The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-20
THE TOWN TALK IN DERBY
PROPOSED TROLLEY ROAD no NEW
HAVEN MEETS TITH LITTLE FAVOR

business Men Oppose 1t at Hartford Com
soiidated May Use Electricity to Run
Derby Branch-TurnpiSe too Narrow for
vehicles and Trolley--Basebau Season
opened-O ther Items of Interest.
Inc town talk is centering on the pro-
posed trolley line between Derby and
the City Of Films. There are few who
are In favor of the project, and the ex-
oaus OF business men to Hartford on
tuesday last showed vigorous oppo-
sition to the scheme. There is certainly
no need of the road, for according to
| the latest reports the Consolidated
railroad proposes quite soon to equip
J the branch to Derby with an electric
appointment so that frequent trains at
reduced rates will be the order of the
day There is a sensible criticism in
dulged in by many that the turnpike is
not suitable thoroughfare for both
vehicle and trolley cars in very many
parts, the road being too narrow, and
1t is exceedingly unfair, to quote the
majority of the citizens, that after a
turnpike has been thrown on the town
! the expenses of widening the street
| should be shouldered by the taxpayers.
Ii an electric service must be main
| tanned the cost should be placed on
those most commemorative investors.
The real benefit from such a plan COM
eth not to the passengers for the steam
rail accommodation are good and the
public is not grumbling. The people in
| Derby believe that this plan of build
ing a road is none other than a foxy or
| clever game to get fat subscription of
stock, called a little sum, and then sell
out to rival. There is no gainsaying
such road would do no good to the
| business or mercantiel interests of this
| section, PEOPLE WHO aturaiiY trade
| here would for no other reason than
the novelty of a ride, do their shopping
| in New Haven. Even if the same prices
prevailed, there is a class who go to
large city for the excitement of gazing
| in shop windows, and it is their money
| that is made or earned in Derby and
ought to go to the sustaining of local
ventures or enterprises in the mercan-
tile line. A city or village that has
| barren stores or empty shops does not
impress a stranger as a thrifty settle
ment. The big fish naturally eat UP the
little ones, and it has always been the
fate of suburbs to a metropolis that
scarcely any mercantile prosperity Is
chronicled of those towns They are
! desirable sites for residences, but the
dry goods, clothing and millinery mer-
chants can not thrive.
The decision of Judge Wheeler
against the Shelton trolley extension is
to some a disappointment, but to those
who are acquainted with the inside his
tory of many a road4tconstructed on
paper the announcement means good
sense and sound law. There is a law in
our state requiring so much money to
be planked down before corporation
can project business, and there is no
reason why rail or trolley organiZa-
ton should not show their hand and
prove the genuineness of their faith by
raising the Doodle before laying the
rails. The people are tired or weared
as well as disguised with speculations
in charters The verdict of Judge
Wheeler commends itself to thoughtful
investors as a guard to every wild
cat project to saddle a community
with spawned" concerns.
The Derby board of education is
thinking of a change in text books,
which means an influx of book drum
mers and a wagon load of express pack
ages of sample books for the members
to peruse. 1t is many years since new
books were introduced but it is the
opinion of the superintendent that the
present list is not up to date and a re-
vision is highly necessary. 1t is prob
able the change, if made, will be con-
Quoted slowly, a new text book in arith-
metic history and geography being first
considered.
The baseball season commenced Tues
day by schedule, but the cold air oper-
ated against a large crowd at the park,
and the road was not quite completed
To-day the second game, the contest
|