Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-02-01
THE ELECTRIC RAILROAD.
Objections of the Opponents

stated at a Hearing Held by the Select
men Observation-Disclosures this Norn-
ing Rrfusing 20 Grant a Location for
the Road.
Pursuant 90 an adjournment taken. the select
men held mrrtir, .n their room in the town
hall wednesday afternoon o. hear the objections
OF the opponents Of the proposed electric street
railway. The hearing occupied the time from
unit. O'Clock aud carefully covered the yauous
points at issue. T. W Studdari appeared as
counsel for the opposition uud i. /. Waterman
for the directors Of the railroad company f. c.
Crosby was present 10 answe err any questions that
might be- asked Of the directors Among those
who appeaed in opposition were Col Hooker
ex-Goy Fuller, Hon. b b. Harris Col r. Good.
hue. w. f. Richardson. DR. Gale and / f Adams
Members of the board Of balfs We e. present to
inform themselves Of the situation, should any
action on their part be required
without attempting to give m detail the views
expressed b, the several repre- sentatlv.s of the.
opposition, iimay be said thai the general ground
taken was that there is no public demand for the
construction of street Railway IN Bratteboro.
that the public convenience and business do not
requle IT, that It would bring IN 10 outside bust
ness ana that its cOnstruc ion would interfere
with the Use Of the streets for ordinary traffic
would damage property in many cases and would
oe generally detrimental 10 the interests OF the
people.
ltwas urged that the running Of the electric
cars Woeld practically prohibit driving by women.
Whch is now so common. for the reason that
while most horses become accustomed 10 Inc
steam cars, there are very many in which fright
9t NE electric cars cannot be overcome. Col
HOOKER said be had been told by c. p Gibson that
lie had sold as many, be thought. as 100 horses
tue past season, which came from the citv OF
Springfield, Mass their only fault being that they
were afraid Of the electrics
The running Of the cars through the business
poruoh OF Nam street, il was urged. would work
70 proholt the convenience Of Litching horses in
the street "hiie customers from outside are trad
ing and doing errands, privilege now SO gener-
any enjoyed. IL was urged that II would be bad
policy to Interfere with the system of stone roads
now SO well begun, by laying tracks through the
streets. strong point TO be considered was the
probable condition Of Main street in winter when
the snow lies there a solid mass of two feet or
more now the railroad tracks would be cleared.
what would be done with the snow, and how &C
cidents would be prevented. were the snow and
zee allowed to lie two feet high on either side Of
the tracks
-, l. F. Adams thought the damage to the Brooks
house property, by running railroad ON two
slles OF II, as now proposed. would be $1,000.
Col GOodhue endorsed tins opinion. Mr. Adams
DeneNed the damage 10 Mrs. Rice's estate
at the top of tine High street hill would be- 5000
iucluuluS the cutting down OF the grade three feet
al the top OF tue nil as contemplated. with the
road running from Canal street, up through Main
street ana thence up High street and on to West
brattleburo
Or. Gale said that if there is any demand for
thg roal on the part Of the public he had failed
came. TX Gov. Fuller held that the directors
should present an accurate survey of thu location
OF the route SO that intelligent criticism OF It
might De MADE H. said that If a y or a triangle
were TO bee put IN the open space 10 front OF the
brdtti-hurJ House, as would be- necessary to run
branch track down to the railroad station. it
would Use up practically the whole of the open
space al tnat point How did the directors pro.
pose 10 pass tine narrow point IN Canal street.
Where The northeast corner of the wall OF the
SIiny'- Ltouuds is undoubtedly in the highway
de reared tnat the stopping or beginning at
bn-r street meant thu eventually the tracks
WOul- Dee continued out BIrgt street. Interfering
very seriously with. If not prohibiting, t-amuE
anu trucking Oh that street When asked t.
suggest location for the road. be said that must
lie with the directors: ne would feel d natural
d-icacy il suggesting that u be run past the
property Of his friends in other parts Of the vii
lAge.
Mr. Stoddari, 10 his argument for the oppos.-
ton, held that, the oppo cuts having 10 appeal
under the law from the fixed decision as to the
location tAe srectmen. as Z matter OF public
justice should mrs; satisfy themselves that ma
loHty OF the voters and majority Of the grand
INST desired the road. thus placing the burden OF
appeal upon its promoters.
Mr.. Waterman confined himself almost wholly
TO The legal points. holding that, under the char
ter OF the company and under the general law
enacted in 1894. tine seecttnrn were bound 10
grant the road location and that they had O
option in this respect. His argum ut on this
point was strong and, TO the directors, convinc
ing. The selectmrn reserve their decision and
answer until to morrow.
Good feeling was shoSn throughout the hearing
both friends and opponents maki0g, simply.
strong and cecldrd expression OF their views
II Is understood that the selectmrn have been
investigating the general subject OF electric street.
railroads, b. A Clark Of the board having visited
Gardner, Athol and Orange TO observe tn. opera
ton Of the system there
LRter---An Adverse Decision nv the Ser
ltctmen.
Having heard the parties interested in the sub
Ject matter of this petition we decline to grant
permission To the Petitioners to locate an electric
street railway over and through the streets Of
ttion
q. a. BOYDEN.
BARNA \. CLARK.
G4l...s ftta.tr Inr.1.s o..