The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-18

It was pretty lively town meeting that met last night in the town hall of East Haven. Over hundred were present during the evening, and some interesting impromptu speechmaking took place. The seclectmen, Messrs. John Tyler, Henry Townsend and Leonard Andrews, called the meeting to listen to those interested in the pro- posed new street railway from East ing was given on the petition to the board of selectmen by the New Haven and East River Street Railway com pany. The last session of the legisla- ture passed a resolution authorizing the building of an electric trolley road from Main street, East Haven, through and over the town highway and private land, wherever necessary, to Cosey Beach The route as specified in the petition was from Main street, con- meeting with the tracks of the New Haven Street Railway company, south 
 thence to Luther Pratt's farm, thence to the old unused highway on John Roots farm, and from there to No Mans Land on to the end of Cosey Beach
 The general act of 1893 was read by Attorney Grove J. Futile. who repre- scented the ircorpora .ors of the proposed road. Mt Sperry, 0" the firm of Bogart & Spcrly, surveyors, who had made the survey for the proposed road, exhibited a number of large mars showing the proposed route. Tue railway Company, it was explained would buy land wher- ever needed and pay for widening the streets and also place them in proper condition after laying the tracks.
 ProtracteQ discussion followed on the question of where the trolley tracks should be laid-in ti:e center or on the side of the road. A good many speech es were made and with one or two eX- captions, were in favor of a central track with a driveway on either side.
 Messrs. M. M. Russell and q. E. Bald win were the two first speakers and both were of the opinion that the mid dle of the street was the only place for the track. Hrrace Smith followed with brief statement that he owned prop erty on that highway and was emphat- ically "a middle of the road man"
 At this point there was a lull in the discussion, but it was like the quiet that precedes storm. F. B. Street precipi- tated matters by asking a pointed ques- tion about the fare that would be charged by the new road
 Superintendent Dodge of the New Haven Street Railway company arose to answer the question, and said in brief that the only rate of fare that had ever been mentioned was five cents from East Haven to Cosey Beach. MT. Dodge added that this request was be- fore the board for a layout from East Haven to Cosey Beach and was asked for not by the New Haven Street Railway company, but by the New Haven and East Haven River Railway company. He admitted that it was a fact that he was a director of the New Haven Street Railway company and that he was also an incorporator of the new road, though the two companies were entirely distinct but that inas- much as he represented only the East Haven River Railway company he could make no statements in regard to fares to New Haven. and anyway did not see that the matter was gormane to the subject.
 Mir. Buell. had made a rather vehe- ment speech, calling attention to what lie called an unfulfilled promise on the part of the New Haven Street Railway company, and it was in reply to that that Mir Dodge made the above state ment.
 In regard to transfers MT. Dodge said tie matter had never been broached at the meetings of the incorporators of the new company. He said they had felt sure that East HaVeners would be glad to avail themselves of a ride to Cosey Beach for a nickel He admitted that the company was incorporated not to accommodate the people of the village of East Haven, nor directly to boom real estate values along the line of the road. though that would eventually fol- low, but Ito make a dollar He be- lieved that the road would be a gen. uine benefit to the village just as the road to Morris Cove had greatly built up the settlement along the East shore
 MT. Kirkham recalled to the minds of the citizens that other citizens beside the residents Of the street through which the proposed line would run might have a preference as to where the tracks should be laid, whether in the middle or at one side. To bring the matter to a head he made motion that the board Of selectmcn order that the new tracks be laid on the east side of the street down as far as the IIumis- ton place. There were number of cit izcns who desired to make remarks be- fore the motion was put and So there was another spell of speechmaking. It can be said truhtfully, however, that the speaking was good without eXcep- tion. It was intelligent and straight to the point, and for brevity set a good example to other town meetings Some one had remarked that if the tracks were laid in the middle of the road the town would be put to the expense of maintaining two highways MT. Richmond in few well chosen obse1Ya- tions on the art of driving and the lid- bility to accident on highway not very wide and having trolley track at one side or the other, took occasion to say that it would he far preferable to go to the cost of maintaining two high