Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-08-02
At West BrattlebOrO.
The Only Drawback TO the Celebration
Lack Accommodation i'm the Elec-
tries.

The Only Drawback TO the Celebration
Lack of Accommodation i'm the Elec-
tries.
Early Monday morning our people set
themselves to work to prepare to celebrate
the first approach of the electric cars, and
no celebration in the village has ever been
so successfully carried out. Wednesday
morning decorations began TO appear on
nearly all of the residences in the village.
The band stand was a solid mass of ever
green and flowers. A line of bright col
ored lanterns extended around the COM
mon, which with the electric light present.
ed a brilliant scene when lighted.
The first car arrived with the officials of
the town and road and guests about $3.50,
and they were cheered all along the line
At 1880 when the band arrived playing
on the cars, the street was one blaze of red
fire, candles, rockets. etc, while from the
throats of 300 people came a shout of joy
and approval. The band occupied the
stand with the speakers and at o'clock
gave a concert of so minutes. The chair
man of the occasion was W. d. Stockwell
who introduced Rev. j. II. Babbitt. In
his address of welcome Mr.. Babbtt eX-
pressed in behalf of the West Brattleboro
people, gratitude that the road was in good
running order, and he said that behind all
such enterprise there must be much
thought and work. This road is not built
for show but practical utility.
C.. +. Thompson was next introduced
and to our people he offered congratula-
tions most profuse. He asked the people
not to expect too much of the road. f. G.
Crosby has in his veins the true blood of
his father. At the conclusion Mr.. Thomp-
son called for three cheers for the road,
which were given heartily.
The name of the president of the road,
f. C.. Crosby, when announced, brought
forth rounds of applause and cheering.
Mr.. Crosby gave a short history of the de-
velopment of the street railway project,
telling of the time when the late S. N.
Herrick was interested and gave to him
the credit of its naturalization. Mr.. Her
rick said a few weeks before his death that
he would never live to see the road COM
pleted. Mr.. Crosby hoped that the road
would be a success financially and as an
accommodation.
A song by Frank Brasor was much en-
joyed at this point and he responded to an
encore.
The severe cold with which j. L. Martin
was suffering did not prevent his making
some very interesting remarks. He said
the East village people were beginning to
fear annexation to West Brattleboro. Mr.
Martin hoped to see lines of electric cars
stretching all over the country, doing away
with smoke and cinders. He congratulated
the president on the final completion and
satisfactory working of the road and hoped
1t might be a paying institution.
Contractor M. A. Coolidge was glad to
be able to say the road was completed and
that the people saw fit to celebrate its
opening. He believed the enterprise would
be a success or would not have interested
himself financially in it.
| Although not interested financially Col.
II. Z. Taylor wished the road a large de-
gree of success. sit will open up a new
era of prosperity" he said; "give it your
hearty support"
A chorus of local singers rendered "When
my ship comes in" very acceptably.
What were considered by many the best
remarks of the evening were those of Rev.
Lewis Grout. He has seen considerable
of the world, having visited twice on the
other side of the ocean, viewing many Won
ders, but had seen nothing to compare with
the electric car, beautiful palatial coach
moving along without apparent motive
power. Mr.. Grout spoke of the OK team
as a conveyance within his memory and SC
on through the progress of locomotion tC
the present time, when one can go thous-
ands of miles from home and return to theil
door all upon velvet cushions.
DIR. Holton said that the residents Of
West Brattleboro had now reached the re
alization of their hopes. "We are living
in an electrical age and surely the light