The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-10
GOuLDs AFTER
RIVER ISLANDS
Mayor, Alarmed by Report, Calls
on City Attorney to
Investigate.
AS TO RIpAR!AN RIGHTS
Should Suggest Care in Choosing
Superintendent, He
Says.
AS TO RIPARIAN RIGHTS

Alarmed by reports of activity on
the part of agents of the ld-Wil-
liams Electric Railway interests, in
purchasing Islands in the upper james
River between the old and the new
pumphouses. Mayor Mccarthy has re-
ouested city Attorney Pollard to as
certain definitely the legal and ripa-
rian rights of the city, and to recon-
mend what steps IL any, are neces-
sary TO protect the city's water power
al both pumping stations
The islands affected by the present
transfer are the first two below the
Belt Line bridge. and are almost d.
rectly opposite the new pumphouse.
Cedar Island the larger of the two,
contains seven acres of arabic wood
land: the smaller. Fish Island contains
one and one-half acres of rocky sur
face The two. formerly known as
Moran's Islands. were put up for sale
under an order OF the Henrco Circuit
Court In the distribution of some prop
erty, Mr.. ~ w. Bowe being one of the
commissioners.
Upset Bid offered.
The property was sold at auction by
A. J. Chewing 6 Co, and bought In
by Arden Howell, an attorney at law.
acting as agent for parties unknown.
AT the tlIne II was freely
by those attending the sale that Mr..
Howell represented interests closely
Identified with the Virginia Passenger
and Power Company. a rumor which so
far as Is known was not denied. on
Saturday. Mr.. James T. Sloan. real
estate dealer and Spectator offered an
upset bid to the Eenrco Court offer
ing 10 per cent. more than the bid of
Mr. Howell which was S1.345. The
= oil
When asked last night whether this
purchase was being made in behalf Of
the electrical syndicate here. Mr. VIII
liam Northrop, personal representative
OF Mr.. Frank ]. Gould in Richmond,
said that he could not state positively,
and that he had no direct knowledge of
the matter.
Mr. Northrop said further that he did
not know Mr.. Howell and could not
state that he was not acting in the
Gould interests. Mr.. Northrop added
that il had long been the policy OF the
Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works.
located on Belle Isle. and owned prin-
cipally by the Goulds, to acquire the
small islands above Belle Isle when
ever they were offered for sale on
reasonable terms. This was done IN
order TO strengthen the riparian rights
OF the owners, and to insure a con-
servation of the water power in the
interests of the Belle Isle plant, and of
the Gould electrical works lower down
the river
Mayor Watching IT.
Discussing the matter last night
Mayor Mccarthy said that he had asket
the City Attorney to investigate tn
sale in question, with particular refer
ence to the riparian rights which E,
with the islands, and that if 1t were
shown that the transfer of the Island
would in any way endanger the powe
at the pumping stations, he would a
once take steps to have the sale Sc
aside and the islands condemned by tbs
city
The Mayor stated that some months
ago, in a public speech. he called at
tention 10 the danger of allowing pri
waite corporations to secure II mo-
nopoly of the water power rights ii
the James River. and that shortly af
~ ter the publication of that speech MI
H. j. Gould made an offer to sci
Belle Isle, with its rights, to the city
at something less than it had cost
Since the sale would carry with 1t tn
large plant of the Old Dominion Iro
and Nail Works, for which the cit
had no use the offer was never con
sidered seriously. Continuing tn
Mayor saia' that it had long bee
the .des!se. ,"of the electrica
interests operating at Richmond L
secure control of the water rights o
the old pump house and that man
offers in different forms had been mad
Tor this pump house.
Must BE Careful.
When the Williams interests mad
proposal 10 the city to supply it wit
Swift Ia,
field county, as substitute TO the city
plan of erecting a settling basin" dc
clared the Mayor. THE first nroyisio
Of the Swift Creek agreement was tina
the city should turn over to the Swift
Creek company the Old Pump-Hous,
to be changed into an electrical pumr
Ing and power station. And latel
they have been telling us that whe
the settling basin is finished we wi
not need the Old Pump-House an
had best dispose of it at auction, MOI
withstanding the fact that Superir
tendent Boiling has repeatedly state
that the New Pump-House alone coui
not pump sufficient water for the usu
demands of the city"
In the opinion of the Mayor, whic
he did not hesitate to state, the 'ev
dent desire" of the electrical corpor
ton controlled by the Goulds to mono
olIEt lHe water power OIL the Jam
River only illustrates the tremendo
importance TO the city of selecting
suitable man for Superintendent
the Water Department to succeed n
Boiling.
I'VE should have man who will
faithful to the city's interests. al
who will look out for the rights of t
city. and not one who is too friend
TO these corporations, whose business
is to loow out for Themselves" he d
clared,
No Danger, Boiling Says.
City Engineer Boiling, for twent,
ave wears Superintendent of the Wat
Department who knows James Riv
like hook, said last night that he d
not think the riparian rights Of d
city could be assaileG, although wi
the constantly Increasing demands f
pumping purposes, ana the posslbili
of a municipal electric plant, the .ci
should conserve all its water pow
rights 10 the utmost and If necessaI
acquire other rights whenever tn,
are available. When the city bui
the old pumphouse, Mr. Boiling sai
h the water front and riChts ,vera ~,