§ 187. Extensions and franchises confirmed. Any street surface
railroad corporation which had prior to the tenth day of May, eighteen
hundred and ninety-three, constructed and was on that date operating any
extension or branch of its railroad along any streets or highways or
portion thereof in a city having less than fifty thousand inhabitants,
or in any town adjoining such city, and which had prior to said date
obtained consent of the owners of one-half in value of the property
bounded on, and the consents also of the local authorities having
control of that portion of the streets, roads or highways upon which
such extension or branch was constructed and being operated to the
construction and operation of the same, is hereby authorized to operate
and maintain any such branch or extension, upon filing in the office of
the secretary of state a certificate, signed by its board of directors,
which certificate shall contain a statement of the names of the cities,
towns, villages and counties, and the names or description of the
streets, avenues and highways in which such extensions or branches have
been constructed, the places from and to which the same have been
constructed, and are to be maintained and operated and the length
thereof, as near as may be; thereupon said extensions and branches shall
be deemed and considered a part of the lines of said railroad from the
date of the filing thereof, and all corporate action relating to the
construction, maintenance and operation of such extensions or branches,
or creating liens upon the same by said corporation, are hereby
validated and confirmed. Nothing in this section contained shall affect
or impair any vested right or any litigation pending on said tenth day
of May, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, nor shall any corporation
which shall avail itself of the provisions of this section be deemed
thereby to have waived any rights which it therefore had to maintain and
operate any branches or extension named in any certificate filed by it
hereunder.