The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-09
TRIUMPHANT TROLLEY.
TEACHES TIMELY LESSONS TO TIM
I'D CAPITAL.

| Fares being about 1000 n Day - Hal
as Many Will Mean Big Dividends
Plans for Extensions to Fair Grounds
Esteyville, Vernon, Hinsdale, North
heId,s Turner's Falls, Chesterfield an,
| Elsewhere.
| The electric street railways business
! the project fully as much as the oppon
ents. The most enthusiastic promotes
never in his widest moments dreamed
of anything approaching what is nov
realized fact. The one who did no
allow himself to be bluffed out of tax
ing stock in the enterprise, is some
what inclined to'grin just now. Bu'
the one. and there are good many o.
him, who relinquished such purpose
and in some cases positive promise,
because of the bitterness of the oppo
sition and of the fact that the leading
men, the financicrs and judges of val
ues, were So neariy unanimously against
it, does not enjoy communing with
himself. But there is rapid change
of sentiment in progress. Four fifthe
of the people have been in favor of the
road from the beginning, and the 9th
er fifth is rapidly melting, following
Brer. Hooker's example. II sincerely
hope it will be a success is their ex-
preston now. This hope took shape
in the purchase Of l3 shares of the
stock, it is said, in one day this week,
There is man who seriously contem-
plated taking all that was left, some
5000 several days and he finds himself
left, or nearly so, FOR the present The
road wouldn't have to average to do a
quarter of the. business it has done for
the past week to pay, and if it contin-
ues, to do what everything indicates,
say |, 200 fares day, it will pay enor-
mously. Thus far it has cleared up
well towards SO day above expenses
which would mean about 10 per cent
a year on the stock but of course no
body expects that or anything like it.
The only thing that nobody compre-
hends is why the traffic doesn't begin
To slow up. Thus far in the 81. DAYS
il has been running ii has carried
about 600 passengers. After the as
tonishing business of last week Wednes-
day Thursday and Friday, proved to be
the best day of all with 2s0o fares regis
tered. Saturday would have been still
better but for the storm in the after
noon and as it was, there were 2GO0.
Sunday it was only few short of 1000.
Monday it was 1000 and Tuesday 2oo0
again. and Wednesday 1900 and yester
day 2500. The drop Wednesday was
due to the fact that there was trouble
with the motor of one car and ii had
to be taken off for repairs, which were
not finished even in season for last
nights business until nine O'Clock and
as result there were crowds on the
street that wanted TO 90 10 West Brat
tleboro and couldn't get standing room
in the cars. The cars kept starting
crowded from Pine street, and this WAS
the reason they diGgs't stop on Main
In the jam money fares cannot be col
lected SO that the real travel is CON
siderable beyond the registered figures.
This indicates very little falling off
yet in the pleasure riding, and the
business riding is increasing. The
early car from the West Village yes
terday morning brought down the most
passengers il has any morning. 1t is
the idea of the management to SO run
as to meet the shop hours. Two ears
have been run forenoons this week and
three afternoons and evenings, except
tors have felt forced to purchase equip
ment and motor for the fourth car,
il is contracted for, part now here
and the rest to come in a few days. For
the fair business il is hoped To secure
two more cars temporarily Negotla
tiuns are in progress for snow plow.
The equipment has been found to be
first class in every way and fully up To
the expectations of the directors. The
power is satisfactory. The generator
has run continuously from the start
without a break, a very unusual thing
for newly-installed plant. 1t Is
found that another switch VIII be
needed somewhere near the center of
the line. on High, Oak or Common
street, it has not been determined ex-
actly yet. Guard rails are TO be placed
on the Oak Chaplin corner street To pre-
vent the cars leaving the tracks, as they
have twice done. 1t is the worst point
on the line, a curve and grade com
ing together But so far there has
been less getting off the track than any
other new road in this section, show
ing that it was well built and well
planned by Engineer Merrill.
The start off is such that it can con-
fidently be predicted that there will be
no trouble another season in getting
capital enough for all the extensions
necessary. Indeed there is danger
that there will be too much of rush
men will be ready to put up the money
TO build an electric road to the moon.
II can be seen now that a g reat mis-
take was made in not building clear
1ut to the fair ground, which would
nave meant 81. 600 to 50, 900 more in
.ome the first year. 1t would have
Deen done if anybody had known what
does now: but as the direc-
-ors had to start with debt because
If the difficulty of getting stock sub
,riptions. they naturally hesitated in
Ill the talk about assuming more. 1t
s too late now to get either rails or
,ars in season for this years fair.
There is a project among some people
o run from Central street straight up
o the fair grounds, laying out a
lew highway and of course opening up |
ome desirable building lots for work
mems homes. But it is doubtful when |
his extension is made if it goes there,
because it will be aimed to make it
,art of some inter-town line, to Gull
ord and south ward or tn Vprpnp /