report.
Mr.. Townsend said that the road
would be financed in Chicago. They
have been out among the farmers all
week getting the right of way signed
and he reports that nearly all have
signed.