The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-06
MEASURE TALKED
NEARLY TO SLEEP
COMMITTEE LISTENS FOR -FOUR
HOURS TO DISCUSSION OF UR-
BAsNA RAILWAY PROJECT.
CAPT. WICKHAM HALTED
FRANCHISE ORDINANCE INVOLVING
SEVEN PINES LINE GOES
OVER FOR MORE CON
SIDERATION.
CAPT. WICKHAM HALTED

and con on the question that the
Corncii Committee on streets last
night failed to reach vote Iii re-
gard to the proposed sale OF the seven
Fines Railway line 10 the hlchiiion"'
Ursanna ard Peninsula hallway. Coh-
sequently. the matter went over tiii
later date, at which time the thread OF
the narrative, 80 to speak. will be re-
sun.ed by Captain 1. Ashby WICK
ham, who had the floor when the
committee called a halt last night
Captain Wickham Is advocating ths
cause Of the commuters along the
Seven Pines line who believe they
witt not get square deal II the propo-
sition goes through, as 1t - shaped
at present 4
| u remained FOR Mr.. walter Ii. Ry-
land. iawyer-e,iitor of Urbanaa. to lat
! the Finishing touch on the proceedings
last night with a brief but cieveriy
worded speech that caught the ears
OF all. As he had ridden all the way
from the little metropolis Of Middle
sex In the face of biting wind just
to attend the meeting. Chairman
Adams and the other committeeman
though 1t only fair that he should be
granted the floor for brief space OF
time and II was so ordered.
Eager For It.
Mr.. Ryiand let it be known that ur-
hanna Is eager for the road to Rich
mond, and anxious TO get on the IN
side OF the city. as 1t were. ever
though 1t Is unable to grasp the 'fn-
side of this talk and all these in
situations that there Is something
crooked about the whole affair and
something rotten In Denmark He
for ono did not believe that the propo-
sition was crooked. He had too much
confidence in the Chamber of Conn
merce, the Business Mems Club. and
the Retail Merchants Association OF
Richmond which had endorsed it.
Mr.. Ryland painted a glowing pic
ture OF a country with $6,000.000 of
business annually. and $4,000 people.
which Richmond w@uld reach, Il the
proposed read were built. II was not
fair to assume. as one OF the counsel
for the opposition had minated. that
his people would continue to deal with
Baltimore. even II the project were
put through. because the boat rates
would still be more attractive than
those BY rail could possibly be. He
was confident his people wanted To get
in closer business relation with Rich
mond.
Tainted BY Powers.
Mr. Ryland was tainted BY Mr.
Maurice K. Powers, Of counsel for
the Crhanna country undertake to
build some Of the road itself. II It
was 80 eager to get into Richmond.
MIR. kyiand humorousIy replied that
perhaps his people were spending all
/ their substance In riotous living and
therefore could not afford to venture
little money OH such an under
taking.
- Mr. Rylaad- drove rather good
Awxt
rnittee that II took him more than
six hours to get to Richmond yes
terday. although the distance was
hardly hfty miles. He had to come
by boat to West Point and thence to
Richmond BY rail---and ii was-a
mighty cold trip.
z Holding Cards Back.
When Mr.. Powers wondered why
some OF The Urbanna people did not
fall in line and contribute funds to-
ward the building OF the road. he
did not know perhaps that several
citizens OF that community have al
ready promised their aid and coin
In support of the venture. according
TO information cleaned during the
| meeting. These names will be sprung
at the next meeting as draw cards,
II Is understood, unless the unexpected
happens also developed last
night that Mr.. w. X. Crenshaw, for
mer city councilman and would-be
legislator. IL one Of the prom oters of
the project. although the names Of
John G. Robertson. Chris Manning.
Jr.. and Clyde w. Saunders are the
only ones whose names have been
given to the public in connection
With the deal
Crenshaw Interested.
Mr.. Crenshaw was decidedly In
terested spectator last night. remain
ing throughout the proceedings. as
did q number OF others who were
eager to see the affair put through.
Most OF the Seven Pines people, who
braved the biting north wind to at
tend the meeting. began leaving about
II A. NJ. while Captain Wickham
still had the floor. II was li:3O
when the captain was called to
halt.
Practically the same line OF argu-
ment was advanced by the speakers
~ had been put forth on previous
occasions touching the merits and
dement's Of the proposition Mr..
Hiram n. Smith. representing the
promoters OF the new railway, led
on. He strongly resented insinu-
ations that the project was a deiusion
and snare. At times. a personal
encounter between him and Mr.. Pow
ers, who suspected y nigEer. tn the
wood ps!n. seemed iminent but
trouble was happily averted by clever
passage Of words instead Of armb.