The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-09-01
ATHENS-SKOWHEGAN
ELECTRIC LINE
A Matter of Interest to
Both Towns
The Trolle. Would Bring Business
and Create More Business.

\ meeting Of some Of the business
uen Of SkoNhegan and a few of the
citizens Of Athens met in the Select
mems room Of the Municipal build
Ing here Tuesday forenoon 70 dis
cuss the possibilities OF having an
electric car line between this village
and Athens The matter met the APP
proyal Of all present and some action
will probably be taken in the matter
in the near future.
Harvey D. Eaton Of Wateryille,
was spokesman for the most part
during the meeting He presented
the matter in the interest of the
towns Of Athens and Brighton and
said he believed an electric road
running to Athens would bring TO
Skowhegan more business and it APP
peared TO him that the matter should
interest SkoWhegan as much IS Attn
ems. 1t would mean that twice me
business would come to Sk0Whegan
from those towns in that vicinity and
the road would create more bust
ness; that Athens and the country up
back of West Athens in the vicinity
OF Brighton WIS Astounding in tim
Der and contained the best of soil
and that he believed the freight on
this road woald mean about 81 900
each year TO the road which is an in
eatiye for people to invest their
money in building il. II il would
bring that amount OF money of course
he town OF Skowhegan would be de-
irving a great benefit a canvass of
the freight business that would be
likely to come over this line in a
wear, has been made. 1t was found
that from last June until this June
loco car loads of freight would have
gone over the line. Another canvass
has shown that from 1000 to 1900
more car loads would have gone over
the line this year.
Mr. Eaton said that the plans were
to lay heavy rails TO enable the COM
pany to run freight cars from here
to Athens and back and without I'M
loading them transfer the cars onto
the Maine Central line and haul them
to their destination. This plan could
be carried out with the Maine Cen
tral railroad company and it is eX-
pected that the company will be will
ing to subscribe for quite lot of
stock in the line.
II is estimated that the line will
cost about $15o.0oo but Mr. Ea-
ton said he believed that it would
cost more to equip the line for the
heavy and large amount OF freight
business. The town of Athens has
already voted TO give $1,000 which is
the extent OF the debt. the town is
allowed TO assume. Mr. Eaton said
that $4,000 ought to be subscribed
for. before any attempt could be
made to build the line. If Skowhe-
gan would give $l5,000 and the
Maine Central Railroad Company
Sl5 900 that would leave $50 900 to
be raised from individuals. Mr.. Eaton
is confident that this could easily be
done He said.if he remembered right
ly, the citizens OF Athens and people
about there pledged themselves for
$4,000 to build the narrow guage
road that was talked of being run
to Athens several Years ago
The plan of the road would be from
Skowhegan depot down Water street
70 North street and up this street
and about two miles out of the viii
lage cut of 10 the East Madison road
and along to East Madison. through
the lower village and then come on
to the SkoWhegan and Athens main
road. This would give the une only
three per cent grade in any one
place in the distance of about twelve
miles. It was first thought that the
line might come down the East Madi-
son road and join the Somerset Trac-
ton line at Cole Brook. But this pro-
ject was done away with as the
Madison street hill is about an eight
per cent grade and it would be i'm
possible TO do a freight business.
Il was suggested by Mr.. Eaton that
a number of citizens of Skowhegan
go over the proposed line and CON
slider the possibilities and then he
suggested that a public meeting be
called in the town and the matter
discussed. The matter was left with
Walter P. Ordway, president of the
Skowhegan Board of Trade.
Arthur Merrill will enter Bowdoin