New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
FIGHTING THE TROLLEY
RESIDENTS AND MERCHANTS AT A
HEARING IN RYE.
INCONVENIENCE AND DANGER OF THE PRO-
POSED GRAB OF THE HIGHWAYS POINTED
OFT BY wELL-KNowN PEOPLE
QUESTION NOT SETTLED.

QUESTION NOT SETTLED
Another hearing before the ST preme Court Com
mssoners TO whether or not trolley road Is
public necessity in the fashionable part OF West
chester County included In the town or Rye was
held yesterday Frederick w. Sherman again APP
peared as counsel for tho Port Chester Electric
Railroad Company and John f.. Parsons Tor the
Rye Protective Association Of which he Is presi-
dent The Protective Association numbers about
one hundred of the leading citizens of Rye. who
are resisting the grasping desire Of the trolley
company to seize upon the fine highways or the
town. highways which William II. Catlin. presi-
dent OF the Wcstchestcr County Horse Snow last
week testified are the finest In Westchester County
The members OF the association have large hold
ings in Rye. Among them Joseph Park
George W. Qulntard, George r. Read. Congress-
man John Murray Mitchell. Thomas Dmond.
Frank Daniels the American Yacht club, the
ApawamIs Golf club, Pierre Jay C. Stewart
Schenck and William II. Catn.
The trolley company has only few earnest ad-
vocates Its most forcible representative Is MT
Sherman. Its attorney. Then come the keepers OF
the shore resorts at Rye and Oakland Beaches,
who are to profit by the pleasure-seekers ana
bathers brought 10 their establishments particu-
larly Sundays.
For long time the trolley company and the per-
sens interested In these resorts were able TO de-
tract attention from their self-interest In the
was to be built in the interest of the merchants
and the shoppers of Rye. Yesterday Mr. Parsons
completely annihIlated this argument by placing
local merchants the stand. who said positively
that they did not want trolley Some Of them
went so far as to say that II would be n menace
to customers who have been for years accustomed
to driving TO their places Of business.
BY some OF the leading residents OF Rye. who are
customers Of the merchants. Mr.. Parsons showed
that the road is equally undesirable to them In
fact owing to the crowded condition of the prin-
cipal business street through which the trolley de-
sires TO line of electric railroad would prove
a great inconvenience. II not absolute danger
Mrs. Bessie s. Daniels. wife OF Frank Daniels the
actor. was of the most interesting and emphatic
witnesses OF the day Mr.. and Mrs. Daniels and
their children are fond OF driving and one OF the
familiar and pretty summer sights In Rye Is that
OF Mr.. Daniels's naxen-hsred children out with
their spotted ponies and carts Mrs. Daniels came
voluntarily before the Commissioners. and told
them that If trolley company is to be permitted
to occupy the streets the enjoyment that the chill
dren and women have in driving will be greatly
curtaied II not taken away altogether.
One Of the first witnesses. called A. Foster
Higgins. of Greenwich. Conn. Mr. Higgins
the original promoter and president Of the com-
pany which laid out the fashionable shore settle
ment at Belle Haven. Mr.. Parsons asked him
whether Belle Haven had been developed without n
trolley road Mr.. Sherman objected. because the
whether there trolley road at Belle Haven
Mr.. Higgins said that there was not. and never
from 500 to 800 en acre for the land fronting on
Long Island Sound. and that It had been improved
acre. according TO location There had been from
eighty to hundred frst-class houses built some
of them costing much $4,000 and $4,000 His
company. he said. had made restrictions in its
deeds against public bathing places and shore re-
The witness, was then turned, over to Mr.. sher-
man, who asked him about Hawthorn Beach. a
which occupied
erty. He asked the witness II he was aware that
a line of stages run to Hawthorn Beach. and
II there was not public bathing place there where
bands OF music played IN the summer MT. zig.
MERCHANTS OPPOSE 1T.
Charles Friend florist; James L. Howard. a
hardware merchant. and B. F. Gedney. painter
and decorator. were then called. All OF these men
are local merchants OF good standing, and have
been doing business In Rye for many years They
testified against the routes selected by the trolley
Mr Temd s sG a' 0ne OF ne
leading TO the cemetery The Rye Cemetery Is
Gy e 'f ne city ana and
parts Of the county, He said that there are at
sands sand '@ of people who come to Visit the
He thought the trolley road would seriously in
Friend warned his hearers that II the company
once received franchise it would menace the
peoples safety for many years TO come.
DANGER TO CHILDREN
Mrs. Daniels was theh caIieu 20 the witness
stand Mrs Daniels testified that she had lived in
Rye eight years and that Mr.. Daniels recently
built fine stone house the Boston Post Road
end owns several other houses. She added that
she lived in that part of the town which is most
accessible to the Rye station; that she receives
mail at the Rye postoffice. and deals with the
chants in the village. Mrs. Daniels. after telling
how crowded the streets are in the business hours
said:
What ! am most afraid of is danger to my
children They have their ponies and cart, and
erj 10y driving but II a trolley road Is TO be built
l would be afraid to let them go cut any more. ex-
cept with a coachman."
But" interrupted Mr.. Sherman. are not your
children fine drivers"
YES they are" replied Mrs. Daniels. They are
not afraid but am afraid. If there a trolley
road the ponies would become scared. Then II
would be goodby children"
Mr. Parsons here rested his case. and an adj
tournment was taken to give Mr. Sherman an OPP
ynortunity 10 send to some Of the neighborng VII
lagos for witnesses to show that trolley roads in
business streets have not interfered with traffic