Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-24
RAILWAY HEARING.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

| Carter of Lewiston, for the Maine Cen
trail Railroad Company.
Mr. Jones displayed a contour map OF
/ the proposed location and traced the
| route for the benefit of the Commission
ers. His testimony was largely of a
| technical nature.
| on account of the large number
present who wished to be heard, it was
| deemed best TO ask the delegations
| from the different towns 10 rise. About
f25 arose. as coming from Waterville
iahouJ 80 from Winslow, and when over
20 rose. as coming from Vassalboro
| there was tremendous applause.
| Josiah w. Bassett, ex-county com
/! missioner of Kennebec county of
| Winslow, was the first citizen to be
called. He stated that all the people
Inn WinSloW were strongly in favor of
the road, il would accommodate High
| school scholars, workmen who wished
10 60 into Waterville by day. In re-
sponse to questions he said that ii
| would be expected that there would be
| q large amount of way traffic.
He was cross-examined by Attorney
! johnson. who sought to get at the ex-
act number of houses on the road be-
| tween the WinSlOW bridge and the
| Vassalhoro line. Asked if two electric
roads between Augusta and Water
Vile could he made to pay. He an
| severed that, not being a street railway
man, he didn't feel competent to an
| swer but if any road would pay. it
| would be that on the east side.
| Geo. s. Paine CT Winslow said: "At
this stage Of the game | would simply
| repeat what MIR. BaSSett has said.
| We need that road every day and every
| hour / live there and | know that
| there is a great amount of travel to
| and from WinslOw, Waterville and
| VassalborO. 1t seems 10 me that if
| any road in Maine could be made to
| pay. j, could be made 10 pay there.
| II checked off the residences,
| churches, schools and mills between
| Augusta and Riverside and found that
| there. was 100. The first block was
nearly as thckly settled as that. Ii is
| practically a continuous village"
In response TO questions he thought
| that there would be a large way traffic
| to and from the cities and to the lakes.
| Charles +, Warren of WinslOw: ut
| looks to me as though WinsloW would
be as greatly benefited as any COM
| munity and | can think of nothing that
will be of as great benefit as this pro-
| posed railroad. Its n four rod road
| from VassalborO and splendid road
In cross-eXaminatiOn he thought that
lif any street railroad in Maine
| would nay. it would be one from China
| Lake into Waterville.
| w. r. Reynolds Of Winslow, MEM
Der of the 13rd Legislature. was the
next speaker. AS he approached the
| front Of the House he was greeted with
| applause He stated that there was a
large wooden mill at Vassalboro and
that there was a tremendous amount of
| travel between VaSSalbOro and Water
| Vile There is Il great amount of travel
| there in the spring and much more in
summer.
wouldn't you expect the people from
China Village would come to East Vas
I salboro and take the eiectrics?" asked
Mr.. Heath.
They certainly would" he answered.
| THE teams all come that way now and
don't know why they wouldn't come
| there and take the cars. if they could"
Nh JOHNSON: There is a narrow
g,lase from East Vassalboro up there
now. isn't there? Why don't the peo-
pie come from China now"
Mr.. REYNOLDS: well. you know
when il takes two days to make the
trip
Great laughter and applause).
@. 1T would answer all purposes if
| il accommodated the people wouldn't
it?"
A. Yes. but after you've sung a song
ten years, it gets kind of tiresome and
people don't take much stock in it,
More applause and laughter).
T.. G. BarrowS of North NaSSalborO
said that the road meant a great deal
to Vassalboro. He said that the advent
| of the automobile had made travel on
| the country roads dangerous and
stopped the travel a great deal. Where
| the women folks used To take the teams
| and go into town, they could not do it
now, but if the electric cars were run
ming they could go in safety. He
| further stated that most of the trading
| from his town came to Augusta and
| that il would be Il great convenience if
| the cars could he boarded.
Mr. BarrOws explained that The road
| run by the foot Of Wcbbcr Pond, "A very
| beautiful sheet of water, and already
bordered by a large number Of cot
tages; and China Lake, n larger pond,
| already largely surrounded by cot
tageS
| In response to questions by Attorney
Johnson. Mr. BarrOws estimated that
| there was a population of $50 in East
| NaSsalboro and 800 at North Vassal-
bOro. He said that at Stewards Mills
| and Cross Hill there We're thickly built
| clunpS of houses, though no especial
| Industries. He also pointed out that
Oak Grove Seminary was situated in
| the town.
William F. Bradley of East Vassal-
borO, an insurance agent. stated there
| were 30 houses in the compact part Of
| the village of East Vassalboro. His
| testimony corroborated that of Mr..
Barrows in regard to the lakes. He
had heard of a proposition to run a
motor boat across China lake if the
electric road is built.
F. II. Jealous. superintendent of the
wooden mill at North Vassalboro stat