Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-05-12
FRANCHISE is GRANTED
Some Changes Made BY Commit
tees Of the Council.
BOND OF $4,000 is REQUIRED
Trolley Line Proposition Considered
at a Meeting Tuesday Night
Changes That Were Made.

Inc members OF the street. huu
finance commuters of the city council.
to whom were referred the franchise
for a street railway asked Of the coun-
Gil by the syndicate represented by
Col. James +. Thompson aud Col.
Smart w. Walker, held a meeting
Tuesday night, when the provisions
Of the franchise were carefully consid-
cred. 1t was decided to recommend
the franchise TO the council, and a
special meeting has been called for to-
night to pass upon the matter.
Several minor changes were made.
in the franchise by the committee.
In the original franchise the promoters
agreed to pay to the city one-half Of
one per cent. of the net earnings for
the first FIVE years, and 500 additional
thereafter during the | fe Of the frau
chise. This was changed by the COM
mittees to read Free OF cost for
the first five years and $3.50 per year
thereafter. !"
Another change was made in the
width of the paving to be maintained
by the trolley people. The original
franchise stated that the street car
people would maintain the street be-
tween the rails and Is inches on either
side, a total distance OF Z feet ;
inches. Tn was changed to a total
Of Q feet by the committees.
The most important provisions in
serted in the franchise bv the commit
tees were the time limit fixed for be-
ginning and completing the work.
the widening OF Moler Avenue bv the
promoters, aud the forfeiting of the
right to n street named in the fran
chise on which tracks are not laid
within a certain time.
The committees agreed that the
work OF construction must he COM
menced within one year from the date
the franchise is granted. that at least
onermile Of track must be constructed
within the citv limits within IS
months, and thar the whole work in
the city must he completed within
two years. The right. to use any of
the streets named in the franchise
will be forfeited if tracks are not laid
an sucn streets within two years.
The franchise provides that the COM
pany shall have the use of Moler
avenue. bur as this is a very narrow
street the committees decided that it
should be widened al the expense Of
the street people. in the event it
was decided to use it.
While the provisions eXscted by the
france and street committees are
greater and more rigid thar those
under which neighbor'ng trolley svs-
TENS lave been built, particularly in
Washington eouuty, the members Of
the council feel that the utmost pro-
lection should be thrown about the
rights of tn city. and that the project
is such a promising one for the pro-
meters tsat they can 8fFord to be more
liberal with thu city than companies
in other places have teen. II the line
is constructed according 20 the plans
proposed, and there is no reason to
believe 1t will not b.. it will mean
much in a material way 10 Martins
burg, as the line Will rap one of tile
richest sections in the eastern part of
the state, and make it tttbutory to
this city
THE FRANCHISE GRANTED.
At the spec al meeting of the ci y
council Wednesday night, the frau
enise for the str ct railway was re.
ceived fr N the finance and sire I
committees, the members OF which re-
ported the m tier favorable. An ad-
ditiOnal amendm MT. calling for a
bond of $40, 900 70 the faithful perform
ance of the provisions of tn co tract
was passed, afte which the franchise
was adopted BY the codn"l
There was not a dissenting vot
among the members prese t. as the
councilmen were favo' able the pro
Ject under the condition that me pro-
visions of the franchise b. carried
into feet hv the promoters. This is
regarded as a long step toward the
realization of the desir If the people
OF MartinsburR for an uu.ro-date troll
ley syst. m. and 4 is ~nntieently PR
dicted that with u a couple of " ars
this whole sycrIcn of territor, will b
linked by a system That will do muoh
for the material advancement o. tta
section covered, and Martinsburg in
particular.
wAen seen, Colonel Thompson