The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-17
WILL DECLARE
A DIVIDEND
Employees of Street Car Co.,
Not Stockholders Get 1t,
WILL BUILD NEW LINES
Commodore Nelson Proposes
to Give Wichita All Night
Lights.

After the city council gave Commodore
Nelson another year of life for his gas
franchise last night he went over to the
street car Office and told a reporter for
the Eagle what the Wichita Railroad
and Light company proposed to do in
this city.
The first thing was to declare a divi-
dend, not for the stockholders of the
company, but for the benefit Of the men
Who operate the street railway and cleo
trio light plant. He had written letter
to George f. Duncan, of Portland, Maine
president of the company. suggesting
that they pay all the employees Of the
company in this city an extra five per
cent on their salaries from the first of
January to the first of July. He hand
ed the reporter Mr.. Duncans answer
approving the suggestion.
This will make about $500 that the en-
ployes win get as extra pay and each
one viii get from SO to $50 owing to the
time they have worked and the amount
commended this extra pay because the
people of this city had patronized the
Street Railway literally and the men in
the employ of the company had been
faithful in giving good service and avoid
ing accidents. He said Superintendent
Morrison was entitled to credit for this
and the men working under him were
entitled TO credit for faithfully carrying
out his Instructions and therefore the
whole force deserved credit for the good
management.
Mr.. Nelson said the employees of the
company would get this much more than
they had expected and he was going to
suggest that they start a bank account
with it If they did not already have one
Then he talked about what the company
proposed 10 90 this summer in the way
of improving the Street Railway. It in
cludes the putting down of new rails
on some Of the present lines.
He said the company had go tons o,
new steel rails at Fort Wayne which
would be shipped here at once. They
viii be used to replace the old rails on
the South Main street line from Lincoln
street to Harry street and on the West
Side from the Masonic Home to the
Friends University also 10 the Fair
mount line from First street to the Gem
etery. Some of the new rails viii be
used TO put in moro switches on the
West Side and Topeka avenue. after
which there win be a ten minute service
on that line.
The company VIII also build a new line
from Douglas avenue south. but on what
street has not been determined Tt was
learned from Commodore Nelson that the
company desires to build on Emporia
avenue. 1t IS Believed that a line on
South Emporia avenue would accommo-
date more people than on any other
street east Of Main. 1t was reported last
night that some Of the residents on that
street objected. but that may have been
merely a rumor. The people who live
on the streets where the lines are already
located would not like 10 have the line
moved and Mr.. Nelson thinks the people
on South Emporia avenue viii be the
same way after they sc, a good line on
that street
Councilman Burton suggested last
night that there was a demand for all
night lights and Comomdore Nelson was
asked 10 submit a proposition for all
night lights He said in answer 70 Mr..
Burton's suggestion that the city was
now paying his company sIs122 for le6
lights for year and that he would fur
nish zoo lights until O'Clock in the morn /
Ing for $l5.ooo Under the present ar
rangements be said the lights were kent
burning 2.254 hours in The year and rneer
his new offer they would he kept burning
s,SSi hours during the year and there
would be four more lights. on this pro- /
position he would ask for ten-year CON
tract
Mr.. Nelson told a reporter for the
Eagle last night that this last pronosi- J.
ton might cause some people to thinl,
they were making big money on their
present contract. but that was no, the
proper conclusion. lie said the ten-vesr
contract would run half AS long as thelr
street railway franchise and by havtnr
the ten-yoar contract Tor lighting even ~
much lower rate IL wouid make q bet
ter showing - investors. chief of Polio,
Frank Burt said the aI-nieht tights
would be 4 benefit 10 the people for an
the hurglaries in the city are committed