Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-25
CLINTON EAGER.
Residents Before the Metropol-
itan Water Board.
Question of Relocating Central Massa-
chusetts Tracks Under Consideration
Worcester Board of Trade
Represented.
Especial Dispatch to the Spy.)


Boston, Jan. 24-The metropolitan
water commissioners gave a hearing
this afternoon on the relocation of that
part Of the Massachusetts Central Rail-
road which will be submerged when the
big Wachusett reservoir on the Nashua
river is filed. The section of the rail-
road to be inundated is between West
Berlin station and Oakdale section,
distance of about eight miles, and in
cludes the present stations of the Mas
sachusetts Central at Boylston and
West Boyaston.
There were present at the hearing
about so residents of the town of Clinton,
which is anxious to have the road re-
located through that town, joining the
Worcester, Nashua and Portland divi-
sion of the Boston and Maine at Gin
ton station. There were also present
members OF the boards of selectmen of
Boylston and West Boylston, acting I'M
der vote of town meetings, to work for
the relocation of the road on the south
shore of the big basin and joining the
old location just beyond Oakdale sta
tion, where the Massachusetts Central
and the Worcester and Nashua roads
intersect. The city of Worcester Board
of Trade was also represented by Sem
ator E. B. Crane and j. Russell Marble,
both Of whom believed in the south
shore route for relocation, and urged as
an argument to that end another route
between Boston and Worcester, and a
much shorter one than the present Bos-
ton and Albany route.
Chairman Sprague of the metropolitan
water board, who presided, called for
the selectmen of towns who were pres
ent. Boylston responded through j.
Nelson Ball and Messrs. Hastings, Reed
and Wright, all Of the board of select
men. These gentlemen referred to the
fact that the original location of the
Massachusetts, Central through Boylston
and West Boylston was determined by
the subscriptions by those towns to the
stock Of the road. If the Clinton route
was taken in the relocation of the road,
Boylston and West Boylston would be
left without railroad communication.
Former Representative e. A. Cowee of
| West Boylston, chairman Of tine board
! of selectmen, followed the Boylston
! delegation, and urged the relocation Of
| the road along the south shore. He
called the attention of the board to the
| fact that many Of the people Of West
Boylston who were driven from their
| homes by the encroaGhme OF the
water, were to relocate at the old COM
mon, and that in this event, the south
shore route for the relocation would
| give them almost the same accomnoda-
tions that they had before. He stated
that West Boylston's contribution to the
stock of the Massachusetts Central was
$46,400 and that 5000 more was taken
by private subscription.
Charles C. Bancroft, appearing as the
town solicitor OF Clinton, advocated the
Clinton route as the shortest, most prac-
ticable and cheapest route for the re-
location of the road. He supposed that
most of the people present We're there
from selfish motives. That was the
position of the Clinton delegation, for
they were anxious to have the road To-
Gated through that town in order to
| derive the benefits. 1t would not only
give Clinton another railroad, but would
afford new route from Clinton to Bos-
ton. The Clinton route Is line 10
parallel the northern division of the
New Haven road from West Berlin to
Clinton.
w. N. FELTON, of Bolton urged the re-
location Of the road on the old location
of the Hudson and Lancaster road, the
road-bed of which was practically in
tact This would bring the Central out
few miles above Clinton. Charles Fra
ser of the Clinton Board Of Trade took
and called on several of the Clinton del
egation present to add their arguments
for the north shore or Clinton route.
There was no testimony offered in this
direction until Charles H. Richardson,
agent for the Lancaster mills at Gin
ton, spoke. He wanted the Clinton route
because it would be of great advantage
to the Lancaster mills, and he wasn't
afraid to say so. The freight bills Of
that corporation in a single year
amounted to something like $50, 900.
With another road in Clinton and es-
pecially road running to the back door
of the Lancaster mills, the freight
charges of the corporation might be
considerably reduced. He was in favor
of the Clinton location on this account,
and for the benefit it would do the
town. But further than this, he didn't
care where the road was located.
Harold Parker of Lancaster called as
one of the Clinton delega ton, expressed
his views as favoring the Clinton route.
He supposed that the engineers of the
water board had already made up their
minds as to the best and most practical
4 route, and while it was commendable
! on the part of the commission to hear
4 the representatives Of the different
towns interestedS he didn't think that
anything that might be said could en-
tighten men whose business it was to
understand thoroughly the minutest de-
tails Of the changes involved in the
! creation of a big reservoir.
Among the other men called by Mr.
Fraser were Lueius Field S. I. ingalls,,
H, K. SWinscoe, w. r. Dame and Rep
resentative Walter F. Howard, all of
Clinton They were a unit for the To-
cation Of the road through Clinton. AZ
ter the towns had been heard, Mr. Cow
i ee Of West Boylston suggested to the
chairman of the board that there were
i representatives of the Worcester Board
| of Trade present. Senator E. B.
Crane stated that Worcester was inter-
ested in the south shore location in that
it would give another route between
Worcester and Boston, which would
shorten the present Albany route by at
| least four miles. He thought that it
was for the best interests of the road
| to take the south shore location and
| come down as near to Worcester as pos
sible. Clinton had nothing to lose and
| everything to gain by the relocation of
! the road, while the Boylstons had every+
| thing to lose and nothing to gain by
! the south shore route. j. Russell Mar
BILE followed Senator Crane in the same
vein. He pointed out to the board and
to the railroad people, that there were
/ 10000 people in Worcester, and that
this trade was worth trying for by the
relocation of the road along the south
shore of the reservoir. The matter of
the relc cation Of the road had just come