The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-01-21
CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

The City Council held regular
meeting at s o'clock last Wednesday
night.
Present-Mayor stuckey, Aldermen
Boyle, Chandler, Dick, Hurst,
Schwerin and W. Fl. Epperson. Alb
sent-Geo. F. Epperson and Finn.
MI. S. Fl. Edmunds, representing
Game Cock Lodge, Knights of Pyth-
/ las, stated that the lodge contemplates
] building Castle Hall and desires to
purchase for that purpose the vacant
| lot west of and adjoining No. 3 Hose
! Co. building on Liberty street. On
Alderman Dicks motion the request
was referred to the finance committee
for consideration.
DR.. Archie China appeared to re-
quest the privilege of connecting the
water pipes of the Hotel Sumter with
/ the terra Gotta drain in Mill street for
the purpose Of taking away bath tub
water and water from basins, but no
kitchen slops or offensive sewerage Of
any kind. He presented permit from
the City Board of Health to make the
connection. On motion Of Mr. Boyle
the request was referred to the Mayor
and four aldermen. Messers. Boyle,
Dick, Hurst and Schwerin were ap-
pointed.
A petition was presented by Mr.. E..
| C. Haynsworth from the business men
of the city requesting that the Ameri-
can Telephone and Telegraph Co. be
permitted to run its telephone line to
convenient station in the business
center of the city. Mr.. Haynsworth
stated that the company had been pre-
vented from running their line by
| the committee Of public works and
had therefore located their station at
Witherspoon Bros. & Co.'S factory, on
the main line, in order to comply
with the RETIREMENT that they put in
station.
Messrs. Chandler and Dick present
ed the following resolutions bearing
upon the subject:
l. Resolved, That permission be
granted the American Telephone and
| Telegraph Co. Of South Carolina to
erect upon the streets of Sumter,
within the next thirty days, tele-
phone line or long distance station
only; and that the construction of
said line be under the direction Of the
committee of public works.
2. Resolved further, That in grant
ing this privilege to the said Ameri-
can Telephone and Telegraph Co. Of
South Carolina the City Council of
Sumter reafirms it's purpose to re-
strict said company to long distance
line only. as originally agreed and IN
derstood at council meeting Of January
18th, 1902. And the privilege hereby
granted shall not be construed as CIV
ing any right to said company to erect
or operate local exchange.
8. Resolved further. That the 10
cation of the above mentioned long
distance line shall be at place agreed
upon by the committee of public
works and the representatives OF the
said American Telephone and Tele-
graph Co. of South Carolina.
4. Further resolved, That the ordi-
nance passed on 18th January 1902,
be amended so as to conform to these
resolutions.
5. Further resolved, That the said
ordinance be repealed in so far as is in
consistent with these resolutions.
Mr.. Boyle suggested that council
send for Marion Noise, ESQ.,, for his
advice in the matter and suggested the
repeal of the ordinance of January Is,
1902. Mr.. Noise was sent for and add
ed paragraphs and 5 to the foregoing
resolutions offered by Mr.. Chandler.
Mr.. Haynsworth stated that the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Co., would not consent to modification
of the ordinance of January l6, 1902 !;
not that they expect or desire to
operate an exchange IN competition
with the Sumter Telephone Co., but
for the reason that they may cesire to
serve patrons with individual lines,
and in that event the local feature is
important to them The company gives
such service to business men in other
cities and are not coming to Sumter
for the purpose of injuring anybody,
and hopes the matter may be adjusted
amicably in a manner satisfactory to
all concerned. Mr.. Haynsworth further
declared that he was not asking the
| privilege of operating local exchange
and could not do so consistently with
his previous representations and re-
quests. He thought there was no
foundation for the present agitation
as there is no purpose to put in local
exchange
Mr.. F. L. Beattys, Jr., the repre-
sentative of the American Telephone
and Telegraph Co., was accorded the
privileges of the floor. He asserted
| that the ordinance Of January l6, 1902
had been adopted and accepted in good
faith. The company had acted and
spent their money under its provisions
and they would not now accept any
change in its terms. The same
ordinance had been held by the courts
of several states to be binding con-
tract and cannot be repealed or
altered at will Of Council.
The resolutions were adopted; Nj.
Schwerin voting No. y
Mr.. H. HARDY, Jr., attorney, pre-
sented an ordinance and contract on
behalf of the Southern Bell Telephone
and Telegraph Co., which he urged
Council to adopt or reject.
DR.. S. G. Baker, president of the
Sumter Telephone Co., requested that
Council again hear petition presented
TO Council some weeks ago, whereby