Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-01

ate the Waldo and Somerset Railway Com
pspy.
Resolve sssahlishing valuasiou OF tn
SAfs OF Maine.
An act relating to the agents Of sh
Psnobscos and Pssssmaqaoddy trihss O
Indiana.
An act 10 amend chapter 30s Of tn
Public Laws Of 1883 relating to labor. T
An act to incorporate the islesboso
Northport and Belfast Telegraph and Tele
phone Company.
An acs in relation to the ofscs Of secse
tHry and treasurer Of Loan and BuildirJ
Associations.
An act to supply the people Of Dextel
village and vicinity with pure water.
An act in favor Of the Bath Water
Supply Company and the Pejepscot Watel
Company.
An act to incorporate the Piscataquil
Central Telephone Company.
An act to legslizs and correct certain il,
regularities in the town mestings of the
town Of Palermo.
An act to amend chapter 292 of the Public
Lave OF 1883 relating to the regulation Of
the lobster fisheries.
An act amendatory and additional to sec.
tons 35 and So Of chapter IS Of the Re
vised Statutes relating to bottled soda,
mineral waters and small beer.
An act to ratify and confirm the organi-
zstion Of Public Works Company and to
give said company additional powers.
Resolve to apportion State Senators tc
the Legislature.
An act to incorporate the Peoples Pro
hibitory Enforcement League of Maine.
Resolve concerning amendment to the
constitution relative to the appointment OF
adjutsnt general.
A two-thirds vote being requisite to the
passage Of this resolve, the yeas and nays
were ordered, resulting:
YEAs-Messrs. Adsms, Chaplin, Giles Gilmore
Grlndle. Libby OF Cumberland, NJ han, Moore
Nash. Nutting. Pe'teug,ll Powers. Ryder. Sher
msn. Spear Stewart. swxnton, Thatcher, Wadlin
Warren and Wilbur 2l.
NAYs-Messrs. Harper. Smith and walton-S.
So the resolve finally passed.
On motion by Mr.. Thatcher of Penob.
scot. "Resolve providing for an educational
qualification for voters" was laid on the
table.
On motion by Mr.. Thatcher of Penobscot,
House Document 254. assigned for today
was taken from the table. This matter
came from the House, minority report &C
cepted, ard bill reported by that report,
passed to be engrossed.
Mr.. Thatcher, moved that the Senate
concur with the House in the adoption OF
the minority report. which reported bill,
AZ act concerning the reversion OF Oldtown
toll bridge to the State Of Maine, and estsb
lishiug highway over said bridge, aud that
the same ought to pass.
NJ W.1top of Gomavaat-I a
to hear from the Senator from Penobscot
regarding this matter.
Mr.. Thatcher of Penobscot-This is q
matter which affects my constituents very
seriously, and l should consider myself
negligent to my duty unless said some
thing to euhghten the Senate upon the
mater. The first bridge chartered was
built In 1881. by charter which WAS given
by the Legislature for 40 years. la 1886
the east end Of this bridge, being one span,
WAS carried away by freshet, leaving the
piers remaining. At this, time the whole
business Of the two towns WAS carried on
st the upper falls. about half mile from
the present bridge. The mill owners,
thinking il q good time to have bridge
built at the falls. obtained q charter at the
rext session of the Legislature (Which was
then held iu the snmmer) xuthoriziog them
to build a bridge ut thst place. They had
no intention Of building rival bridge. but
simply TO drive the old company to
build On the upper falls, instead of rebuild.
ing on their old site. They therefore
had a proviso inserted in thei. charter that
the old company should have the first right
10 build bridge at the upper falls if ,hey
should so elect. As further ind1c.msnt.
two days after the act creaticg the new
company was passed the Legislature passed
an amendment to the effect thst If the Old
company would build at the falls they
would repeal the 40 years clause.
The efforts of the people were uusvsiiing
and the old company refused to build az
The falls, but replaced on their former site
the span carried away by the freshst. and
therefore the citizens of Old Town
and Milford claim that the 40-yesr
clause was not repealed, and the
charter expired in 40 year. from date
Of acceptance, which would be in 1871
In 1874 ,he Legislature was asked by the
people Of Old Town and vicinity to take
possession Of the bridge in the name Of the
State. They however withdrew upon the
Assurance Of the bridge corporation that
the public. Tne company kept this assur.
ance until 1887 and no one complained,
neither would they have complaiuei to this
time had the bridge company KEEP. good
faith With the public. At that time parties
who had previously paid S5 for season
ticket, were asked $50, ,--ins,ead of giving
season rates for few oollsrs to parties S
who occasionally crossed the briige, they
refused TO make any yearly rates, snd ex.
acted the full tariff rate each crossing. The
u usl fare is 10 eta, per man and team. If
n person crossed 20 times day they would
make no reduction. Men asked il they
could not make reduction. the
reply was, we will sell you the bridge
1t is the custom Of other bridge COM
panies to sell packages of tickets at less
price than for single ones. The Bangor
Bridge Co. sell 100 tickets for Sc; single
tickets 10 cents. This is much larger
and costlier bridge than the Old Town
bridge.
Nov, situated so closely to each other
AZ the towns of Old Town and Milford are.
with men carry iug on mills in one town and
living j D the other, some men carrying on
mills in both places, you will readily see
toe citizens Of both places felt highly in
dignsnt to be obliged to paw from S65 to
si00 or $500 yes. toll for crossing a
bridge whose chatter had expired for many
years ard 'ish'fully belonged to the State.
Feeling thus aggrieved the people applied
to the court for relief, through the attorney
general. The matter came to trial at the
October session Of the Supreme Judicial
Court At Bangor, aud she jury decided that
the bridge was not at Old Town falls aud
had reverted to the State. The defense put
OF but one witness in support Of their
tae orr that the bridge was on the falls, and
he vas the president Of the Old iowa
Bridge Co., and be admitted ,hs. il wa not
on ihe falls As understood by the citizens
Of Old Town ard vicinity.
The bridge company have carrie the case
up to the isw court Now the minori,v report
expressly says thatth act shall L OF feet ar y
pending .uft and shall have no effect II the
court decides there il 10 reversior. SO.
gentlemen, the rights Of the bridge corpora
ton are fully protected. Whst more can
they reasonably ask Of Us? When the
mater csme up in the House. after full
discussion the minority report vas sdopted
by vote Of 81 to l. Two members who
signed the majority report voted for the
minority. So that j; Is not in fscs minor.
i,y report Of the committee. a,
it now appears, but majority
In fact Let me add thst my t~o colleagues
from Penobscot sgree With me in support
of tue minority report. You wii make nc
mistake in supporting the minority report
Ii is already . case Of the people sgaihsE 9
monopoly.
Tie Presidens-Ths chair finds among
the papers that House amendment "A" i.
adopted, which substitutes another bill.
Mr. Thatcher Tht. annaars in ths