The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-18
Will Be
ACCEPTED
STREET RAILWAY FRANCHISE Is
ACCEPTABLE TO GRANTEES.
INTERVIEW WITH Mr.. LEECH
BOND WILL Be FURNISHED.
Surveying Will Begin within Few Weeks.
Materials on Way.

When the council passed the
electric street franchise the great
question was, will the company
accept it, will they furnish the re-
quired bond and get busy?"
These questions are now an
swered in the following interview
with Mr.. S. Howard Leech, of the
firm of Wells, Bohart & Leech who
represented the company before
the council.
Mr.. Leech will the street rail-
way be built2" asked the reporter.
In reply TO this and other questions,
| Mr.. Leech said
"The Chickasha Electric Street
Railway will be built. We realize
that many of the citizens of the
city have been very skeptical Of
the proposition, believing evident
/ ly that it would be difficult to
interest the necessary capital to
build and equip a modern street
railway in a city of this class.
These gkeptics have failed to realize
the future possibilities of this city
to the extent we believe they
should be appreciated. This street
railway movement was put on foot
by men vino have made exhaus-
tive researches into the conditions
of street car lines at other points.
We believe Chickssha is so situated
as to make such a system entirely
practicable. 1t is not expected, Of
course, that the system will pay
much dividends short of four or
FIVE years but the men who are
promoting this work are looking
to the future for their profits and
realizing that the time was near at
hand when a street railway would
be Installed here they simply took
advantage Of the opportunity as
they would take advantage of any
other conditions which were ripe
for a good financial investment.
"There has been at no time any
question with the promoters as to
putting in the line provided the
council would grant a fair and
reasonable franchise. The COM
pany is on the whole satisfied with
the grant although they felt they
should have been accorded more
consideration on one or two points
Nevertheless rather than delay the
matter longer the charter will be
accepted. The franchise is one
that certainly protects every IN
terest of the city and, as I have
said, in the main fair to the COM
pany.
Relative to the road being built
we desire to say we held a con
ference with Mr.. Wright and Mr..
Clay, the foreign associates of the
company in Oklahoma City yes
terday when the details of the be-
ginning of the work were arranged.
The bond for S., 600 to be given to
the city will be prepared and sub
mitted to the council at any early
date and all preliminary work
will be arranged as rapidly as
possible, consistent with the best
interests of the company and the
city.
We will at once make arrange
ments for a large warehouse where
supplies can be stored as they are
shipped. We have already secured
seven or eight miles of high grade
rails and four modern cars for use
here and this material will be
shipped at some time in the nesI
future. The necessary ties and
other material will be purchased as
soon as possible and shipments will
all be made to Chickasha as fast as
the material is bought.
THE streets over which the first
tracks will be laid will be selected
and the preliminary surveying done
within the next few weeks and the
entire work pushed to an early
completion. The people must not
expect however, for this road to be
built and equipped within two or