Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-10-05
BRIDGE MEETING IS
ENDED WITHOUT ANY
TERMS ARRIVED At
c.. o. g. p. OFFICIALS BARTER FOR
FREIGHT FRANCHISE WITH
HELP TOWARD Blu L D
STRUCTURE AS REWARD FOR
CONCESSIONS

The meeting yesterday between
city, county and interurban officials
to thresh out the Fox river bridge is
sue terminated late in the afternoon
without any decision being reached.
The purpose of the session was TO
get a decision from +. Il. Fischer gen
eral superintendent of the C., o. a
p, on what his company intended do
ing toward paying $4,000 share OF
the cost to build the new structure
planned for Main street. Mr. Fisch.
ers answer was that the company s
position was simply case of getting
franchise or paying nothing on
the bridge. His chiefs, he said, were
adamant On that issue, intimating
they would hold out until doom's day
before giving any funds towards the
structure which will cost in the neigh
borhood of 100000, $4,000 each be-
ing paid by the county and city
Unable to arrive at an agreement
the meeting was adjourned until next
Tuesday when new attempt Will be
made to strike some agreement.
Mr.. Fischer, who at the present
time Is working hard to obtain a
freight franchise for his company
stated in his report at the meeting
that officials Of the c., 0. & p. rail
way company could by no means at
this time afford to share in the ex-
pense of the construction Of the new
concrete bridge, unless the people
and city of Ottawa aided the com
pany in securing the franchise
'At previous meeting | was ask
ed to submit my plans for the con
struction of the concrete bridge
said Mr. Fischer, "and | promised to
do so. Not until the last Of Septem-
Der did the executive committee OF
the company meet and although ev-
ery member of it was highly in favor
of the new bridge and will tc do all
he could in its construction, they
reached the decision that they could
not share in the expense unless they
were shown means of bringing In ad-
ditional revenue for the money which
they would have to borrow. That
bridge wouldn't bring the company
| one cent But If the people, the as
| sociatiOns and newspapers of the city
OF ottawa will lend us assistance IN
| securing a freight franchise, which
would give us the right to carry
freight through your city and which
J would Justify us in taking on addi
tional expense the proposition Of the
c., o. & P. sharing the expense might
be considered more deeply
! 1--WE cannot at this time agree tC
participate in the construction of the
! bridge except what salvage there may
be in the old property The freigh
franchise Is the only chance for ad
ditional revenue and the people ant
the city of ottawa would have to co
operate and support us in bringing i
about. This franchise is as import
ant to them as it is to our property
We are not inclined to put additiona
money into these lines. Many sucl
companies are forced to discontinue
and the main line of the interurbal
car is suffering as much as this on
here
IF the people of ottawa want thi
bridge they must support us. w
are anxious to help Ottawa. W.
have always come forward as muc
as financial condition Of the proper
ty would allow We are willing +
show our books just to show wha
this property is doing. We invit
such investigation.
"You don't realize how serious thl
franchise means to us and the peopl
of Ottawa Clay, sand and gravel an
: much of it lies undeveloped betwee
La Sale and Ottawa which could b
: developed by us if we could get
, freight hauling permit. If the frar
chise was granted the time of switch
ing and shipping the freight would b
restricted to certain hours, such a
from a. III. to p. m. Furthermor
, a merchant depot for the loading an
unloading of merchandise could
erected out of the business distrit
} and switches could be installed
1 would be no more than they are d
ing in hundreds of other cities.
, lines must take on some freight ser
: ice or they cant continue to operate
Engineer George Farnsworth state
D that the company would have hal
time getting a freight franchise b
u cause of the present condition of Il
( bridge crossing the Fox river. NJ
Farnsworth stated that he had wrj