The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-21
BY THE CONSOLIDATED
E1TENSIYE IMPRoVEMENTS AT
 CLINTON SOON TO BEGIN,

Most of the Land Needed for the Purpose
 Already Purchased-Two Dangerous
 Grade Crossings to be Eliminated
 Dwellings to be Taken Away-New Pas
 senger Station and Freight Depot.
 Clinton, Conn.,, July 20.-A large force of workmen will begin operations in a few days on extensive improvements to be made by the Consolidated road in this town. It is not expected that the many changes to be made will be com pleted before next spring. The conn pany has purchased all the land that will be needed for the proposed new layout with the exception of small piece on High street, belonging to the estate of the last John B. Wright. This will probably be purchased in a few days and a gang of men will be set to work at once. The improvements con- templated will require an outlay of nearly $1OO,O00, and when they are completed there will be a big change In the appearance of the center of the town.
 Two dangerous grade crossings on High and John streets are to be elimin- ated and new thoroughfares to take their places will be constructed by the railroad company. Both of these streets run through the business section of Clinton and the site of the present station Is between them, Quite num- Der of lives have been lost at both the High and John street crossings, and they were condemned some time ago by the railroad commissioners.
 The plans adopted by the railroad company call for the construction of a new street to be run under the tracks to the site of the proposed new station, and thence to the town center.
 Standing on the land purchased by the company are half dozen dwelling houses, which will be removed or torn down at once and in their places will be erected a new passenger station, new freight depot and other buildings, in cluding perhaps a round house. The passenger station will be placed several hundred feet west of the site occupied by the present depot. It will be a much finer structure than the one now in use and will resemble the station at Branford, although not so large. It will be constructed of stone and brick.
 There is good deal of speculation as to what the railroad company is going to do with all the land it has purchas- ed. Some people owning valuable prop erty in the vicinity of the station fear that a. new round house is to be erected where High street now crosses the Shore Line tracks. The belief that such Is the company's intention has caused temporary hitch in the negotiations for the purchase of the Wright prop erty. The heirs of the late MT. Wright claim that the erection of round hound on the above location will dam age the property In question one-half its full value and have accordingly in- formed the representatives of the rail- road that they will dispose of the land on that basis only. The railroad peo- pie say they do not intend to erect a round house not on the Wright proper ty at least, and have offered the heirs a price considerably less than demanded. It Is thought, however, that satisfac- tory terms can soon be arranged.
 The residents of Clinton hope that as a result of the improvements the town will be given as good passenger train service by the Shore Line road officials as is now given Guilford At present Guilford is greatly favored in the mat ter of passenger trains, but when the new round house is built here 1t is ex- pected that the three trains which now run as far as Guilford only will come through to Clinton. During the past two years the summer traffic to Clinton and Grove Beach has almost doubled and there is general demand for more trains, especially at night.