The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-28
HOT TIME IN OLD TOWN TO
 NIGHT, SURE
Stratford Electors, Urged by "Old Guard" and Beseeched by People of Barnum Ave-,
 Will Settle Trolley Dispute.
Former Would Shut Town to New People, Latter Want Trolleys to Come in to h. crease Population, Property Values and Importance of the Place.
Special to the Farmer. i


 Stratford, Feb. 2S.-Not since the dramatic days when Auditor Sammis demanded of the "old guard'' the books that had not been audited, and that the ''old guard' did not want audited, has there been such a. stir in this old town as now. The Farmer struck it right, yesterday, when it indicated that the machine" which has been under fire for a long time, is moved in it's opposi- tion to the Barnum avenue trolleys by the Sordid fears that a few strang- CTS, coming into town, and becoming citizens, may gain the right to vote and voting, may not be impressed with the beauty of the town bosses.
 It is like the story of the young woman who sat by the fire side, and suddenly burst into tears. Her mother asked her why the tears, and she re- piled, 'I have just been thinking that if John should call tonight, and ask me to marry him, and we should be married. and I should have a baby was holding the baby here, in my lap and it should slip and fall into the fire and be burned to death, whatever would I do?" And so the poor thing kept on crying.
 This is the way it is with the old
 
 Barnum avenue people should get the troIlies, and suppose some people should move in this year, and some next, and some the year after that and suppose they should want to share in the government of the town, and suppose they should help the people who are trying to dislOdge us, and sup pose we should fall into the fire o1 popular disfavor and be busted, what would happen to the old town?'
 And while all this is going on, al but the most unObservant, concede that the ''withers of the machine are unwrung,'' and that the people who already live in Stratford are going te complete the job at the next town meeting. But the meeting. tonight may not be so one sided. The machine is in power and it has been working la- boriously for some days.
 Y Yesterday one of it's leading mem bers was hard at work among the for eign element of the town, virtually any member of the foreign element who should vote in favor of the Bar mum avenue project
 A citizen, and a property owner, who was canvassing for the Barnum avenue side of the question, claims to have been threatened by the same man.
 Ino Bdrnun avenue peOple VIII try to show tonight that the trollies over Barnum avenue mean an increase in property values which will benefit ev- cry property owner in the town and the merchants of the town, and which of course will be of enormous benefit to the people who live in the Barnum avenue section, or own property there. They will show that two stories put out by the 'old guard' to influence mi
 They will claim that the trolley conn pany has not ordered special work for Stratford avenue, and is not, therefore, prepared to build the trollies any, how.''
 They will also claim that State High way Commissioner Macdonald has not refused to accept the Barnum avenue as a state highway, in case it is com- pleoed with ten feet of roadway on either side of the tracks.
 The meeting tonight is expected to be quite the livlest the town has had in years. The result may oe very close. The ''old guard' is still in pow CT, and it has been putting out all it's to get vote favorable to the selectmen.