Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-13
Arguments before the Commission for
the Location of the Union Depot.
The following abstracts include the most i'm

Graiton streets or at point east of Grafton street
within certain limits. He spoke of the size and
growing condition of the city the division of feeling
among the principal citizens in regard to the build
ing OF depot to do away with nuisance the
ulflcultles presented by the manner in which the
various railroads come into the city; the impor-
lance of the roads and their connecting links Hav-
ing presented these conditions of the case he
passed TO view of the claims of etwo locations
The legislature had left it to the commission to de.
eide upon the degree of convenience in the adop-
ton ofeither location He considered tnat evidence
had shown that 1t could be located between Green
and Grafton streets with degree of convenience;
therefore, as reasonable men, the commission must
locate 1t at the eastern point designated He said
that he appeared for the Boston, Barre and
Gardner railroad-independentl for that road
and in league with no other; 1t was only
a coincidence that the Boston and Albany
road appeared on the same side of the
question. He described the road for which he
appeared, the prospects upon which it had just
begun operation, the populous country through
which it runs, its many and important connections
&c One great consideration with his road in desiring
the location of the depot east of Grafton street was
that ii would hasten the final construction of the
depOt the other roads have established stations and
can wait, while we are swinging in air, as it were,
without depot, and with the right specified to us
depot; therefore it is of the first impor-
lance to us that the matter be settled at
once and for ALL He argued that the location between
Green and Grafton streets would delay action one
two years and moreover require additional legis-
latiOn before 1t could be built at ALL He considered
that the opposition did not desire the location be-
tween Green and Grafton Streets they preferred it
choice of two evils and if they succeeded in Sc
curing that location he thought, perhaps it would
be so very Objectionable to the Boston and Albany
railroad, that to prevent the location of depot
there they would join with the Worcester and
Nashua road IN securing legislation for still another
and thus between the upper and neither milstOnes
his clients would be ground to powder lie then pro.
ceeded to show the advantages of the eastern loca
tion over the western for reason of the power of
expansion in all directions for the first facility of
avoiding the nuisance of stream OF freight travel
and other general objections which have been re-
peated over and over again IN the testimony. He
called attention, to the large number of crossings
which would have to be crossed twice for every
train, in running down and backing from Garden
street to the location between Green and Grafton
Streets the impOsslbility of procuring engine and
freight accommodations nearer than Garden street
the facilities near the eastern location, in the old
burial ground and the interests OF the city which
would assist the road in securing those facilities
He claimed that the Inconvenience would be the
same with either location, and that the other roads
100 may secure room at the old burial ground. He
considered the Inconvenience in reversing their
through cars as great as it would be to the north
and south roads to reverse THEIRS and saw no such
prospect for a great and growing rush of Through
travel north and SOUTH had been claimed; he con.
siderGd the interests of the generations to come
called for the consideration of the commission in
deciding and submitted the matter to their iudg-
ment, having occupied just one hour
JUDGE FOSTERS ARGUMENT.
Judge Foster came next in the interests of the
city He began by saying that the interests of the
citizens and city corporate had plainly been different
from the interest of the railroads. and the city has
ton which would compel the roads to move in di-
rectiOn which would secure public accommodation
in the form OF a union passenger depot He gave
brief history of the various legislative acts at
tempted, and the one finally secured for the con-
structon offs union passenger depot. Gave the cir
cumStaHceS which created the commission and con-
sidered that whatever the decision of that commits
sion should be- it ought to be submitted to as lust
and for the best public interests. He then stated
some of the reasons which led the mayor and alder
men OF Worcester to regard the eastern location as
the only proper one; it was proved by witness after
witness that no station could be placed between
Green ana Grafton street il the cutoff must connect
with the rails of the Boston and Albany railroad
east of Green street, and such provision was unms-
taxable in the act, and could not be rejected The
legislature did not mean to affirm that either loca-
iOn best but left it to the decision of the com
mission to select between the two But other and
more decisive questions, aside from tine cut-of were
sufficient to show the commission that the eastern
location was preferable; the cost was one, though
not entirely decisive. The total expenses which
would grow out of the location OF the eDot between
Green and Grafton streets could not possibly be de-
fined and settled in five years, and the expense
through the railroads must necessarily come back
upon the public in increased rates; the estates of
thirty owners will have to be taken against the will
of the owners; and that cannot be done only in case
of extreme necessity; and should not be done
without careful consideration of the commits
sion, even though 1t has the power;
this station is to be completed in two
years from the first of last Nav and this cannot be
DONE even by Immediately going forward and TAX
ing the estates without first making settlement for
the same lie then cOntrasted the level plain east
OF Grafton street, where but one or two buildings
to be moved, place which cannot be looked
upon but as designed by nature for a railroad sta
ton; where there is but one owner to deal with;
where all streets conveniently converge making il
readily appr0achable from all parts of the city-a
situation, in reference to access, cannot be CON
ceived which would offer such conyeniences to the
public while in point of access there are none OF
these advantages for the other location. He spoke
OF the advantages in room for expansion which is
indefinitely attainable at Washington square, As
to the comparative merits of the two stations he
at loss after careful examination of the plans
to see how any rational man could look upon the
one offered for station between Green and Grafton
streets as convenient or available for railroad pur-
poses at all. He called attention to the plans and
argued to show that it could not be approached
with teams only at the Washington square or east
erD end-a provision totally and miserably made
quate for the business of five railroads thus brought
together. The underground portion of one of the
plans given attention, and spoken of as entire
ly impracticable and unprecedented-thi diving
down into the bowels of the earth and unloading
passengers aud trunks in cellar. He considered
that in dealing with so many roads the matter of
turning the seats was really of triing importance
and existed chiefly in the imagination of those who
presented it as an objection. In fact he considered
the difficulties, commended by the opposition as so
great at Washington square, as not at first existing
at all in the minds Of the managers of the north
and south roads, and which would not exist after
the station should be built. AS one reason greater
than all the Others, he presented the one that the
location of the depot by the commission between
Green and Grafton streets, would result in an ADAM
donment of the whole enterprise by the common
effort of all the railroads, and the loss of all the
work by the city to get rid of the great public in
convenience it has been fighting against; and thus
the fight will have to begin anew and all be gone
over again.
MR. RTCE's ARGUMENT
Hon. w. w. Rice, for the Norwich road:-He
said that he assented with reluctance to occupy a
portion of the time, all of which would be best
spent by one ofthe counsel in presenting the gener
era view of the case. He first spoke of the parties
the Norwich and Worcester, the Providence and
Worcester, the Barre and Gardner, and the power
full Boston and Albany, roads. He considered it
proper to designate the locations the east and west
locations, and proposed to allude to them as such
He then went on to present the advantages of the
western location, beginning with the fact that If
city He believed that the old system of several |
local stations about the city the best liked by
majority of the people of Worcester, and consid-
cred the union passenger depot an Institution de-
sired by no railroad in the city except the Boston
and Albany road; he thought it plain that any re-
moval from the center of business in locating this
depot, which it is made necessity with us to have
would tend to unsete business to its serious detri
ment BY the adoption of the eastern location the
1000 who annually take the in the city must
all go a quarter of mile farther, and lose time, |
which in year amounts to enough to decide In IA |
vor Of the western location, even If the cost were
500 900 more. He presented the advantages which |
the easy walk across the common to the western |
location gave to pedestrians. He denied totally |
the statement made by Judge Foster that the citi-
zans had for a long time been Attempting to for,e |
the various railroads into union depot; there was |
no indication of such wish by any vote or act of |
from the common. 1t is because the mayor and al |
dermen have been induced to believe that depot |
cannot be built upon the westerly location, |
that they are in favor of the easterly location, |
they have come to this belief without |
hearing they come here Induced to be- |
lieve that there is but site upon which depot
be built. He proposed to show clearly that the
westerly location was practicable, and argued that
the freight business OF both the Nashua and Card
ner roads must be done in the yard on the north |
side of the eastery location, which would be as |
great an objection tine freight tracks north of the
westerly location, and considered that the backing
and crossing of the streets TO the west of the easter
ly location presented an objection great as that
mentioned by the Boston, Barre and Gardner road |
IN coming through the city from the north, and |
passed TO description of the means of approach to
the westerly location, contending In contradiction
on Judge rosters statement that good entrance
might be mad 1.-THE west end of the westerly oca-
oh-as good one as at the west end OF the CASTER
~ location; and said after showing the various ap.
proaches ana entrances to the depot that they were
INFINITELY superior to those of the easterly locatiOn
which was great reason in favor OF the adoption
OF the westerly location, well as the reason Of its
superiority in the fact that 1t was nearer the center
Of the city. BY Mr. Philbrck's own statement, the
space for the westerly location would be made as
good in every way for the purposes Of depot a the