Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-04-22
Only Question Now Is Over Steam Trains in Hickory
 Street.
RAILROAD TO GET
 CHOICE OF EQUITIES
Members of Council and of Special Committee of Chamber of Commerce Almost Solve Problem al Three
 Hour Conference Yesterday.

Members of the city council and Of the special committee of inc cham ber Of commerce held thrce-houI session in the office of Secretary F.
 B. Bloom of the chamber of com 1 merce yesterday afternoon studying the matter of the routes asked by the Hot Springs, Pine Bluff & Mississippi railroad, and when the meeting ad- iourned it appeared that full and sat isfactory understanding had been reached on every point at issue eX- cept the identification of any part of the road built in Hickory street. Tn detail. the aldermen and their confreres went over the streets nam ed in the proposed franchise ordi- nane and when this part of the mat ter had been thoroughly considered. it was decided that so far as the
 routes are concerned, the ordinance is satisfactory.
 Then the conference took up the
 question of motive power to be used
 over those streets. A part of one of the proposed routes runs from Wal nut and Barraque streets, east to
 State street, south to Sixth avenue
 and north to Main street. The con- ference decided that over those
 streets, nothing but electricity or
 gasoline motive power can be used.
 Object to Steam Trains. Another tentative route calls for the use of Hickory street south to
 Twentieth avenue. Alderman F. c.
 McGehee insisted that if the company selects this route. it be permitted to
 use only electricity or gasoline mo- tive power on Hickory street To
 this, Engineer Hart of the railroad, who represented President George B.
 Blanchard at the conference. took ex-
 ception. MT. Hart pointed out that if the road should decide to build
 south out of Pine Bluff, the Hickory street route is the one logical route.
 and under this contingency, it would
 be impossible to use any but steam
 definitely settled at the conference, but MT. McGehee appeared to be the
 only alderman who was insistent up
 on the use of gasoline or electricity on that street.
 A number of minor amendments to the ordinance were decided upon to
 make the road keep up the grading and drainage of the streets it will
 use, to retain in the city complete supervision of any poles erected and
 used by the company. and other things of that nature, all of which, it is believed, will be acceptable to the company.
 Altheimer Apathetic.
 In reply to questions, Engineer Hart stated that the survey o1 the road from Benton to the Mississippi river has been completed except for about eight miles near the Mississippi river, where the high water has pre- vented the work. He stated that the only town of importance through which the road will operate is De- Witt. Because of apathy on the part of the people of Altheimer. who did not appear particularly desirous of having the road enter their town. the survey calls for the road to be built about mile and half south Of that town. To enter Altheimer, consider
 able curving and turns would have been necessary. said Mr. Hart. The city council will meet tonight at 8 o'clock, when it will consider the proposed franchise for the rail
 road, and because the matter must be settled within the next two or three days, in order for the road to
 definitely decide upon it's plans and
 order material, the hope is expressed by interested parties, that something dfinite will be done tonight. At it's
 session tonight, the council is ex-
 pected also to adopt the budget for the ensuing year.