The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-19
PROTEST FROM ELM0RE
CITIZENS COMPLAIN OF A RAIL.
 ROAD CROSSING.
Montgomery Board of Revenue May Aba.e Alleged Dangerous Con
 dition Said to Exist on Lower
 Wetumpka Road.

ana the Al4pam2 ndllIVho SohhhieSIoAs against the condition of the Seaboard AIT Line Railroad crossing of the Lower We tumpka Road in North Montgomery. h is probable that the Board of Revenue will take action on the matter at its reg ular weekly meeting Monday.
 Petitions signed by numerous citizens of Fillmore County. including public ofn- cials, have been sent to the Montgomery County Board of Revenue and to Mayor E. B. Joseph of Montgomery and the Railroad Commission.
 A special meeting of the Board of Rev. enue was held yesterday morning and the petition was read. The matter was not discussed by the board members but an order was made instructihg County Att torney John G. Finley to investigate what legal steps could be taken in the matter and report at the meeting of the Board Monday.
 The crossing is located about 100 yards southwest of the slaughter house, just where the road enters a tnickly settled suburb.
 The road Is extensively travelled. Prac- tically all of the business coming to Montgomery from Fillmore and Coosa Counties Is over this road. It Is also pop ular as a pleasure driveway.
 The petitioners aver that at this cross- ing the railroad does an immense amount of switching and on account of the whist ling and noise of the engines. passage Is rendered unsafe.
 The petition alleges that from this cause horses and teams have frequently run away at great loss to their owners. both financially and bodily. The petition fur blockaded for considerable length of time and that employees of the road recklessly disregard the safety of travellers. 's
 "A member of the Board Of Revenue of Montgomery County said that in all prob- ability some action would be taken in the matter.
 We have frequently received com plaints from the people of Fillmore Coun. ty," he said, ''but never any 90 deter mined as this one. I know 1t is . bad place and should be remedied."
 The petition from Fillmore County, . copy of which was sent to The Advertiser, is as follows:
 we the undersigned citizens of Elmore County do most earnestly protest against the Lower Wetumpka and Montgomery Public Road being used at the crossing of the Sea'board Air Line Railroad, near the slaughter house for the purpose of switching cars. To say nothing of the delay caused at this very public crossing by the switching of cars. a number of our citizens have had their teams to run away, have been injured themselves and have paid out several hundred dollars on vehicles demolished. Several have been injured and others barely escaped with their lives. The engineers have at times been negligent and reckless when they saw or could have seen teams frightened by continuing to run their engines even when ladies were in their vehicles. The road Is graded at this point 50 that there Is no way to turn out when teams be- come frightened. and the road Is at times blocRaded waiting for an opportunity to cross to the extent that runaway team not only is dangerous to the occupants but to all others near by whether they be riding or walking. Our relations both social and business have been pleasant with Montgomery and we nope that the proper authorities will prevent this spien- did public highway from being used so that 1t impedes travel, is destructive of property and dangerous to the life of citizens:
 Frank W. Lull. attorney at law; Britt & Johnson, merchants; John Cain & Co.,. druggists; James A. Kelly, attorney at law; Smith & Gamble, hardware nler chants; J. 8. Goree, nvsryman; D. w.
  E. L. deBardelaben. farmer; J. E. Lloyd. farmer: Howle Brothers. merchants; J. N. Cooper, farmer; L. R. Robinson & Bro, merchants; J. T. Rufin, merchant and farmer; W. T. Spigener. contractor; W. F. Lacy, merchant; M. Hohenberg X Co, merchants; Morris Hohenberg; H. R. Penick; c. G. McMorris; c. D. Robinson, druggist; Charles A. Sedberry; H. J. Gil- lam, attorney: H. H. Golson. manager Of Weekly Herald; Bachelor & Girdner' uverymen: E. Powell, merchant; A. C. Colley, jeweler; Theo Odiorne, merchant; w. M. Harwell. merchant; Lamar Can telou & Son. merchants; Austin x Far row, nerchants: B. L. Slough, cotton merchant; L. D. Rouse. merchant; H. ]. Lancaster. Judge of Probate; M. D. Still. Clerk of Probate: D. w. Mccoy. Tax Collector; J. s. Clifton. Deputy Tax Collector; W. L. Lancaster, cashier Bank of wetumpka; J. M. Hoiley, Coun- tv Solicitor; w. J. l.. Welch, Deputy Tax Collector; J. A. Thompson, farmer; :. H. I. Dupree, farmer; D. D. Asksy, at- torney at law; W. D. Thomas, merchant; J. N, Keith, cotton weigher; J. A. wall warehouseman; J. B. McFaden, farmer; II. P. Wideman, warehouseman; w. D. Can't. farmer; c. W. Can't, farmer; w. O. Robbins, Sheriff: J. L. Robbins, livery J.. A. Cain City Clerk of Wetumka; J. c. Tackaon. County Commissioner. G. E. EnsIen. County Commissioner; J A. Holmes. attorney at law; Thomas Wll- uans. lawyer and farmer; L. M. Taylor farmer: F. B. McCaskey, Mayor Of We t,,ronka. NJ W. Green, City Marshal; B. l.. Gaddis, Jr., A. E. Williams. farmer and lawyer; H. R. Golson. editor or Weekly Herald
 Tha general offices of the Seaboard Air rinn are in Savannah, Ga. The represen- tatives of the company in Montgomery evnressed surprise at the petition from Emore County.
 Major R. E. Steiner, local attorney for the Seaboard Air Line, said that If there had ever been an accident at the crossing resulting in broken vehicles, the matte had been kept unusually quiet, as not a single damage suit has been served on the company.
 Tt is not the custom of switch en- zine to do much blowing of whistles, said Major Steiner. The bell is usually substituted. As for blocking the crossing at that place, one of the stringent rules of the company Is that any engineer blocking the crossing there shall be sum- marily dismissed. A watchman is kept there for the sole purpose of keeping the crossing clear"
 General Ysrdmaster Daer of the Sea board Air Line sail that the complaint from Elmore County was the first he had heard of unnecessary whistling by switch engines at the crossing.
 "All engines" he said, "are compelled to blow a road crossing signal at dis tance of three telegraph poles from the