The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-10
FRANCHISES SOUGHT
Aldermanic Hearing
On Consolidated's
Petitions.
ORDER BY ALDERMAN KENDALL.
He Wants Tracks Removed
From Shrewsbury
Street.
ORDER BY ALDERMAN KENDALL.

At a meeting of the board of alder
men last night the matters that were
provocative of discussion were the
hearing on the petitions of the Worces-
ter Consolidated Street Railway Com
pany for certain franchises and the or
der of Alderman Kendall instructing
and authorizing the mayor and com
mittee on streets on the part of the
board of aldermen to confer with the
Consolidated in regard to the advisa-
bility of removing the tracks from
Shrewsbury street.
This, it was pointed out, was intend
ed as a preliminary step to the widen
ing of the street, but two orders were
drawn before unanimous consent was
finally secured to suspend the rules,
and the order was passed in the form
indicated
The Consolidated petitioned for the
extension of it's tracks in Southbridge
street from Stearns square to the city
line, together with any necessary turn
out, and also for the construction of a
turnout in Park avenue at or near the
intersection of May street, and the loca-
tion of its tracks in haywood street
across Lowell street through Englewood
avenue, with all necessary turnouts
and connections.
This petition for turnout at Park
avenue affects the residents of Column
bus park, and they were out in num-
bers to advocate it's being granted
President Dewey of the Consolidated
in opening the hearing, said that this
district was now well settled and the
people imperatively needed better street
car accommodation. To give them this
accommodation It would be necessary
he said, to put in turnout on Park
avenue near haywood street.
The putting in of this turnout would
give the Columbus park people 10-min-
ute time. and that was what they de-
manded of the road.
Arthur E. Gray, a resident of the
district. said that the petition for the
granting Of this franchise was signed
by so or 80 property holders at Column
bus park, and the move for better cal
accommodation was in nowise in the
nature of a land boom
w. A. Warden, the real estate man
who also lives in that neighborhood
said that there are now 120 houses ii
the district, and that 500 people would
be benefited by this turnout There
would be some return to the city, too
he argued, for II would increase the
amount of taxable property there Tt
prove the steady growth of property
values at the park, he said that in 1885,
there was but $4,000 worth of assessed
property there, whereas today there Is
something like $500, 900.
Some question was raised in regard
to the time that the Consolidated pro.
posed to take In this work in the
event Of a franchise being granted
President Dewey in reply said that he
did not believe 1t could be done before
next spring on account Of the delay and
difficulty Of getting rails and other nee.
essary material for the work.
The road does not keep this matarial
in stock, as 1t would not pay to do al
and orders to be filed must be pI1t IN
long ahead Of the time that the officials
can expect them to be executed
Councilman O'Leary then advanced
to offer some views. The councilman is
ready speaker, with facts and figures
at the tip Of his tongue. His spaciai
grievance against the road waE bull,
around the condition OF the Orator
street crossing. Passage over the cross.
ing IL rough, he intimated, as a tril
ON the salt and briny deep during
stormy weather. 1t is a nuisance, hi
said. and something should be done tc
remedy 1t. Three lines cross the steam
road tracks at this crossing--the lins
to Grafton, and the Grafton and Prov.
idence street lines.
Mr.. O'Leary said that there were
exactly 40 jounces on the trip over tht