Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-22
FROM WATERvILt.E.
"A Town Meeting Held Friday Even;n,
70 see What Action the Town WouId
rake to Encourage the Location of
'ne railroad shops in WatervilIe.
Especial to the Kennebec Journal I

Especial to the Kennebec journal
WArERvILLE, MAY 81.
~ mas oeen supposed supposed to be GER
tain, until late, that the Maine Central Rail
road would locete their shops at WatervilIa
as at first announced. On last Monde,
rresloent Arthur Sewall of Bath, in COM
pany with committee of directors
visited the grounds of the NJ. C. r. R., on
which has been proposed to erect their sbops.
Inc occasion OF such visit was that when rst
the directors voted to erect the shops they
had in mind only the erection of locomotive
repair shops. Atterward it was decided also
TO erect car repair shops. 1t was supposed
that even then the land at Waterville, owned
Dv the NJ. Z. X. r was sufficiently large for
tne shops An engineer was sent to Water
vile from Portland to apply plans to the land
on which the shops would be built. 1t was
then ascertained tor the first time that the
land Is far from being large enough for such
shops as are proposed to be constructed, and
tor the necessary yard room required for
storing cars. wheels, etc.
On Wednesday last a committee of the
directors again visited the grounds. On their
way they were met by the deputation from
Brunswick, offering forty acres of land, well
suited to the purpose of the railroad, and
twenty five thousand dollars (S25 ,OOO). In
Portland the company has ample land for the
accommodation of the shops, and MANY of
the directors were, originally, strongly in
favor OF erecting the shops there.
This committee which again visited Water
Vile on Wednesday, in view of the fact that
Portland favored and that Brunswick had
made generous offer, did not think that it
was to the object of the railroad to go to the
necessary additional expense to purchase
such land as they must have to erect the
shops at Waterville. They did vote, how
ever, upon the ground to erect the shops at
Waterville if sufficient land could be pro-
cured, free from expense to the railroad,
otherwise to build the shops elsewhere
These circumstances were the occasion of
the town meeting held last evening
Friday subscription paper was circulated
upon the street and twenty eight hundred dol
lars were readily procured, good proper
ton of which was subscribed by the owners
of the desired land. The estimated cost of
the additional land desired BY the railroad is
eight thousand seventy dollars <S807O).
hC "" hSCtihk was well ottSuQcu, duu
speeches explanatory of the circumstances
were made by Hon. John Ware. Hon E. F.
Webb, and Messrs. Phillips and Waldron.
The following article was acted upon, it
being understood that the subscription should
not be used but be returned to those sub
scrbing, and was defeated
''Article 2-To see if the town will author
ize and instruct the selectmen to pay to the
Maine Central Railroad Company, on condi-
ton that company shall Cbligate itself to the
satisfaction Of the selectmen to build said
cOmpany's locomotive and car repair shops in
said town, the sum of seventy-five hundred
dollars ($7500,) or such part thereof as said
selectmen may find necessary for the pur-
pose of aiding said company in purchasing
land easterly of said company's railroad track
in said town. and owned a part by II. Ii
Campbell, part by Horace Purrington, a
part by A. Healey & Sons, trustees of The
opllus Gilman, and part by others, said
land beidg situated northerly of land of said
company. and to raise and appropriate there
for a sum of money by transferring the same
from money already by said town raised and
appropriated for the payment of the miscel-
laneous account and for the payment
of the account for the repairs of roads and
bridges or some other account"
III was tnen passed ny Inserting SIX tuous-
and dollars in place of seventy five hundred,
the amount of the subscription first to be used
and then so much of the six thousand as
should be found necessary. This was passed
unanimously.
The town meeting was called upon one
days posting of warrants and so was illegal
In order to support the selectmen in carrying
out this order. bond was offered for the sig
nature of the voters. The extent of liability
of each individua in case of the towns not
certifying this action of the illegal town
meeting, is one hundred dollars In case of
ratification by the town in a legal meeting
the signers will be free from responsibility
and at the same time the same result will be
gained as from a legal meeting which the ex-
igences of the case would not allow time to
secure.
The bond was quite generally signed by
the wealthy and Influential inhabitants.
1t is estimated that the cost of the new
shops as now planned will not be short OF
$500, 900. 1t is now hoped that the building
of the shops will not again be interrupted,
since Waterville is willing on her part to do
"what she can"