New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-18

10 tNe ueople
J. y. Mcclellan. OF Mount Vernon. ana VIII
fam Peters and Mr. Randall OF The Bronx. fol-
lowed with short speeches against the applicant
con panv and in favor Of the Port Chester COM
Tany. Mr.. Randall asked for every one Fl favor
Of The Port Chester company 10 hold Up his
hands. Instantly nearly every hand IN the room
was raised.
GENERAL sICKLEs CALLS IT SCANDAL.
81 an here simply Is citizen OF this city and
anxious for the good name Of our Community"
said General sicles. Your honor has only to
glance at the newspapers OF this city to know
that tanning this resolution through the Board
o. Aldermen was a public scandal a respect
able and responsible company made aTphcatlon
for franchise eight or nine months ago. and
the Railroad Committee would not let the board
vote on che appIica ton Then this com
pany came along, and IN a twinkling the ap-
phcation was granted. The good name OF our
city demands that this resolution be vetoed
Every body knows why the Port Chester com
pany's application was Ignored Everybody
so hastily granted The air is fun OF the scaneai
This ended the arguments Of those opposed 20
the resolution.
President William 1. Bull % the New-York.
westchester and Boston was the first 70 take
the floor In support OF the resolution. He said
his company had no connection with any olher
company and It's only object was 10 build fodr
track road through The Bronx Eminent ccun-
sci he said. stood sTousof for the validity OF tne
companys charter. and the responsibility OF
those who were ready 10 finance the uIuer-
taking could lie easily esta blished.
Charles z. Hughes started In on twenty-five
minute speech by saving that he was glad 10
have fun and fair hearing. The merits o. de-
merits Of the Port Chester road were not uIceE
discussion he declared. He dehed any one 10
challenge the statement that the bankers oehlho
the Westchester and Boston Company were nor
fully responsible and ready with Sl3o91VoO 70
start building the road forthwith. He said that
TO establish the validity Of the company SA .,
ter beyond cavu his company had engaged the
services OF James @. Johnson and George ;.
Graham. OF Philadelphia, and William T. Horn-
blower. Of this city. and that they had reported
TO the bankers that the company hao right 10
20 ahead
T5is rornnanv's orer. he said. was hatfooted,
SQUARE ard tncontrovertibe. He admitted that
certain certificates had not been filed at the
orrs nfzatron Of the road IN 1872 but he asserted
that the remedial legislation put through the
state Legislature last year had mended any &C.
feet II that M ture He said that the law pro
vided that the votes % two-thirds Of the d.
rectors enabled the company TO change It's route
n desired.
"Our position has been that the assent OF the
CITY Is not necessary 20 the building Of our road,
but we desire 20 act with the city's assent, he
asserted
DON'T NEED CTTY's CONSENT, HE SAYS
10 you claim that you can 20 right ahead
and build this road without the city's CONSENT"
asked The Mayor blandly
YES. that Is our position under the law. but
we desire the city's assent" said Mr.. Hughes.
Then Why haven't you built itT' asked the
Mayor.
Mr.. Hughes repeated his statement that the
company did not wish 20 take the attitude that
the citys assent was not desired. The Mayor
pressed his question. and Mr.. Hughes repl Cd
by saying that Corporation Counsel Rives had
rendered opinion virtually saying that the
city's assent was not necessary under conditions
such as surrounded the applicant company
George s. Graham Of Philadelphia. represent
ing the financial interests back OF the West
chester and Boston company. said there was no
class OF people more umid about touching any
enterprise than the bankers.
We labored over this validity question. and
the unanimous ana conCurring opinion was that
we have perfectly good and valid charter.
said Mr. Graham. The receivers sale passed
title 20 nothing. The act OF the legislature last
year validated the charter and gave the COM
pany power 20 build the road"
The speaker read a letter from Dick & Robin
con. the bankers saying that Sl3.l25OOO was
ready for the building CT the road
no matter what poison has been poured out
for public consumption said MI Graham. this
company means business Every utterance con-
Meeting my name with Mr.. EIkins who Is dead,
or Mr.. Wldener or with Messrs Johnson and
Ioadley. Is absolutely and unqualihedly false.
our route can be changed 70 meet the eNiEencies
OF the occasion. The reason inquired for by
General 6ickles may be found IN the feet that
an oId fashioned Democratic Board OF Alder
men acts with greater celebrity than fusion
board"
This suggestion prompted q sort Of tired smile
an around. when Il was recalled that Little
Tim" sullivan dominated the old Railroad Com
mittee CT the aldermen just as he dominates the
Frederick johnson. Of The Bronx, said he was
not particular - hich company built the road 50
long as some road was built
Then came ex-Assistant District Attorney Os-
borne who said that he represented the farmers
Of Westchcster County.
II Investigated the Board OF Aldermen. and II
had been an alderman I would have done as
they did" said Mr.. Osborne. Then I went
down and investigated the bankers backing this
Mr. Osborne. Il want 20 tel you that they have
got the money. I know It because saw II II
they don't produce the money I pledge you my
word Of honor that VII 20 down there Win a
brass be nd and drive them out Of the city"
Then Mr. Osborne followed with his personal
attack on President Gotshan OF the Port Chester
road.
RIP WILL TRY AGAIN. OFFICIAL SAYS.
President Gotshan Of the Port Chester road. IN
referring last night to the Mayors objections to
the westchester ana Boston resolution. said
e The Port Chester company VIII cheerfully sub
NIT al Questions relating 10 compensation, mo-
tive power. artistic construction. bridges ana
their maintenance and kindred matters to a
commission named by the Mayor. and viii abide
by the decision OF Tia commission We oniy
ask what is fair and jest
The dragging in OF the name OF William r.
Bergholtz by ex-Assistant District Attorney Os-
borne reminded Berghoitz's friends last night
that he may have committed suicide on account
Of his troubles IN connection with the New
York WestChester and Boston company several
years ago. lie was lei out OF the Tombs on q
promise that he would paw over certain sum
20 MT Cotshall according TO q decree q the
court. When he did not do Il. after repeated
urgings, q Is said that Mr.. Gotshau threatened
10 Invoke the extremity OF the law. Mr.. Berg
hoitz left his Office afternoon at 3 o'clock in
apparently good health. An hour later he was
found dead. II was said al the time that heart
failure killed him.
u was said by an Official OF the New-York.
TVestchester and Boston company last night that
the company would have introduced IN the
Board Of Aldermen another resolution covering
al the points suggested IN the Mayors veto. and