The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-29
BIRNEY M'NECHEN'S COUP.

The Wheeling Man Shows Fairmont
People a Thing or TwO-A Street
Railway Started Between Two
Days-Two Wheeling Companies
Fighting.
Birney X. McNIechen and County En-
gineer Robert Hazlett returned from
Fairmont last night, after the former
had worked coup that added 100 per
cent to the speed of the Marion county
town-a coup that would have excited
the envy of the Third Napoleon had
that unfortunate descendant Of the
Little Corporal been alive. It's not a
long story, but there's meat in every
line.
Some time ago. Mr. McMechen and
certain associates bought the FalrmOnt
electric light plant. Likewise, they nc-
quIred franchise for building street
railway through the streets Of the city.
The Wheeling man proceeded to organ
ize his company. and was making great
progress when he learned. to his sur
prise and stupefaction, that through
someone's fault the street railway fran
chise had been allowed to lapse by de-
fault, and that another syndicate in
which were the Sands and other Wheel
ing people. had secured a new street
railway franchise from the FaIrmont
council. The average man would have
come to terms with the newcomers. but
McMechen wasn't built that way. Cast
ing his eye over the legal directory. he
picked out Johnny Howard, and soon
the pair were htetng themselves to the
Marion county metropolis. More work.
ing OF the wires, and Mr.. Howard was
found making an eloquent plea
before the FaIrmont council for
Client McAIecheR. who had Invested
his money IN an electric light plant only
for the purpose OF running street
railway in connection" The eloqpence
and persuasive powers OF the Willy How
ard were given full play, and Is It sur
prising that the FalrmOnt council sue
cumbed? In a jiffy, another franchise
had been voted to McMecher and his
assocIates-over the same streets as
that granted the Sands combination.
Here was peculiar situation, and
Mr.. McMechen came to the conclusion
that the company first getting Its
tracks laid would have what the specu-
latlve fraternity call "clnch." Call
ing in hts friend HRZlatt, who has an
eye for sights, the entepprIsing Nc
Mechen got over to FalrmOnt again,
and began pulling the wires at u great
rate. In some way, that reminds one 81
Aladdin and his wonderful lamp, some
seventy or eighty Italians gathered on
the bridge near SINNERS tavern, We'd
nesdRy night. and Just as the midnight
hour was rung in and Fairmont was
Thoroughly asleep, the "dagoss" gave
yell and started up the street or a run.
Reaching the street where the track
was to be laid, the laborers began a
merry "rat-tat-tat" with pick and sho-
vel on the brick paving, and soon the
Fairmonters were tumbiing out OF bed
and assembling to witness this strange
scene in real life, staring in open
mouthed wonder at McNIechen and
Hazlstt and their savage horde, and
rapidly reaching the conclusion that
their town was dend-sure 20 have
street railway system ir the not distant
future.
Strange to say. none of the opposition
company people got wind Of this mid
night incurslon upon their franchise
bound preserves.
Five O'clock found the track located in
the disputed district the brick paving
neatly piled, and the street in nearly US
good condition as the night before. AT
o'clock, the opposition folks break
tasted upon the dlsagreenble and indi-
gestible situation that confronted them,
and for dessert INDUCED In injunction
talk, but there was no judge at hand.
and so far nothing in the legal line has
been attempted.
The McMechcn road will run from
Fairmont to Monongah, distance Of
six miles, and in the immediate future
It is expected to extend in the other di-
rection to another mining suburb, Mon
tana.