Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-01

ance and the stoppage Of the express trains at the
junction. The Foster street depot; ne su' wa
chartered and constructed with view 70 Tue lhser
ests of Worcester and all these roads eoncurred IN
the selection of the location. Inc washington
sauore denot was located against the wishes of the
people and the Western railroad ana nad never eon'
| duced to the benefit of worcester, lie should put
| IN contract made between the Boston and WOr.
cpster railroad in lS47 or 1S4S with the Norwich and
| Worcester and the Worcester and Nashua railroads
under seal, by which the Boston and worcester
| company agreed to keep and maintain up to the
demand of the times depot at Foster street, and u
was that contract which the Boston and Albany rail
idatOn of the Boston and Worcester with the West
ern road agated and it was said that this con.
soidation was generally opposed by the people OF
that city; but they were met with the reply
that the Legislature would never allow the
removal of the Foster street station, and a
provision was inserted in the act that the
Boston and Albany railroad should maintain that
station He should show that this was the most
convenient location, and that its continuance was
essential to the prosperity of Worcester He claimed
that the business which had grown up around II
was not to be sacrificed unless there was an over,
wheming extgency. In the hrst place ne should
take as testimony statements made by the city So
citor that the Foster street depot was of immense
advantage to the people of Worcester, and further
that the city government was unwilling to ADAM
don the passenger traffic from that depot, without
also dispensing with the freight business, because
they did not like the idea of reiuquishing the i'm
mense advantage they enjoyed for the partial relief
they would receive. The figures introduced would
show that 81 per cent of tiikets were purchased at
the Foster street depot. of the remainder, 1900
were purchased at the Providence station, ana
should not be reckoned.
At the Washington square station more than one
half of the people who purchased tickets were CO.
ing west, and the remaining number bought tickets
at the station because only the express trains stop
ped there, and tickets coudnot be purchased any
where else Nineteen -twentieths of the citizens of
Worcester when they could have their choice,
bought tickets at the Foster street depot, and the
facts proved that station to be OF great importance.
He should show that the business establishments in
Worcester had been built up with view TO the Fos-
ter street depot; the streets were laid out for the
same, and the public imperatiyely demanded its
continuance. He was therefore surprised that the
city solicitor should put bill tor the removal Of
that depot, when there was no expression of the
people in favor of It, On the removal of the tracks
he should agree with Mr.. Nelson that they were an
inconvenience to the city. But throughout New
England all the cities and towns of any prominence
were ineommQded by railroad tracks. 1t was, how
ever, ESSENTIAL to the very condition of things that
this should be SO, for people could not have those
great advantages which they now desire from rail-
roads unless they submitted 10 some inconvenience
He should show that of the twenty-one streets
crossed from Lincoln square to the Junction, only
five were saved by the plan introduced. Of the foul
existing switching grounds the city would only be
relieved of one by this change, and that one was Of
the least annoyance.
Mr. Rice then claimed that the citizens of wor
cester who had signed the petition requesting an
article to be inserted in the warrant as to the re-
moval of the tracks, did not express any opinion
but we're all willing to extend the courtesy of per
hitting people to vote, and when they went to the
polls they felt at entiFe liberty to vote as the!
| pleased. Therefore no weight should be attached
to that petition. He should show that the printed
votes used We're gotten up in the interests of the
Boston and Albany railroad, and were meant to
catch the citizens of Worcester who did not under
| stand them. He would show by as many witnesses
as the committee desired that the people were ney
| er in favor OF such wholesale and destructive
| scheme, and would further show shat there was a
considerable feeling against the corporations ac
count of the execrable depots which they main
tained and that this induced people 10 vote for the
| removal of the tracks. But when they became
aware of the ttue aspect of the and of the in
| terests involved they desired to reconsider thel
| former action.
| ter appointed committee which was authorized t.
| enter into contract with the Norwich and Wor
cesteT railroad to locate the Foster street station
Just where it is now ard releasing the railroads for
| ever from damages, subject, however, to certain
| conditions which they have always complied with
| By this action OF the town of Worcester they &C
quired right OF which they could not be deprived
| unless some great eXigencY had arisen and no
| thought OF at the time the contract was entered
| into He did not say that the legislature had no
the legal right to compel men to do it, for that bOdl
had great power, but he cOntended that they hat
not the m0Fal right SO to do. But lie did say tina
they had not the power to order their removal un
less compensation was provided. There was NJ
| precedent by which their property could be taken
WITHOUT compensation. He should 90 farther thar
their chartered ana constitutional rights, an!
should show that the little Inconvenience whicl
| the public now suffered would be greatly over
weighed by the dangers attending the change, 70
ont of fourteen men killed in Worcester during tn
past ten years nine OF them were killed the Dos
ton and Albany railroad. 1t would be impractical
to adapt the plan offered by Mr.. Nelson, whicl
would require tine trans 70 run mule and 1910
further than they now did, and tn
switching would be rendered almost impraC
ticable as the two lines running from tn
east and vest could not be brought tC
ness from the north and south would be seriousi
ineommoded 1t was these lines, of road runnin
north and south which butt up the city of Boston
the Boston and ALBANY road never did ANYTHING t
benefit 1t. The men who had built up Woreeste
| would tell the committee that their business wOul
be hazarded andruined by the removal Of the track
and there was a vast prepOnderance in favor Of no
having them removed. But If it was TO be done h
desired to submit a Iaueh better Elan They desire
to cooperate with the city of Worcester for bette
depot and the removal Of the tracks, providing tina
the union depot should be constructed at FOste
street They were willing that the bill should pro
making up of their trains and the distribution o
freight across the tracks, and also that penalty
! should be provided toward suppresslng this evil
lie believed that with depot at Foster street
be satisfied and there the matter would rest
/ Hon. P. Emory Aldrch for the Nashua and Wor
ceter railroad brought to the attention of the com
m!ttee the fact that for twenty years not human
being had been Killed or manned ct their crossings
and also spoke of the business OF Worcester which
built up by the railroads running into the heart
| of the city.
| Mr. Nelson then informed the committee that
| they were willing 10 eoncede u allowing sGme a
the tracks to remain, if those on the common wert
| removed, and also those between Park and Mechan
| e streets, provided that Front street should b.
| crossed at al eleyated grade. Under these circum
stances they should be GLAD 10 continue loste
street as local station, if they should give them
union depot at Washington square.
After some discussion Mr.. Rice said that he I'm
derstood that they only had the Boston and Alban
road to meet. He should but III Mr. Nelson's al
gument in favor of the Foster street depot, ant
claim that there was no testimony against its con
| 10 c0mmitfap decided that
stTants had Only to meet the removal of the track
| from the common and the adjacent streets, anC
called upon Mr. Rice to introduce testimony on tina
Mr., A. F. Smith, president of the Norwich and
Worcester railroad, the only witness examined,
testified that the proposed plan would seriously IN.
| many of which were express trains running at O
high rate Of speed and the change would seriously
| affect their business. Bv the new arrangement
| these trains would be delayed by the Boston and
| Albany passenger trains from ten to fifteen min.
| ptes, and possibly by their freight trains. As a
competing line it would be very injurious to the
| Norwich and Worcester road Mr. Smith then ex.
| planned the compromise plan suggested, to allow
| the Nashua and Worcester and the Norwich and
Worcester roads to exchange its freight by an ele
waited road over Front street, which he dd not
| think was practicable, owing to the sharp corners
| He thought that If other roads could get along
| without switching on the common his road could
| do likewise. he should prefer the Lawrie plan to
| the one offered by the late Mayor Blake, hut even
| this he thought would seriously tnture his road
| He thought they ought not TO eXpend their money
| for this new arrangement. In cross-examination
| Mr.. Smith said that he supposed the switching Of
the trains on the common by his road was done be-
of its convenience to their freight depots.
they We're prohibited from switching at that point
he thought they might retreat toward the june ion
but doubted whether their business could be done
He admitted that by viaduct across Front street
grades and curves would be fully favorable as by
\ the existing arrangement.
The hearing was then adjourned to Friday next