The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1906-05-18
WILL FIGHT 1T OUT IN THE COURTS
Promoters of Whitman Electric Railway
Company Declare They Will Oppose
Councils Vacation of Franchise

10 ask the COlfax city council to an
nul the order vacating franchise grant
ed to the " hitman Electric Railway L
Power Go.
To appeal 10 the courts in the event Of
the failure OF the city council to recon-
slider the action annulling the franchise
and giving the local capitalists the right
OF way out OF COlfaX for the electric line
Promoters ana stockholders of the
Whitman Electric Railway 4 Power Com
pany declare theV will fight through the
supreme court, il necessary, the action of
the city council abrOgating the franchise
granting a right of way out of the city
of COlfax for the local electric railway.
The claim is made that the stock holders
have been subjected to persecution, black
mail and all sorts of hOId-up schemes
1t is also affirmed that the company
planning the Whitman Electric road has
been subjected to more than legal
persecution in carrying out the proposed
enterprise
Last week the city council, on motion,
annUlied the franchise of the Whitman
Electric Railway 4 Power Company. The
excuse given was that the company had
failed to live up 10 the conditions accom-
paDying the application and grant for
the franchise
LIZ is also asserted that the county
commissioners would take steps to
cancel the franchise granted through the
county.
Since then it has been shown that no
real proof has been given to show the
local company has failed in any of the
terms attached to the franchise cOnces-
sion.
l. 81 -
on the proposed line Of the Whitman
Electric Railway & Power Company,
Charles Stuart, secretary OF the com
pany, eaid:
1T is hardly probable that anyone
acquainted with the situation would
accuse Us Of attempting hold-up game
against the Spokane & Inland. But such
is the purport of all the news stories
published which, without prior knowl-
edge, it is not justifab be to continue in
the attacks upon our company.
Long before Wilbur Yearsley evolved
the scheme OF getting certain rights of
way, and before the Spokane & Inland
figured upon entering this territory, we
had expended $ 600, for surveys We
have now three miles of actual grade
costing in the neighhOrhOOd of 1000
I'VE have twenty four miles Of right OF
way. With the exception Of quarter
OF a mile on the county road out Of Col
fax our right of way is private property,
owned either in deeds secured, or by
stockholders of this company.
Long before the Spokane ( Inland
was projected we had secured our right
Of way. The plan was to build the road
which would give to Colfax a valuable
tributary. Our plan was, and is, to ex-
tend the right of way down Spring flat
to PalOuse. There is branch to run to
Viola, Idaho. Another extension will be
to Pullman. Eventually there would be
an extension to the Snake river.
"We encountered opposition in Pull
man. The Pullman people told US they
had nothing in sympathy with Colfax
that no connection commercially between
Pullman and COlfax could be considered
They told us that ii we would build
line through the flats and running into
Pullman that they would give US all the
assistance in their power.
These are practically the same peO-
pie who later attempted to steal from us
our right Of way. The Pullman com
mittee went to farmers who were stock
holders in our company and asked them
for right Of way paraleiing our line.
Those farmers told them they would not