The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-05
An Inning, For
Consolidated.
REPLY TO PRIOR,
Officials Say Blame Does
Not Rest With Them.

The officials of the Consolidated
Street Railway Company, believing
that silence has ceased to be a virtue,
have written to The Spy a letter set
ting forth their side Of the snow remov-
ing controversy. 1t was called out,
as stated in the letter, by statement
published yesterday from Street Com
missioner Prior, in which he attempted
10 show that the street railway com
pany was wholly responsible for the
Wretohed condition of Worcester's
principal thoroughfares ever since the
Dig storm of week ago yesterday.
10 the Editor of the Spy.
Believing that controversies between
individuals ar corporations can be set
tied in a better way than by rushing
into print, have avoided any extend
ed interviews to be published in tho
daily press in regard to the removal of
snow from the streets, but my attention.
having been called to a letter signed
by w. S. Prior street commissioner,
which was published in the Sunday
Telegram this morning, IN which he
says that l agreed in behalf Of the
Worcester Consolidated Street Rail
way Company, to remove the snow
from the streets as it had been done
heretofore, 1 believe it is my duty to
state the facts in order that the public
may know the truth Of the matter
Last Sunday night l was at the street
railway office arranging with the SUI
peF1ntendent OF the company for clear
ing the tracks ana removing the snow.
Between 8 and 10 clock we were called
up by Mr.. Prior on the telephone. and
he asked me what we were going to do
about removing the snow. l replied
that we were already at work clearing
our tracks and should push the work
as fast as possible so as to open our
line. He asked me if we could not also
remove the snow from the streets and
bring in a bill for the amount expend-
ed to the city. and if the city thought
it was right he presumed they would
pay 1t. l replied that we could not
agree to any such thing. Mr., Akar-
man sat beside me and heard the re-
ply. Mr.. Prior said: I cannot attend
40 it myself because I shall be out in
the country tomorrow breaking out
roads" have not seen or heard from
Mr.. Prior since that time until l re-
ceived a communication from him yes
terd3y morning and l never made any
agreement with him In regard to the
removal of snow or any other matter.
AS to the work done by the street
railway company during the past week:
great number of persons who use the
ears was Of the first importance, and
realizing that we were called upon to
transport from 10000 to $4,000 persons
each day. we began the work by de-
voting our entire force to getting the
different lines open, in order that we
NIGH carry people into the city and
back to their homes.
We started out the snow plOughs,
brushes and men Sunday afternoon, be-
ginning at Lincoln square and work
ing southerly on Main street and down
Front street. until midnight, when on
account of the heavy drifts and bitter
cold winds, the men were obliged to
stop work, but cars We're kept running
all night to keep clear the tracks that
had been opened Monday morning the
company hired every team and man
that it could, and with its bloughs aud
brushes and seven road machines, con-
tinued to clear the snow from it's tracks
and streets In some streets, such
as Pleasant Chandler, Lincoln, Mill
bury. Green, Grove, Soutnbridge,
Trumbull and West streets. there was
so much snow that we carted a great
deal away in teams. On Pleasant stree
st was carted from the whole width Of
the street from curb to curb, from
Main street as far as Chestnut street,
and from there over to Park avenue It
was removed by teams, not only from
the tracks but from one side of the
street between the tracks and the curb,
including the snow thrown from the
sidewalk. During the day the COM
pany had its plows sWeepers and road
machines and over 300 men and ~
teams at work on clearing the tracks
and removing the snow in 1ifferert
parts of the city, and the men and
teams worked until midnight on Tues
day and Wednesday still larger mum
Der of men and teams were employed.
The policy Of the company in streets
where there are two tracks was 10
clear the snow from both and thus fur
nish an avenue for people and teams
and enable them to pass the cars; the
advantage of this was shown when on
Monday morning the location of the
tracks of the company on Main street
was the only place where sleIghs or
teams or persons could travel. In the
streets where there is a single track
il was to remove the SHOW not only
from the location of the company but
also on one side Of the track, including
the snow thrown from the sidewalk. So
as to enable teams to pass each other
and the cars. This work was continued
until Wednesday afternoon, when the
company was informed that the road
machines of the city were scrap
ing the snow on Chandler
street from the side of the street
from which it had not been removed
onto the tracks, the other side having
been cleared by the company, and thai
four cars and q snow pillow had beer
stalled. All the force was called in from
the outlying districts and put to work
on Chandler street and Main street, fol
between and o'clock, the hour wher
cars are crowded with persons COINS
to their homes, the same road machine
got in their work at the south end and
the cars We're stopped. By o'clock WI
got those lines open. That night my at
tention was called by the postmaster
to the fact that the mail cars were