Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-31

facts OF electric railroad history pic
scented by Harvey d. Eaton. Esq, or
Waterville The permission was grant
ed. and Mr.. Eaton stepped forward.
Mr.. Eaton said that the WaterVllle
& Oakland Railroad was chartered
May 81. 1902 On July l of the follow
ing year it was in operation-a year
and six weeks from the time when 1t
was organized. Shortly afterward two
street railways were organized to build
roads from Augusta to Waterville, one
on the cast and the other on the west
side of the river. The charters of these
roads simply died. About Il year ago
road from Oakland to Augusta
was chartered. and still Later another
\ month or six weeks ago the Water
vile K Oakland street Railway voted
to extend its line to the Winslow sta
ton of the WiscasSet, Naterville &;
Pennington Railroad. and when it laid
its application before the city of Wat
ervillc and the town Of Winslow it was
confronted with the application of he
Augusta & Watorville Co. The Angus
Ia 6 Waterville Co. was capitalized
at 100000 and there were five sub
scribers for the stock. among whom
We're Mr.. Lynch and Mr.. knsman of
Augusta. the same gentlemen who were
associated in the other Augusta ana
Waterville project.
Rcsumins. Mr.. Gerald said that the
above facts had been presented by Mr..
Eaton for the purpose of showing that
'it was not the purpose of the Water
vile & Oakland Railroad to follow
anybody around THE Augusta c
Waterville had for four years. tn.
privilege Of building if they cared to-"
said Mr.. Gerald
nlr. Gerald asked permission for the
Introduction of further evidence in the
shape of a plan drawn by Engineer Har-
ry T.. Green showing the number of
houses which would be reached by the
Watervillc & Oakland road, as compared
with the number which would be reach
ed by the proposed Augusta 4 Water
vile aoad. The plan was pinned ito the
moderators table and Engineer Green
showed that the number OF houses ac-
cessiblc to the Augusta & Waterville pro-
posed route was IA in one part of the
route. including one schoolhuuse, and 10
for the remainder; while there was access
sible to the proposed route of the Wa
torville & Oakland Railroad q in one
section Of the route, including the Con-
gregational church. the Grange hall and
the Town hall, and from Drummond's
to the VGssalboro line - houses, incIud-
ing one schoolhouse.
Mr.. Gerald said that the information
had been surprise to himself and he
thought it would be of interest to the
voters of Winslow. Mr.. Gerald spent
some time to show that the Watervilla
a. Oakland Railroad Co. had presented its
petition for franchise after it had been
given reason to believe that the Angus
ia & Watervlle Co. did not intend to
build.
I'VE shall build in the spring." said
Mr.. Gerald. Anything we promise you
now or hereafter we shall carry out but
| in oIGer ito do it we must obtain the
right of way through this short length of
street in your town"
A letter WIS read by the clerk from
Carson c. Peck. who recently bought It'll .
Wiscasset, Waterville e Pennington
| Railroad Mr.. Peck. while confessing
| that the situation was embarrassing un-
der the circumstances that his company
| had rot vet come into full possession
| Of the road. said in the letter that he
| would regret any action which would
prevent the WatervilIc & Oakland Rail
| road making connections with the mar
| row gauge.
| Mr.. Ellis asked Of Mr. Gerald a qucs-
| ton as to fares. IF you wanted to 90
from Wihslow to Oakland, would three
| fares be collected; or if you wanted to
| go to the fair grounds would you have
| 20 pay two farcs?'
| Mr.. Gerald said that the fares would
| bc less with one system than with two
| systems. as the matter Of transfers wa;
| difficult Of arrangements between rival
| companies. at is harder to make rcas-
| on,solc rates for short hauls where two
| or three parties own the lines said Mr.
| Gerald. "If the Watcrv;llc & Oakland
| Railway were granted the franchise its
| management would certainly make the
fares as low as possible
Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath Of Augusta,
| representing tho Augusta & Watcrvillc
| Railway O.. ncN- addressed the meet
ing.
Mr.. Heath sad that he thought there
were some things which Mr. GcraiI and
| MI. Eaton lllu unlntcntinnaIlV overlook
cd. He did not think that either set OF
| contestants could charge the other with
bad faith. 1T was not a matter of good
or bad faith on the part Of anyone, ii
was tie setting edge of strictly bust
ness proposition.
NJ. Heath said that the action taken
in 1902 by the gentlemen Interested in
the Augusta & Watcrville proposition
was not the granting of charters for
railways on both sides of the river, but
only the filing Of articles of association
an act preliminary to a petition for 4
| charter. and this was the act referred t.
the history of the legal procedure which
lad been followed
| Mr. Heath said that from legal stand
Point he condemned a paper which had
been given the Augusta e Oakland Rail.
| way Go. by the selectmcn of Winslow
dated Jam o. 1905. in that it interposet
conditions in the granting Of the way.
'Tha railroad commissioners have held
| repeatedly that which ever location
comes before thcri. it must he clean Of
| conditionG or the whole thing is dis
| missed
| Mr. Heath then toll Of legal method
| ,r-hic I, n nj 1ayyicpI tn