The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-04
PHASE
Valley Road Has an
Opponent.
LINWOOD R. R. co.
Comes to the Front and
Valley Road May Fight.

Whitinsville, Feb. 3.-The announce
ment that a new electric railway COM
pany had entered the field in this viii
lage was received in this town various
ly, today, and the opinions expressed
were not of the most commendatory
nature. Accompanying the announce
ment was a statement that the electric
railway question in this town was about
to be settled in an unexpected manner.
From present Indications the settlement
of the question is remote factor, and
the expected, under the circumstances
will happen, and at once, and it would
not be strange if the railway commits
sioners were asked to take a hand in
the matter.
At the present time there are two
rival applicants for electric railway
honors, one which appeared before the
selectmen by request of several hun
bred citizens, and with a big capital
stock, the Blackstone Valley Street
Railway Company; the other which is
to be known as the Linwood Electric
Railway Company, is capitalized for
$12, 900, and seeks to operate few rods
more of track than that monopolized by
a big freight motor and plying between
the yards of the Whitinsville machine
works and the main line Of the Provi-
dence division of the New York, New
Haven. & Hartford railroad.
This new company inaugurated steps
today by inserting an advertisement in
the Uxbridge Compendium, a weekly
paper printed in Uxbridge. The direct
ors of the new company are G. Marston
Within, Josiah M. Lasell, Cyrus A. Taft
Chester w. Lasell, William l.. Taft
William e. Johnson and Robert X.
Brown. The stockholders number 15,and
are G. Marston Within, Josiah M. La
sell. Cyrus A. Taft, Chester w. Lasell,
William l.. Taft, William e. Johnson,
Robert K. Brown, George Wilmot, Arba
S. Noyes, George B. Hamilton, Albert
H. Whipple, James r. Ferry, Lawrence
M. Keller, Newell w. Wood and Melvin
H. Coffin.
This board of directors brings to the
minds of the other residents of this
village a similar board which was
formed here something over ten years
ago. The primary action was identical
with the present, but the conditions
were vastly different. At that time one
of the stipulations in the petition for a
charter, was a provision for passenger
traffic between this village and Lin
wood (Whitins station).
The charter was granted, the road
built and equipped; first with a huge
electric motor, and then came as hand
some a passenger car as was ever
looked upon, and, in fact, the only one
ever looked upon in Whitinsville. 1t
was car No. of the Whitinsville street
railway. Lucky was the person, how
ever, who stepped foot upon the car
or rested upon it's cushions. The car
ran trip or two, or perhaps dozen,
and looked very pretty, but not q. fare
was ever taken, and not a person was
accommodated within the meaning Of
the conditions Of the application for a
charter. There was no public kick,
for a Whitinsville public never kicks,
and in few short days the car was
housed, and subsequently was disposed
of to some out of town party.
Then there was a special dispensa-
ton of some sort, and instead of in
PREVENTION by the state railway COM
missioners, as every one expected there
would be, the company appeared before
the town fathers and received spe-
cial grant to use a portion of the pub
lie highways for the transportation of
freight. And thus did end the fond
hopes of the people, and of the Whit
ipsville Street Railway Company, SO
far as transportation of passengers was
concerned.
neil cdIDe lne BLACKSTONE valley
Street Railway Company, which after
a few attempts, secured franchise to
construct street railway tracks and OPP
crate passenger cars within certain
limit Of the town, and the tracks of
this railroad were continued to the viii
lage of Rockdale.
This is where Whitinsville people be-
gan to realize their possibilities and
for an extension of the tracks
into the WiI1aCa 1.,I Al
River road" and "Plummer's," with I
a Whitinsville terminal. The Black
stone Valley officials paid no official at
tention to these clamors for a time, and
the people began to act for themselves.
Hence a monster petition, with sew
eral hundred names, which was print
ed in The Spy a few weeks ago, was
presented to the Blackstone Valley Off
Gals, asking that company to extend
its tracks into the village of Whitins-
vile.
Then the officials petitloned the board |
or selectmen for franchise and with /
in the archives of that august BODY. re- |
poses the document containing the
names of the persons who desire to ride
Said one citizen of Whtinsville to a |
Spy man today: "Why, what advant- |
age shall we derive with an occasional |
car running from the corner Of Maple
street to Linwood2 There is no connec- |
ton there, and it is not likely that the
Blackstone Valley road will run over
a mile and a half of uninhabited coun- |
try road into Linwood 1t looks to me |
ike an attempted freeze out for the |
Blackstone Valley road But mind YOU |
there is board of railway commits
sioners, should the board Of selectmen
fall to properly consider the company.
which has already appeared before |
them, with a monster petition signed
by the townspeople.
The Spy man interviewed one of the
officials of the Blackstone Valley road.
He said he was certainly astonished to
know that such a move had been made.
or course the Blackstone Valley road
would not proceed to Linwood via the
county road. as the proposition did not
contain single redeeming feature. The
official did not care to express himself
further, as 1t was a matter for the
board of directors to consider.
The official indicated that his road |
would probably not give up without a
struggle, and that the people of Whit
insville would be the losers IL his road
was denied a franchise. rather than
tn road lsself. II all signs do not fail,
there will be bitter contest before the
fight which is now practically on be-
tween the rival roads, Is formally set
tied.