Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-21
Fro the State House.
The Divorce Bill KiIIcd-A Ten Hour
Bill RePOrted-Debnte on the WOrces-
ter, Gardner and WnchendOn Rail-
rOad-A Grafton Question.

BOSTON, Thursday, April 20.
The senate chamber was a popular place to-day,
and was thronged by members from the other
branch Of the legislature and persons interested in
the Boston park bill and in the Worcester and
Gardner railroad extension to Winchendon The
action yesterday the park act was recon-
sidered by yea and nay vote of 10 to Is, and the
provision requiring two-thirds vote for its ac-
ceptance by the people of Boston, stricken out,
and the majority principle adopted by the same
close vote. The bill was then passed to be en-
crossed and will go to the house.
The railroad question came up on the submission
of report by Senator Bird in behalf of a majority
of the committee on railways in favor of the extern
sion of the road from Gardner to Winchendon,
companied by bill to that effect and changing the
name of the corporation from Boston, Barre and
Gardner railroad to that of the Worcester Gardner
and Winchendon railroad. Messrs. Towne, Adams
and Phillips dissented from the conclusions of the
majority of the committee. Senator Thayer, of
Berkshire county, made a very weak attempt TO
show that the road was not needed, and that the
bill ought not to pass. Senators Howe, of Cam
bridge, and Thayer, of Worcester, advocated the
bill at length and, with unanswerable argument
showed how unjust it would be to refuse this ex-
tension, and how mean and INSCRIPTIONS had been
the opposition to it. At the close of the speech
of Mr.. Thayer, of Worcester, further consideration
was postponed until tomorrow. The opponents of
the extension all the while very active about
the senate chamber Messrs. TOwne and Blood, of
the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg road, were on
the alert they have been since the first of Janu-
ary for new converts. The restless Mr.. Winches-
ter, the rich chair manufacturer of Ashburnham,
who is as well known at the state house as is the
sergeaut-at-arms, and has "button-h0led" menu
bers, in season and out of season, day and
night, for more than three months, was
there. John L. Swift was laborng with a senator
to prove to him that this extension from Gardner to
Winchendon was a great advantage. Ex-senator
E. w. Morton, aud many others, including the
more professional lobbyists were working Oh that
line also. They claim that they have ensured the
defeat of this measure Thevote will be very close.
The yeas and nays ought to be taken SO that the peo
pie may know who the men are that desire to stand
in the way of this road asked for by fifty thou
sand people of Worcester county.
The committee IN their report state that the orig
inal charter of the Boston, Barre and Gardner road
was granted in 1S47. In 1869 active operations
were begun, and the stock of the road was immedi-
ately taken up by municipal subscriptions, and the
road put under contract. The city OF Worcester in
its corporate capacity, subscribed for S2622C1 worth
of stock; Holden, S44,sO0; Hubbardston, $4,000;
and Gardner, $2S,tt O,-making little more than
half of the whole amount. 1t was understood that
the road local enterprise, designed for the de-
veopment and accommodation of the northwest Sec
ton of Worcester county, and to afford that sec
ton a more direct communication with Worcester.
1t also understood that in all these pr eiminary
proceedings, and In the public discussions upon the
subject that changes growing out of the construc-
ton of railroads and the development of business
and natural resources, indicated WinchendOn rath-
er than Gardner as the northern terminus of the
road, and the subscriptions were made upon the
assumption that the road would be extended to
connect with the Cheshire and the AIonadnock
roads in that town.
The road, which is nearly completed from Wor-
cester to Gardner, will cost not over S641,CC1 or
SIP 972 less than its from subscriptions to
stock. This balance is to be expended on the ex-
tension to Winchendon, which town with Gardner
and Worcester stand ready to furnish $780, more,
the estimated cost of the extension. There now
four roads to be passed between Worcester and
Winchendon, and all freight and travel between
those termini are subjected to an average detention
in Fitehburg equal to the time actually spent on
rail. The distance from Worcester to WinchendQn
less than by the present, and by direct route,
char.making business from beyond Winchen-
don, and Worcester obtains a large pro-
norton of its building material and sup
niles of grain over the Cheshire road, 1t did not
aanpear to the committee that any party would be
Injured by the extension and that the only open
onnosition came from Mr.. Winchester, of Ashburn-
nam Ii further appeared that the opposition came
NOT from any reasonable apprehension of injury to
themselves from its construction but from desire
to secure to themselves the advantages of an enter
nrise in which, to the present time, they have had
no share 1t seemed to the committee entirely UNI
reasonable that the large business interests con-
nected with the line from Worcester to Winchen-
don should be compelled forever 10 GO several miles
out of the way merely crafty the local pride OF
Ashburnham The population in 1870, and vaiua-
ton in 1866 ut the ermn and on the line, were as
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