The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-07-22
MAY NOT GET
FRANCHISE
IN TIME
Likely to Expire Before
it Reaches Hands of
Mr.. Eccles, Now on
the Way to Alaska

Whether the franchise granted the
Nevada Northern in Ely by the city
council recently will reach President
Eccles of the railroad in time for
him to make acceptance or rejec-
tion, as the case may be, and return
word to the city within the 80 day
limit, is a question.
Mr.. Eccles has been out of reach
of mail or wire for some days, on
board a steamer bound for Alaska.
where he will probably spend some
time looking over properties of the
Gugegnheim interests, including
mines and railroad enterprises of
which he has general direction. He
made start for Alaska prior to time
that the franchise ordinance was
passed, finally certified and delivered
to representatives of the railroad
here to be forwarded to him for con-
sideration.
Possibly the franchise is follow
ing him to Alaska, but more probably
is awaiting his return at his offices in
Seattle. In either event it is not
probable that it will reach his hands
in time to enable reply before the
date fixed for its expiration if not
accepted
Ii is not definitely known, of
course, what action Mr., Eccles would
take if the ordinance were in his
hands today and he was where he
could signify to the council his views
regarding it. However, his express
sions with regard to terms desired
in the franchise, and the well known
attitude OF Manager Cannon of the
Northern in this respect, leave small
room for doubt but that with the two
stopping places clause in the fran
chise as 1t now stands, Mr. Eccles
will decline to accept 1t for the road.
Mr. Cannon has been positive in his
objections to it on the two stop
ground and il is known through COM
munieation to council in advance of
passage of the present franchise that
Mr.. Eecles was also positively OPP
posed. Aside from the two stop
clause there does not appear to be
objection among the railroad people
to the franchise and with this elm
mated it is to be Judged from what
is known of their attitude that they
would make acceptance of it.
To the citizen there does not seem
TO be ground for halting at so trivial
matter in appearance as this two
stop clause. but from the standpoint
of the railroad men of the camp IL is
a very important item. These men.
entirely aside from the officials of the
road stand squarely against the two
stop and insist that were they di-
recting the management of the road
they would never consider accepting
franchise containing such COM
pulsory clause for term of 80
years. They point out that in two,
three, five or ten years there may
be changes in the center of popula-
tion and business in Ely proper which
would make it expensive, dangerous
or possibly practically impractical
for the railroad to stop all of its
trains at the two points now desig-
mated, but which it would be obliged
to do under the ordinance, regard
less of costs, damages and the nu-
merous other items which a railroad
may be held to task for at any time.
With the unanimous sentiment pre-
yailing among the railroad men in
this respect, there must be conceded
to be something to it, based on good
Continued on page four.)