Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-30
TWO IN THE FIELD.
Rival Claimants for Street Rail.
way to Webster.
Both Include Branch to southbridge and
Possible Extension to Putnam in
Their Scheme.

| The memorable struggle for the privi-
lege of connecting Worcester and Mari
boro with a street railway line is likely
to be duplicated. There is a contest
pending for the franchises for the CON
struction of a street railway from Wor-
cester to Webster, and the battle win
soon be waged. There are two inter
ests that regard a Worcester and Web
ster line as a favorable field for invest
ment. One of these interests is Led by
Harold Parker of Lancaster, the engi-
neer who has been identified with the
movement for the organization which
| was all but started last summer, but
4 which was delayed sor good reasons. The
| other interest includes parties who have
4 been prominent in the projection of
| street railway lines in several sections
! OF New England, New York and Penn
| sylvania. The Parker combination have
| the advantage at the present time, for
| they were first in the field, and, unless
all signs fail, it seems likely that the
| proposed railway will be built by the
| capital which has been enlisted by their
| efforts
| The project is of more than local i'm
portance. 1t includes the construction
OF about 30 or 40 miles Of street railway
and means the connection, sooner or
| later of Putnam Comm with this city
| A line from Webster to Southbridge
| through Dudley, is also among the pos
stble developments of the movement.
| The Parker people are already to make
| their start. Engineers and financial men
! are expected in Worcester Monday, and
from this city they will go over the
route Of the road between Worcester
and Webster Boston capital has been
| interested in the scheme. and the finan-
clal management Of the project is in the
hands OF well-known Boston banking
flrm whose name will inspire confidence
! ana invite investment. About $4,000 oil.
$4,000 has already been subscribed BY
people living along the route Of the pro-
! posed road, and the LEGAL Subscription
wil be raised to $4,000 as soon as the
articles for temporary organization are
| advertised and positive steps are taken
Tor the permanent organization of the
| company.
But the launching of the scheme
| doesn't depend upon local subscription
as the Boston financial firm interested
IN the matter has assured those at the
/ mead of the movement that they will
| not need for backing. The only ulles-
ton to be settled before the steps for
organization are taken, is the cost of
the road. This has been estimated by
conservative and careful engineers to be
about $15O,000, or $4,000 a mile for the
"a miles from Stearns square to Webster
centre This means the construction
OF the track and the road complete for
the running of the cars.
IL should be stated here that the move
ment started last summer for the or
gahl2atlon Of Webster and Worcester
street railway has never been aban-
uoned. This was directed by Mr.. Par
ker ana after the necessary capital had
been secured, there was a feeling among
tnose who were most interested, thai
the financial end of the scheme was not
SO strong as was advisable For this
reason and no other the offers of fnan
| eial assistance were reconsidered and
their acceptance rescinded 1t was
thought desirable to enlist capital as an
Investment rather than speculation
and to build the road in sueh a wav
tnat ITS proper and economical man
asethent would leave no doubt as to a
ialf return for the money invested
EVER since the organization of the FIRST
company was given up, Mr.. Parker and
the gentlemen who have been Interested
with him, have been at work enlistine
new capital and the result Of their al
iorts mas been crowned with success.
The road contemplated by the Parlxar
movement is to begin at the terminus of
the Consolidated street railway ut
Stearns square, South Worcester n
VIII Follow along the side of Paekachoag
MIL. through road that the seIectrnen
OF auburn propose to haYe built for the
new railway, and will cross the New
England railroad at Auburn station
There is some doubt as to the route
through Auburn town, for the peonle |
are divided between town center rolte
by the postofi1ce and town hall and a !
route through West Auburn. along the
Southbridge road. The route, after The
Auburn difficulty is settled will be |
through the villages of Oxford and info
WEBSTER center Excepting the section |
OF the road that goes through the CEN
ter OF Auburn, If the town hall route is [
decided upon, there are no hard grades. |
and the engineering problems in the
construction are comparatively simple. /
1t is held that the new road can be bet !
ter built than any other road in the
county. of similar length and for less /
money. The managers of the scheme are
going to insist upon thorough construc-
ton, and say that when the railway Is
completed there will be comparative |
little expense in keeping it in first class |
condition
The road is not likely to end at Web |
ster, although the Worcester and Web !
ster line is all that is now under con- |
~~StOiAs
scheme see a tempting field in the terri
tory to the south Of Webster and as
soon as the line to that town is in run
ming order will undoubtedly take steps
for the continuation of the road to Put
nam. through the villages of Grosyen-
ordale and Mechanicsville. OF course the
construction of the road in Connecticut
would require Connecticut charter. |
and possibly some legislation from this |
state. But the two companies organized
independently of each other might work
together by agreement and with the APP
proval Of the railroad commissioners of
the two states.
But the Parker organization finds. as
1t Is just ready to take definite action,
that there is another organization in the
air, looking with eager eyes upon the
field that they have regarded as their
own. 1t is said that the rival organiza-
ton has interested New York capital,
and that their object is about the same
as that Of the Parker people the con-
struction of a road from this city to
Webster and thence to Putnam. 1t has
been rumored that the New York Wor- !