Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-29
A "SNOW WAR;"
Oakland and the Electric Road
at Loggerheads.
Usual Difficulty About Removing
Snow from the Streets.
Not Expected That the "War" Will
Be Very Serious.

Oakland, Me, Jan. 2S-(SpeciaD.-
The lack OF definite agreement be-
tween the town OF Oakland and the
Watervilc &, Oakland Electric Road
as to the handling of the snow in the
streets through which the tracks run
resulted in SNOW war;" Thursday,
that lasted from o'clock in the fore
noon until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
The town had a four-horse team hitch
ed to road machine and two horses
tandem to the sidewalk plow and kept
the former moving steadily back and
forth i'll the streets from the car barns
to the office of the Dunn Edge Tool
Co., and the latter on q short piece OF
sidewalk near Memorial hall. The
road kept the electric pillow going as
steadily and some of the snow must
have been moved hundreds of times
back and forth from one spot to
another
The teams did not stop for dinner
but kept going all the time. Under
ordinary conditions the plow would
have been more than a match for
lHcIIt lIc IcNtI gave Jul So THAT
it was hung up for nearly an hour
giving them Il big lead. Finally about
|2 o'clock, Superintendent Cofill and
the Selectmcn had a conference at
which Il truce was patched up to last
until some definite agreement could be
reached regarding the snow.
The cause of the trouble is the same
old story that has been heard in many
places in the State-the town asking
the road to do more than it wants to
or or the road asking the town to do
more than it wants to. The road has
been using the pillow to keep the track
clear, throwing the snow well away
from the tack with the wings. This
has left il i'll the street and Oakland
didn't see hardly how it could pay for
having that taken care of. The road
Claimed that it would be u small job
to put on the road machine and move
the snow back. q fc" feet to the big
shoulder il the ditch.
There WAS also q difference Of Opin-
ion as to the crossings, the town claim
ing that these ought to be levcllcd by
the road while the road claimed that
they were all right as they were. After
the snow was thrown away from tic
track instead Of onto it. But even
then When turning around the men
were not SO very particular about drag
cling snow onto the track l;ut this was
Il minor matter and nothing WAS said
about it.
When the war ended the strect
running up by Memorial hall was in
fairly good condition. There was Il
small shoulder left by the piow but
there was good width and it was level.
The main street, however, was not SO
good, there being u big shoulder of
soft snow running through the center
of it while it would have been q little
difficult to cross the track with 4
sleigh.
The road was as clean as could be
desired from one end to the other and
while the schedule WIS knocked out
by tire delay caused by the lack OF
power the cars settled back late in the
afternoon pretty nearly to their reg
ular running time.
1t is believed that this clash will be
the last one and that u satisfactory
agreement can be made between the
town and the road. Meanwhile the
snow will probably lay where it has
been LETT by the plows.