Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-12
But What OF the Ideal

onc naturally asks what about that one
idea which We started out in pursuit of at
the beginning of this narrative?
We have seen some of the results of that
idea. Ten.ctnt teams have become so nu-
merous that there is not convenient room
about the depot for them to stand. The
business is all cut up into It'd bits. A long
row of drivers stand on the platform at
every train waiting for customers and some
- of the teams do not come 10 the station ex-
cept they are ordered to do so. A long
chain has been put to keep them in their
places and the railroad has taken heroic
measures to keep the rival drivers from
pickering. Anyone can usually find plenty
anyw here in the city limits for 10 cents, To
say nothing of the electric ears running
haif-hourly. And yet six years ago there
was nothing of this except on special oe-
casions, as during the Legislature or mus
ter
What has brought all this abouti II
would seem incredible to think it took orr
gin in one idea.
In 1886 Mr.. A. X. Boarlman had faith
to believe that running a carriage for carry
ing parcels and passengers for 10 cents
each would prove paving business, and
set out on the enterprise with one team.
How some of the people. and thay were
no, few. laughed The idea was most Wis
ionary.
But Mr.. Boardman became the busiest
man in the city. Soon he had more than
he could attend to. and put on another team
with driver. And still the business in
creased. Then people began to saw, well
who'd have thought that there would have
been patronage enough" Others said, 81
guess horse cars would have paid, but the
city is so hilly that this 10 cent team bus'-
ness will take the place of them This set
men with capital to thinking of the matter
Then, when later electricity became practi-
cal in running street ears. almost regardless
of hills, these thinking capitalists, or rather
Col. Staples was the first that talked the
matter confidently, began to consider the
question seriously, Finally the electric
cars were put on. Would they pays
Many thought not Many thought that il
they did. the Decent team business would
be ruined.
Not Mt ali. The electric cars paid from
the day they were started. People got in
the habit of riding and if the electric cars
didn't accommodate them they couldn't
break away from the habit they had formed
of riding so they took the 10 cent teams.
and the teams multiplied in number. To-
day the question is what to do with them.
A Joras.. reporter Saturday. talking
with Mr.. Boardman about the licensing of
these teams found that he was in favor of a
good license. He said that when be foan'i
the ten-cent team business would prove a
paving one If properly managed, he went
to the city government or come of the lead
ing members and proposed license OF $50
for double and SIS for single team.
Not enough to give monopoly but to re-
strict the business within paying limit and
that he would agree to run teams regularly
and put on as many rs were needed. The
city government didn't deem it wise at that
time to adopt the license ordinance. MI
Boardman run for two years and haif and
at the end of that time had four teams run
ming regularly. He sold out then and