Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-12-17
By Terms of Agreement Line Must Be Constructed
 from Mississippi River.
MEANS PROBABLY TWO NEW ROADS TO CITY
Bridge District Will Collect $435, ,00O fin Rental During B Years, Accord- ing to Contract Approved Yester-
 day by County Judge Philpot.

IA franchise agreement was signed yesterday by officers of the Jeffer- son county bridge commission and George. B. Blanchard of Chicago, and approved by County Judge c. M Phipot, the substance of which iii dicates that Pine Bluff is to obtain within the next eighteen months, a new trunk lins, reaching east from, ths Mississippi river. and crossing : the Arkansas river on the free bridge
 The agreem:nt or franchise or lease, whatever it be called, is a rsrher voluminous document. It spe- cliffs that the, right given George B. Blanchard to operate steam, gas or Electric trains or cars across the bridge, is not exclusive with Blanch- ari, and that the same right may be giN.n other people CT companies. MT. Blanchard deposited with the commission the sum of $500, as for < feit money. It is specified that the { read shall extend from the Mississi- Z ppi river to Pine Bluff. There are many clauses of protective nature, to safeguard the rights of both par tes, and making reasonable arrange al;nts of many details.
 District Will Get S435,O0O. According to the terms of the y-.sesae asAt ss,s {. Blanc hard. or, 5. ,,s principals shall pay rental of $5.- 900 per year for the first year tn 2 read is in operation, and $1,O0O addi- honal each year for five years. The following ten years the rental shall be at the rate of $10,0O0 per year, and The following twenty years the rem @l shall be $15,000 per ysar, the ag- gregate rental being 435,0OO, and the hfa of the franchise, 36 years and six months. It is stated that as th:re no expsD ation the road will be in operation within eighteen months, tne agreem;nt actually means that the franchise will ccvar 35 years of operation of the railroad.
 It was al. MT. Blanchard's sugges- ton and request that County Judge PMlpot approved the agreement, MT. blanchard stating that the proba- e'ipy is that the county judge will nave formal control of the bridge be- TOT the read is in operation or soon thereafter, and approval by the coun- y judge was likely to obviate future difficulties
 insure Use Only Ky New Road. one clause in the agreement strictly tends to indicate that the pildgs shall not get into the control q any railroad now operation into rlae Bluff, by specifying that the proposed new road, it's successors or assigns, must use the bridge for ifelght and passengers which either s.art on the road or are destined to .nat road, this clause being clear in preventing the USE of the free bridge railroad merely to. avoid the use v lHe railroads privately construct sd bridg;.
 :, me contract also provides that s.ould the. franchise be relinquished uter the road is in operation. the
 s'flct will ha entitled to $10,000 as
 mages, in addition to rental that a'ay nave accrued.
 Speculation Rife.
 mat the franchise granted to Mr. u'aachard means the building of a ,Saa .;' extending from the Mississippi
 "er' at a point south of Helena, to
 po'nt where it will connect with
 e Memphis. Dallas & Gulf, at or on;a, apsl Hot Springs, appears to be the op. r.on of men who are posted on n.a. auitlons existing for some time in.s,. ihss.. nere and in the other territory mss ml Blanchard will not discuss the tha th'er TOT publication. Members of h.r. I bridge commission state they ss sa.s no idea who iMr. Blanchard rep tSss tSsnts, or what his plans are, more ch;.. su can be obtained from the fran M sI n agreement. It. is stated that sao.,l blanchard, who has been in this csmu on of the state for some weeks hisS to Pine Bluff with letters of the inna iaest class, from bankers and other
 NIsl.ial ~ men at Chicago. M
 msa mr bianchard is said to be the one rssa more than any other who was bn;,s.a n;,uasible for the financing and ssAulng of the Memphis, Dallas &