The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1904-07-26
MAT TER STILL
IN AbEyANCE
Nothing Doing in the Street Car
line. Matter to be
Disposed of
Later.

of discussing the matter OF grant
ing a franchise for a street ear
company in Columbus. At a
former meeting of the b o a r d
/ Messrs. G. T. Hurd, F. NJ. Alb
bott, L. J. O'Neill ct al presented
a petition asking franchise for
ninety nine years promising that
/ if granted this franchise they
would within the course of one
year erect a power house and in
stall and have in operation not
less than one mile of the road.
The council postponed action
in the matter until last night and
in the meantime it developed that
there were other individuals and
CORPORATIONS that had for some
time been considering the advis-
ability Of installing a street rail-
way system in Columbus and
some of these appeared at the
m ting Wednesday night as
bidders for the franchise.
1t was late when Mayor Gunter
called the meeting to order, and
after a short consultation the
secretary was requested to read
the different propositions from the
companies asking for the fran
chise. The first proposition TO be
read was from the Frederick
Brow Co., Of New Orleans,
which company proposed that in
case they were granted the fran
chise they would have the line in
operation within 210 days. This
company also stipulated that they
should be granted the privilege
of furnishing electric lights to
to such customers as they might
desire.
The second proposition was
from H. S. Dodenhorff and asso-
ciates, and was very similar to
the one from the + r q e ri k
Brown Co. only the Dodenhorff
c o ern guaranteed that if
granted the franchise they would
begin work within six months and
have the line completed within
two years. This company also
guaranteed to furnish separate
cars for white and colOred peo-
pie if so ordered by the city
council.
After the above propositions
had been read Col. T. }. O'Nein,
who was present, asked to be
permitted to read a proposition
which his people wished to sub
stitute for one presented at a for
mer meeting of the council. This
proposition was different from the
former one in that it proposed
that work begin on or b g or
Dec. %, 1904, and that at least
three miles of the road be COM
pleted, W hin one year from
above date. There were a num-
bes Of other differences in the
two propositions, only a forty
nine year franchise being asked
for in the last proposition.
Gen. +. t. Sykes, city attor-
ney, then addressed the meeting
and stated that the applications
as read were defective as they
asked too much on the part of
t city an d did no a
provide for the proper safeguards
and concessions on the part of
the petitioning companies. Capt
Sykes then stated several stipu-
lations that he thought should be
before any franchise is
granted Capt. Sykes claimed
also that the city had no right TO
grant an exclusive franchise to
any street car company or other
corporation as there is a State
law which forbids the granting of
exclusive franchises for any pur-
pose whatsoever. He further
advised that the city designate
the streets over which the line
shall run. After Capt. Sykes
had concluded his speech Col.
O'Neill and representatives of
other concerns present stated
that no exclusive franchise was
asked for, and that none asked
for franchise for longer period