The independent-reporter., 1910-10-13
Skowhegan-Athens Line
Seems Assured
Proposition to Lease Opera House
Left With Selectmen.

The proposed Skowhegan-A Athens
electric railroad will get $4,000 of the
local taxpayers money, if-The spe-
cial town meeting so voted Saturday
afternoon 161 to II, or two more than
the necessary two-thirds. And the ''if'
is not such a very big one. Merely
the proviso that other parties must
put up or guarantee $1,000 in sub
scriptions to the common stock of the
proposed company, before the Skow-
hogan money is raised or assessed
Athens has already voted one-fourth
Of the necessary, so that prospects
for the construction of the line are
good.
Skowhegan citizens are at least nc
more bashful than other folks, and
the meeting was hummer from the
start Judge F. F. Lawrence was
chosen moderator, and sat on the lid
when occasion required, in admirable
style. AS soon as the article regard
ing the proposed railroad was laid be-
fore the meeting, opponents of an
appropriation moved that it be passed
over. Then the fun began.
E. y. Merrill, in behalf of the spe-
cial citizens committee, read the fol
lowing report:
Your committee recommend thai
the town of Skowhegan subscribe
$4,000 to aid in the construction ant
equipment of an electric railroad from
Skowhegan to Athens village and con
nection with the Maine Central rail
road, on condition that no part of sale
$4,000 shall be raised or assessed, un
til there shall have been raised b,
bona fide and guaranteed subscription.
in addition to said $4,000, the sun
of 5000, making the subscriptions tt
the common stock at least $4,000"
Mr. Merrill then went on to explain
that the committee had met gone ovei
the proposition carefully with repre-
sentatives of the sections interested
and had unanimously concluded tha
| the action recommended would bt
wise, and of great benefit to the town
Somebody expressed desire to heal
from Harvey d. Eaton of Waterville
and have him give general outline O.
! the whole project. After an explana
ton from +. r Merrill that Mr.. Eator
wished TO avoid anything that NIGH
have the appearance of thrusting his
opinions upon the meeting, it was
voted that he be invited to speak. Mr.
| Eaton was located without much de
lay, and proceeded to outline the pro
| posed railroad, explaining that Il
would serve the broad and fertile
| Wesserrunsett valley for upwards O
twenty-five miles, including portions
of the towns OF Madison, Cornville
Solon, Athens, Bingham, Brighton
Harmony and Hartland, and bring 1
population of from three to five thous
and persons. twelve miles nearer
| Skowhegan. Going into considerabl,
detail, he explained how everybody il
the region to be opened would b.
made more prosperous, and thus brint
more and better business to Skowhe
gan. Loud and prolonged applaus,
followed his remarks, forecasting tht
result of the ballot
| Jefferson Savage then reviewed thu
financial condition of the town, recall
ed the unfortunate experience witt
the Norridgewock electric road il
very picturesque language, and op
posed the whoe enterprise as a wan
ton piece of folly. He, too, got con
siderable applause. But when the
motion to pass over that article il
| the warrant came to a vote, il was
declared lost SO to l24 The vote as
recommended by the Citizens commit
tee was then passed as mentioned
above.
There was also keen interest showf
in the proposition to lease the Operf
house tor moving pictures and Yau-
deville. Debate on the question wa.
fast and furious, and motion to pas:
over that article was lost. Quick as
a flash E. n Merrill got the floor, anc
said that since it WAS evidently the
sense of the meeting that the Opera
house be leased he moved that the
matter be left in the hands of the
selectmen. The opposition of those
officials WIS we'll understood. but the
advocates of lease were not success
full in their attempts to amend the
motion, and the meeting SO voted
That practically leaves matters just
as they stand today.