Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-07
LAWYERS LOCK HORNS.
WRANGlE BETWEEN RUTlAND-CA-,
MADAM AND CENTRAL VERMONT.
Opposition to Former Company's Request
For Lake street-vigorous Protest
Against Hinesburgh Railroad Com -.
pany's Request For Uso Of
Pine Street.

The committee on railroads from the
Board of Aldermen held hearing last
! night in the city clerk - office for the pub
| lie consideration of the requests of street
and steam railroad companies submitted
to the committee at the last regular meet
ing of the Board Of Aldermen The hear
ing was quite literally attended and de-
veloped considerable intereet The re-
quest of the Rutla and Canadian corurJany
for PERMITS TO occupy portion OF Lake
| treet provoked conSiderab bic discussion. At.
torney c. NJ. Wilds being present to repre-
sent the interests Of the Central Vermont
Railway company in the matter
The meeting was called to order by Alder
man c. W. Brownell at o'clock. Tho
communication of the BURLINGTON and
Hinesburgh Railroad company asking an
:, extension of 50 days in the time allowed
for the completion Of the road was read
and opportunity offered for discussion
, There was apparently no objection TO this
and another cCmmunca ZION from the same
road was read asking permission to
change the route so as to continue up Pine
street to Maple street and pass Though
, Maple to St. Paul, instead Of going to ST
Paul street from Pine through Howard
, street
r. G. Severson was the first to oppose
the last request and read protest from
those owning lands along the route pro-
: posed. The protest cited the fact that the
company could operate over the line OF
petition was signed by goodly number Of
Heavy taxpayers of the section of the CITY
affected Mr. Severson called attention to
the number of railroads on Pine street and
, the expense at which the city had be- n
to putting the street in condition A largo
. amount of work having recently heen
e done. He also referred to the conditions
/ of the Burlington Traction company's
{ franchise which allowed another road TO
( use its tracks. Mr.. Severson also entered
"a Of ~.
petition against the voting on the ours-
tion of the railroad matter by the two di-
rectors OF the Hinesburgh railroad, who
are now aldermen as we'll as the serving
of one member of the board, who is a di-
rector of the road, upon the railroad COM
mlttee.
a Gen Robert Avery. vice-prssident and
!. general manager of the HineSDurgh Rail
= road company, next addressed the COM
> mittee, citing the use of double tracks in
: other cities and the results and saving
that the road could be built go as not 10
9 nterfere with the use of the street for
:, trucking. An ordinary steam railroad he
! said. would be a far different matter. The
=. building of the line by the new route
=, would reduce the amount Of track in the
', streets by 1000 feet. He believed the best
- interests Of the city would be served by
: the change, 1t would be very difficult to
Use the tracks of the Traction company.
The only way the company could make
y, service.
= The communication from the Rutland
!, Canadian Railroad company asking for
:, perm ssion to use Lake street was next
- read and the matter opened for DISCUSSION
- President +. r. Wells addressed the board
- Offering the services of Attorney Button
- and the company's engineer TO answer any
i question regarding the request of the
a | O. mliary. The street is now three rods
- wide and the company would us,, about
a. n hf.
- also gave some general inforunati IS to
~ the purposes of the road. The road would
II occupy the street nearly at it's pr~ent
" grade. The grade of College street would
Il be taken as the governing grade and fill
ir would be mace south of College street.
- The tracks would be bedded the SANE 40
i done with street car lines
f. j. Booth asked some questions Il
suggested that the line should be l,jr .tt
50 that the committee could see whc.
d would lie and how much of the s.r T.
would occupy. He suggested meetiut u
~ the 5round in question.
!. h. response to a question the rail u !
~ engineer stated that the terminus Of l...e
: -! ..t was at the center of the CcHtr4l
.o Vermont Railway companys turn-tlDle.
,s c. VI Wilds, attorney for the Central
Il Vermont Railway Co., who was present,
wa The next speaker. He said the line
-, laid ont would, he believed, cross the Cen
,s trial Vermont tracks four times. He saw
ro Rutldnd-Canadian company desired also
- to avoid the terminus of the Central YER
- mont road and build a new station. This
= would he done at the expense of the people
',, for he had learned that railroads nos
- charitable institutions They ask permls-
- sion to build line TO a point where they
must cross the lines of the Central Ver-
mont at grade, taking the property of the
Central now devoted TO public use and
4 putting IL to another public use, Their
p those of the present occupants of the pro-
perty. The Central could not tolerate a
n railroad crossing it at grade The only to-
A. cation filed by the Rutland-Canadian conf
pany crosses by means of an overhead
crossing near the tunnel Unless travel is
!, congested parallel roads should not be
- built for the expense ultimately comes
/, upon the people The Rutland-Canadian n
-. company offered TO pay the Central Ner-
70 mont company 5000 annually, $4,000 being
=, used to maintain the station, for fran
=, chise TO the tunnel. which is what they
' are now asking as free gift The Cen-
y trail company are also in the market for
~ ~ gifts and would like to occupy all of Lake
-, street. He said that the commission, who
- were to fiN an Arrangement as to where
, and how the Rutland Canadian Railroad
~ track was TO connect with or cross the
y" Central Vermont track would meet next
w. Tuesday and they would have to abide hS
that decision. He asked that action be
made its decision.
Attorney Button for the Rutland-Cana'
dian Railroad replied to Mr.. Wilds. IL,
~ interpreted the position of the Centra
Vermont as asking the city TO assist the
Is road to sell its wares. He believed The
o. question properly before the board of al
on dcrmen. 1t was settled that the western
he route would he used and the new compan!
re must fine some way to get through tht
a city. The Lake street route would eros!
he but one Central Vermont track. There
At would he some benefits for the city unde
ift the arrangement. among them the uniol
OF station. The Central Vermont Railway
he after the completion of the new road, vii
u be branch road,
ng Attorney Wilds again addressed tn,
he board. He said the public would have
n something to say about stations and th'
Sc changing of cars. The purpose of thu
ne Rutland d-Canadian Railroad company, h
in turn said was to get assistance from
the city TO avoid the decision of the com
an. mission. He would like to have the roat
OIL kept one proposition so that they could b.
nailed to the cross long enough TO enabl
: the Central Vermont to know where III
+. Rutland Canadian company was 10 b
found
The committee will meet the railroa
Iry aef;riaIs Lake street Friday afternoon