Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-06-07
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
OF the People and the Trolley.

IL Has Been Week which One would
Like to Have Photographed and Pho
nographed for Future Reference.
All that has been actually done on the
Bratteboro street railroad during the past
week can be told in short compass, but if
all that has been said were written down,
and If all the outraged feelings were given
expression, it would fill book bigger than
the new Standard dictionary, and some of
the language wouldn't be used for topical
reading in orthodox Sunday schools. Mon
day morning work began at point on
Main street near the Grove street corner,
and construction was pushed along up
North Main street. In aiming for the west
side of that street, so as to run in close to
the bank and leave the rest of the road
way clear, the track was run uncomforta-
bly, close to the Wells fountain, both for
looks and for the convenience of the pub
lie in driving ~ to allow horses to drink.
Mr.. Gregg and Mrs White were aggriev-
ed that the road cut so close to their prem
ises, though 1t proves to be less objectiona-
BILE than at first seemed probable. On
passing 5. w. Kimbalrs and swinging
around the corner on to Common street,
the line ran through the southern and
western portion of the triangular piece of
turf at that point, and directly through
tree, which was removed by permission of
the authorities. After leaving this point,
instead of swinging to the north side of
Common street, according to the location
given by the selectmen, it ran into the
turf, and when, on Tuesday morning, it
was found that this turf was being plough
ed up, the Indignation of the vicinity resi-
dents, and other persons to whom the com
mon is the pride of the village, boiled over
Col. Haskins addressed a protest to the
company. The bailiffs were notified, and
four members of the board issued a notice
to the company that the road must be kept
within the highway limits and must
not be built through the turf. This
brought work on the common to a stand
still, and skip was made to a point on
Chaplin street near Z. H. Van Doorn's
From that point work has been pushed
through Oak street to High street. On
Chaplin street, from Van Doorn's to Lin
den street, the railroad company is putting
in 800 feet of S-inch drain pipe to take
care of the surface water. A good deal of
difficulty was experienced in running the
curves from Common street across Linden
street TO Chaplin street, and it is doubtful
II Ine exact location mas as yet been deter
mined. If it goes in one way it cuts too
close for comfort on to the Holden u Mar
tin property; if the other then A. w.
Chlds will suffer.
What the outcome on Common street
will be remains to be seen. The claim of
the company or its surveyor is, of course
that the curve is too sharp if the line
swings inside the present roadway, but it
will be very difficult to convince the public
that the turf ought to be cut up for the
convenience of the trolley tracks. Mr.
Crosby states that the wOrkmen made a
mistake by ploughing four feet further
into the turf than the line called for. The
selectmen decline to interfere in this mat
ter, since the village charter gives the con-
troll of public parks to the bailiffs. The
selectmen, moreover, have no wish to risk
lawsuit 10y laying out an additional width
of highway. The facts in regard to the
public rights in the common are explained
in paragraph printed herewith, and the
whole question is fully discussed in a letter
from Col. Haskins.