Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-16
Go Over the Work of The Snow
PIoW and Hose.
The Electric Railroad Companys
Grow Digs Up Water Street.
The Beard OF Aldermen Pass Orders and
Serve Eosice.

where the city did Fiiay, at the pcs.
ofce.
There active operations excited consider
.ble comment and for a time there was
cutie crowd of onlookers.
The snow in the track was frozen solid
The vat,r put upon it during the zero
weather of Friday had performed its mis-
ZION most effectaally.
Behind the pickaxe brigade came teams
into vhich the ice and snow were
sEovelled to be hauled away.
Has the city got to pay for this:' was
the question most frequently heard AMI it
soon became quite generally understood
that the road would make such demand
up1n the city.
There is a rum,r to the effect that the
mayor will again order the tracks to be
filed unless the company ,omplies wi h the
order passed by the board Of aldermen
Monday afternoon.
In the forenoon an informal meeting of
the officers of the Electric Road was held.
It i, not learned that any definite action was
taken.
Hon. j. Manchester Haynes, the presi-
dent of the Electric railroad Company and
Hon Geo. Z. Macomber, the treasurer,
called on Mayor Leighton Monday fore
noon. The Journal is informed on excel
len, authority, that they stated to lin their
belief that the method adopted by him
to improve the condition of Water
street was i'll al that in depriviug them in
the use of their road he had exceeded any
authority conferred upon him from any
source and stated to him that they
would ike to have him reopen
the road if he pre- ferred to do so.
Ifnot they would reopen the road and charge
the cost to the city or to whomever might
be responsible in the premises. They also
st ted to The mayor that they were ready
AMI had been ready at all times to cooper
a'e with him and the authorities in preserv-
irg a satisfactory condition of the street.
Later Mayor Leighton was seen by n
JorFSAL reporter. The mayor said when
asked concerning the companys statement
that no notice had bee n given them respect
ing Water street;
1t was supposed that they had ample no.
tlce. 1t was supposed the street commits
sioner had given the company notice. The
mayor said he, himself, had notified the
supefirten lent of the road that something
must be done. This was on, day while he
was talking with the superntende mt
on the street looking at the road
and the condition in which the road
was. lie had some talk also with
the superintendent regarding the uss of
barges through Water street. He under
stood the superintendent to say that he ad
yised the company TO use the bsrges along
Water street
The mayor also said that he dill not know
that a single officer of the company was out
of town when he gave the order to fill the
track He said that he did not give any or
der to have the street wet down. He simply
ordered the street commissioner to scrape
the snow back into the track, so of course
he gave no orders respecting the opening of
the bydrsnts.
A meeting of the board of aldermen was
called during the day, and about ; o'clock
the aldermen convened.
When the meeting was called to order, a
JourSNL reporter was in the room. One
of the sldermen Immediately made mo-
ton to 20 into executive session. This ac-
ton of the board, of course, shut out the
prcs repre- sentative, as well as other out
siders The only outsider in the room dur
ing the meeting was +. <. Became, Esq, of
Hsllowell, who, it was understood, was
called for consultation and legal advice.
The reporter, at the close of the meeting,
obtained some information of what tran
spired in the meeting, also copies of the
orders passed.
1t is understood that there WAS very little
discussion and much overhaulibg of city
ordinances and the charter of the road. The
mayor made some remarks and others spoke
briefly. Alderman Randall thought the
order required the impossible in demanding
that the Railroad Company put the street in
perfectly safe condition. To do this
would necessitate the removal of all the
snow in the street. He called attention to
the large number of teams hitched along
the curling and which take up the most
available and safest part of the street.
The following order received passage
Ordered, That the Augusta lisllowell 4
Gardiner Railroad Company, in tie re-
moval of any snow and ice from the streets,
roads and highways occupied by said COM
pany within the limits of ssid city, shall *
move the same. so these sail sire cts. roads
and highways shall be safe and convenient
Tor public use at all times. The sal work
shal! be done and completed within lea-
sonab!e time AMI to the satisfaction OF the
street Commissioner of the Western district.
Ordered, That an attested copy OF tins
order be served at once upon the said Rni.
road Company ana copy given to SAIL
sweet commissioner.