New-York tribune., 1906-05-19
PORT CHESTER co. WINS
RECEIVES IT'S FRANCHISE.
EDpects to Haze Road i1 Operation
an Three Years.

Railroad Company 60 obtain the right 20 cross
certain streets and avenues in The Bronx above
or below grade and TO construct and operate an
| electric railway from the Willis avenue bridge
to the city line ended in victory for the COM
! pany yesterday when the Board OF Estimats
and Apportionment granted the franchise. The
! company acquired franchises TO run it's railroad
! through eight towns in Westchester County
three years ago II is 20 be eight-track road.
having length OF twenty-five miles, with ter
minal at Port Chester. The route is to be en-
tirely on property owned by the company.
1t was in March, 1903, that the first app!ica-
ton of the company for the franchise in The
Bronx made to the Board of Aldermen. Fer
more than two years the Board OF Aldermen
held up the application. while the application Of
the New York Westchester & Boston Railway
Company for a franchise substantially the
same route was passed by the aldermen. 1t
not until the Legislature transferred to the
Board of Estimate and ApportiOnment the power
to grant such franchises and the Court Of APP
peals decided that the law constitutional
that the New York & Port Chester Railroad
Company could make headway with its applica-
ton, although it had acquired the greater part
of the property needed for it's route in The
Bronx
BY the terms Of the franchise granted yester-
day the company is to pay the city $1,000 a
year for the first five years $4,000 a year for
the next five years and $4,000 a year for the
next fifteen years, at the end Of which time the
company can get renewal Of the franchise for
another twenty-five years on a revauation. In
addition the company must pay Ave and four
tenths cents linear foot year for its trackage
in The Bronx for the first five years. seven
and seven-tenths cents foot for the next five
years and 20 cents foot for the rest Of the
time the franchise runs.
1t is provided also that the company must
deposit 100000 with the Controller as a guar
antee that it will spend at least 81, 100000 in
work on the railroad within five years. The
company binds itself also not TO sell or mortgage
it's property to another railway company. 1t is
bound to run not less than sixty trains daily in
each direction after the road is in operation.
and to give a fve-cenr fare within the city
limits
William c. Gotshall. president, promoter and
chief engineer OF the railroad said yesterday
that work on the road would begin in earnest
about August 1, and that the road would be in
operation within three years. Five contractors
are to have the task of building the road, each
contractor having a stretch of five miles to
cover The estimated cost OF the railroad and
its equipment is $19.50OOOO. To prevent strikes
and delays the contracts are TO contain the
provision that all men employed in construction
and other work are to have the recognized union
rate Of wages and an eight-hOur day.
Mr. Gotshan said yesterday that the com
pany had spent about $2,O0O,O00 in the acquire
ment Of real estate for right of way in The
Bronx and Westchester County, and would spend
as much more before completing its purchases.
Land on the waterfront at New Rochelle has
been acquired for power house, he said, as the
company felt inclined TO reward the people Of
New Rochelle by placing its power house there.
with its large number Of employees, because the
u. ANys
company in its long fight.
Asked who were the fnanciers OF the COM
pany, Mr. Gotshan named first Charles D. Bar
ney & Co. it's fiscal agents, and then said
that Edwin Gould. the Morris family, which
owns Morris Park c. D. Simpson John B. Nc
Donald and group of Pittsburg steel men were
also back of the enterprise. John B. Mcdonald.
who was the contractor for the subway, will
have a hand in directing the operations OF the
sub-contractors. Mr.. GotshaIl furnished a copy
of the following letter, which sent to MEM
bers of the Board Of Estimate by Charles D. |
Barney & Co. before the franchise was passed:
We beg to inform you that we have always
been and are now the fiscal agents of the New
York & Port Chester Railroad Company, and
that, representing others associated with US and
ourselves, we will provide all the funds which |
will be required for the construction and plac- |
ing in operation Of the New York & Port |
Chester Railroad. We further state that this |
construction will be commenced as soon as the |
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment adopts |
and the Mayor signs the franchise or permit |
for the crossing Of such streets which the Port |
Chester railroad route will cross in The Bronx |
AS the Port Chester railroad company now has |
all other permits franchises and legal rights |
required all of which have been confirmed by |
the Court Of Appeals the construction Of its |
railroad will be pushed to a rapid completion |
and the railroad and it's facilities placed at
the disposition Of the public as quickly as the |
best engineering and contracting talent and |
ample available funds complete its con- |
struction and put IL in operation.
Mr. Gotshall also announced yesterday that |
the syndicate to finance the Port Chester road |
is also planning 70 build branch line from |
New Rochelle TO White Plains A separate COM |
pany would be organized to apply for the fran |
chise for such a branch line, he said
The syndicate is also to be a bidder for the |
franchise for the proposed subway in Third |
avenue, in Manhattan, and in that connection |
Mr. Gotshall said yesterday:
We have estimated that the subway in Third
avenue, to extend to the Battery, will cost S32- |
100000. and that its equipment will cost S1S,- |
$4,000 in addition. We have been in cOrre- |
spondence on the subject with the Rapid Tran |
sit Commission for time, and we shall be /
ready to build the subway, equip It and operate |
1t on better terms, we think than be offered |
by other bidders. II is our plan 90 build the |
subway without having 1t cost the city a cent |
We could then have rapid transit line all the |
way from the Battery into Connecticut. Part OF |
the plan is to have n quick freight service by |
could deliver parcels in Westchester County and !
Connecticut within a few hours after the pur-
chases were made Express cars would be run |
on sidings at depots convenient TO the stores |
loaded in the daytime and sent over the line |
before the evening rush hour began.
n. Y. LIFE NAN II SUICIDE.