Pine Bluff Daily Graphic

In looking over the records of City Clerk R. Lee Johnson this, Monday morning, a Graphic representative learned that the City Council did not grant Messrs. Crater and Norton a franchise, but only passed a resolution to take up their electric street railway and light plant proposition and grant them the same franchise held by Keyser, provided the latter fails to comply with the consideration of his franchise. The resolution was passed after the council went into executive session at a meeting held October 15, 1900, and there was considerable discussion pro and con over the resolution in the council chamber at the time. The result was the resolution carried by a vote of only 4 to 1. Aldermen Boyce, Fox, Meyer and Wolleman voted "aye," and Weil "no." Clements was excused from voting and Alderman Owen and Wilkens retired from the council chamber.

The resolution, as passed, reads as follows:

Be It Resolved by the City Council of the City of Pine Bluff, Ark., in regular session, this October 15th, 1900: That, we, the City Council, will take up the street car franchise recently passed and given W H Keyser, provided the said Keyser has failed to comply with the conditions of franchise No. 492 heretofore granted to the said Keyser. and that upon Messrs. Crater and Norton depositing $5,000 in any bank in Pine Bluff to be expended in actual construction of the plant or road, that we pledge ourselves to grant them the same franchise as was granted to the said Keyser, said Crater and Norton to appear before the Council on January 7, 1901.

NOTHING TO GIVE OUT.

Keyser, the Street Railway Promoter, Is Liable to Lose His Franchise.

The Keyser franchise expires to-night, Monday.
Mr. Keyser is here, but he says he has nothing to give out as to what he accomplished or his future intentions. He says he is going to stay here quite awhile this time and in conclusion remarked that he was not coming to Pine Bluff for fun.
Mayor Alexander informed a Graphic representative today that there had been no request made by Mr. Keyser for a special meeting of the City Council this afternoon or to-night. Just what Mr. Keyser is trying to do seems to be a mystery, but he will probably ask for an extension of time, and may not receive it. He says he has a man who is willing to build the line. providing Pine Bluff will take some of the bonds.
Our people have been disappointed so very often in the past that they are now like the man from Missouri-they want Mr. Keyser to "show them."
As neither Mr. Keyser nor his attorney will give out anything the Graphic is unable to give its readers anything new in regard to the proposed electric street railway and light plant