Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-02-08
THE ELECTRIC RAILROAD.
Developments of the Past Week.

Claims of the Promoters and Objections
of the Experimentation NVenth-
crhead's Minority Report.
During the past week the directors of the
proposed electric railroad, having been re-
fused a location for their line by the select
men, have made application to the state
railroad commissioners to grant them To-
cation as the law provides. The commits
sioners have acknowledged the receipt of
this request and it is expected that they
will appear in the course of ten days, look
the ground over and give their decision.
The promoters of the enterprise state,
on their part, that, while disappointed at
the attitude of a majority of the board of
selectmen, they are not discouraged, and
do not believe that it was the intention of
the legislature to give the selectmen power
to prevent the construction of the road by
refusing it location. They believe it un-
necessary to obtain the consent of a ma
iorty of the voters and of the grand list,
this never having been done in any place
in New England and this being, as the pro
meters believe, the first time that lOCa-
ton has been refused to a duly chartered
company.
is to obtain location, and the next is to
raise money and make contracts so that
construction may begin as soon as frost is
out of the ground in the spring. The eX-
pectation is that the road could be in run
ming order in a month from beginning
operations, thus disturbing the streets only
a short time. 1t is not a question for the
selectmen or opponents of the road, the
promoters claim, whether the road will
pay, but for the stockholders. They be
| lieve there is a demand for the road that
! the experience of other towns demonstrates
that Brattleboro would support an electric
railway, and that it would prove a great
public convenience. They are prepared to
push the solicitation of funds and make
arrangements for building the road as soon
as the location is granted.
In another column The Phoenix prints a
communication from Hon. b. d. Harris, in
which a very full statement is made of the
objections to this enterprise To us it
seems that the projectors of the roadt
should first make sure that there is a real
and general public demand for its construc-
ton. 1t will hardly be deemed practicable
to secure a majority consent of the voters
and the grand list, as Is required when
! bonding a town is proposed, but it should
| first appear that it is the wish of the people
most interested that the road be built, and
| its construction should not be undertaken
in opposition to such wish. The affirm
alive settlement of this point will be the
most effective way of disarming oppOs-
| ton, for there are not many people in Brat
teboro who would wish to stand out
against real public improvement which
will meet a public demand. There are
! of ~ tar
prise, who will not regret seeing the streets
given up to trolley poles and trolley wires,
and it is not to be denied by any that there
are serious objections to the construction
of the road through the business portion of
our narrow Main street. The points in
this respect, and in regard to the condition
of the street in winter, are well stated in
Mr.. Harrs's article and should receive
candid consideration. Beyond this it seems
to us only necessary to say that, it being
once decided that the road is desired by
our people, and that it is to be built, its To-
cation should be such as will reach and ac-
commodate those sections of the village
and town which most need its convenience
No route or location should be chosen OF
avoided on account of individual wishes OF
individual opposition. The route should
be that which will confer the greatest pub
lie benefit.
The Decision Against a Location.
1t proved that the failure of Mr.. Boyder
and Mr.. Clark, as a majority of the board
of selectmen, to confer with Mr.. Weather
head as to the decision to be made on ap
plication for a location of the road, was
due TO thoughtlessness and not to an inten
ton to ignore the minority member. Mr.
Clark says with reference to this that i
was simply mistake of his that the peril
ton, with refusal. was returned before Mr.
Weatherhead came down, and Mr.. Weather
head says, in return, that "the only fau
with Clark is that he wasn't born in Gull
ford where Boyden and himself were!"
Mr. Weatherhead's return on the petit
ton for a location is AS follows:
lido not agree with the other two selectmen il
the above decision and am in favor of permitting
! the location "a requested.
II. F. WEATHERHEAD, Selectman.
! BrattlebOrO, Feb !, 1866
An Objection Answered.
With regard tc the objection raised by eX Gov
Fuller, account of the narrowness of Cana