The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-24
'bESSEMER CITY
 COUNCIL MEETS Lively Session Takes Place on
 City Affairs ROAD MUST MAKE SHOWING Tidewater Development Go. Has Been Granted Franchise, But Citizens
 Believe the Company Is
 Ready to Sell Out.
ROAD MUST MAKE SHOWING

Bessemer, August 23-(Special. )-The city council met this evening in ad- journed session and there were a good many matters of importance to come up before the body.
 After the reading of the minutes of the last meeting, the regular order of business was suspended and complaints and petitions were listened to.
 Among the first was a petition from the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic rail road, requesting that the city allow them the use of twelve additional feet on the north side of Fourteenth street.
 The road originally purchased 100 feet and the city gave them fifty feet It was found after the construction of the road had commenced that this would not be sufficient for the needs and for that reason the additional twelve feet was asked for. It was pointed out to the council by Maj. Thomas T. Huey. or counsel for the road, that this par ticular part of the street is not very much used and for that reason he did not think that the city would object to allowing the road to use the twelve feet asked for.
 TOA0 will go ahead with the work.
 Alderman Lewis brought up the sub ject of the franchise granted the Tide water Development company on Septem- Der 4, 1906.
 TideWater Road.
 He stated that at the time the fran chse was granted the company promised 10 have the work of constructing a road from Gadsden to Tuscaloosa, via Besse, mer started within twelve months, and ID to date nothing had been done on it. When this question came up before the council nearly year ago, the promoters were very anxious that the franch hise should be granted, and after making all sorts of promises, In which it was set forth in glowing terms as to how it would rebound to the interest of the city the franchise was granted, and that seems to be about all there is to it. It has been noted that the capital stock of the com pany has been increased within the past few days, and opinions have been ex- pressed that the company Is simply get ting ready to sell out.
 The city of Bessemer does not feel dis posed to act as q dividend clearer, and unless the building of the road is started by September next, the franchise is nall and void.
 This was put in the shape of a motion and was carried with a rush.
 petition was heard from H. w. Sweet regarding the filling in of some property that he had purchased, and intended building on. Business was so brief that his wishes were lost in the rush.
 The council came very near blowing up when Alderman Lewis announced that he was informed that there was a cltl- zen of Bessemer who carried in stock nearly ton and a half of dynamite. He stated that if anything happened to this mans store, and if it should happen to catch fire that 1t would end for all time the dream of Greater Bessemer. He re- ferred to pr. Hurd and the matter was discussed at some length. The matter was referred to the judiciary committee
 New Gas Plant.
 w. H. Harrison, Jr., representing the new gas plant, was heard from and he asked that the council amend the fran chise granted to Messrs Gay, Danzler and Harrison, so that they could form cor poration and take into the company local stock holders.
 The city of Bessemer still retains the right to purchase the plant after its con- pletion if they deem it fit.
 The amendment was introduced by Gardner Goodwin, and was referred to the finance committee.
 B L Alexander, who owns a piece of property on Sixteenth street and Fairfax ayenpe. was heard from regarding the city's claim that his property extended out too far. MT. Aiiender claims that he purchased that amount of land from the