Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1903-05-21
Bellows Falls Times
THURSDAY, MAY u, 1908.
A REJUVENATED DEPOT.
Work will Begin at Once and will be
Completed by January Expenditure
of $4,000 to $4,000 Contemplated.

diiS 10 w nav a uCpOt, IoG SAuCblg
new one but one rejuvenated SO as to be
as good as new, so the railroads say.
This decision was reached Tuesday after
noon at an adjourned meeting of the
railroad commissioners held in the office
of G. II. Williams. Messrs. Smith and
Bailey of the board were present as were
also the several attorneys and railroad
men interested in the hearing, II. D.
Ryder, representing the Board of Trade,
read certain requests which had been
made to the roads interested which were
to be made a part of the proposition
which the roads made at the hearing two
weeks previously and which was pub
lished in full in this paper. Briefly these
requests were that the railroads expend
$1,000, in addition to the amount contem-
plated in the proposition as made, in
embellishing the exterior of the depot;
that the 12-foot addition at the south of
the depot to be used as baggage room
be constructed of brick; that the depot
be painted; that building used as a
wood shed be removed; that the plat
form about the depot be constructed of
concrete; that umbrella sheds be put
over the platform and that iron posts be
used; that, if the road leading from the
Canal bridge to the depot is not conced-
ed to be highway, it be paved at the
expense of the railroads and an appro-
pirate sidewalk be put in.
Nh Ryder then said that he desired to
interrogate General Manager Jarvis of
the Rutland system as to which of these
requests, if any, the roads were willing
to concede. Mr.. Jarvis said that the
Rutland railroad had already submitted
a plan which called for an expenditure
on the exterior of the building in addi-
tion to the baggage room much in access
of $1,000. The plan designated that the
addition should be of brick. He said
that the wood shed referred to would be
removed. In building a platform the
road purposed to utilize such material
in the present platform as it could to the
best advantage, perhaps retaining the
present platform which is comparatively
new. The road contemplated using hard
pine posts for the umbrella sheds, pro-
tected by iron at the bottom, these posts
being used by the New Y ork Central sys-
tenn. He said he did rot know whether
the approach to the depot was a high
way o. not If it was not highway the
railroad would pave it to the Canal
bridge, and if it was highway the vii
lage of Bellows Falls would pave it so it
would be paved in any event. The ap-
proach to the south of the depot would
be paved the entire width of the street
and as far east as used by teams in ap-
preaching the station and baggage room,
probably to the west end of the express
building, but the paving would extend
to the foot of Island street if it was
found necessary.
Judge Powers said that he had often
stated that the approach to the depot
was a highway but he had just been told
that some years ago an agreement was
made between the Selectmen and the
Rutland railroad, and if so that agree
ment was probably on record in the
town clerks office. He did not know
how that agreement effected the high
way. F. A. Bolles, the town clerk, says
that he knows of no such record but it
may be in some of the old volumes. II.
d. Ryder said that the people of Bellows
Falls wanted the Canal street approach
to the depot kept open for both freight
and passenger traffic. Judge Powers
said that if it was a highway it would be
so kept open and if it was not highway
the town could make it so by taking the
necessary steps.
1t was agreed that the testimony of
Mr.. Jarvis should be made part of the
original proposition. The railroad at
torneys said that the roads purposed to
get at the repairs at once and have them
completed by next January l. The
original proposition as amended was
then accepted by the attorneys represent
ing the Board of Trade. Judge Powers
asked that the commissioners report that
an agreement had been reached between
the parties interested and had been
sanctioned by the board. He did not
want formal order made as that would
lay the companies liable to prosecution
by the states attorney in case the re-
pairs were not completed within the
time specified. Mr.. Ryder said that he
was willing to leave the question of is
suing the order with the commissioners.
The commissioners and the engineers
then repaired to Hotel Windham to study
over the plans for the interior of the
building as they had been arranged by
the Rutland railroad.