The Greeley tribune., 1906-07-05
The Proposed Street Railway
Editor The Tribune:
Mr. Satiricus Curries Short Horse.

Editor The Tribune:
notice that my friend Camtield
is about to apply for franchise for
a street railway in Greeley; probably
will have applied for it before this
criticism of its provisions gets into
print. Very few people have seen
the already printed ordinance which
Daniel will, presumably, seek to
have the council pass. l have, and
am therefore able to review it. 1t
has been said that "a short horse Is
soon curried." This is short horse
with very long tail. l propose to
curry the horse, and the city council
in order to evade the state law
against docking the noble equine
beast should at once cut oil this
creatures tail Immediately behind
its ears.
Daniel desires what is known as
as blanket franchise, covering
pretty much all the known streets
and avenues of the city, and several
others with which as thoroughfares
our people are not yet familiar; and
he wants it to cover period Of fifty
years. The ordinance as printed
would give him five years after its
passage in which to commence" the
construction of his power plant, and
If he has laid and is operating = miles
of track at the expiration of that
time he can hold all the streets and
avenues named in his franchise
against all comers of later date
without stringing another wire or
placing an additional rail for a
period Of twenty years.
/ said the proposed franchise will
cover pretty much all the streets
and avenues of the city; that is to
say, all that Daniel thinks he needs
as promoter, or would need as
actual ultimate owner and operator.
OF course, only every other street or
avenue is actually required; and so
with singular astuteness my friend
Daniel has planned his network of
tracks in such manner as to omit
Tenth avenue. When we reflect
that Daniels fine residence is To-
Gated upon that avenue we are at
once led to observe that still another
'iDaniel has come to judgement.
Such Is the nature of Daniels S
modest request. in nutshell. And
now in the days when the people are
fully awake to the value Of all fran
chises looking to the use Of streets
and alleys by corporations in the
operation of public utilities. what
does he offer us for the privileges
asked? Absolutely nothing this side
the grave for a large majority Of our
present Inhabitants. Thirty years
after the passage of the ordinance
Daniels heirs or successors in trust
would be compelled by its terms to
pay into the city treasury two hund-
red and fifty dollars per mile of track
i annually for the use thereafter Of the
streets and avenues they had been
using without cost to themselves for
nearly third of a century.
1t is true that pending the con-
struction and operation of his road
Daniel has promised as sort of
sop or bait to the animals he is
coaxing along the labyrinths of his
scheme that he will place upon our
streets some passenger auto cars and
will run them for our convenience
and the few nickels he can pick up
meantime to pay for his gas and
wear and tear. But I notice moth
ing of the kind is mentioned in the
ordinance he is proposing to have the
council pass in his behalf: neither
in the things he may do, nor among
the things he must do, under his
bond of forfeiture. And when we
consider that up to this date even a
train service hack has never paid
any proprietor for any considerable
time in Greeley we can at once see
how extremely improbable it is that
Mr.. Camfeld or anyone else will for
any length of time do anything OF
the kind.
OF course we are are now suffering
for want of street railway. We
are always suffering for the want OF
something. / remember when we
thought we were suffering for the
want of town clock ana were con-
siderably agitated because we had
none. That was when we built our
first school building in Greeley, and
you will observe that the space left
for it in the tower is still vacant. 1t
is true that some people do need a
street railway now. 1t is also true
that one could not possibly pay for
several years to come. Then Is it
good business sense for us to tie our