The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-08
When ? o.A ..crs Came Before
Plync Service Commission
TO SECURE CHARTER RIGHT
Hearing on Petition for Second Railroad
Line to Barre Granite Quarries Was
Opened in Barre This
Afternoon.

The petition of +. H. Fitzhugh and "a
others for charter for the Barre Gran
ite Railway Co, which proposes to con-
struct a railroad line from Barre to the
granite quarries on the opposite side of
Milestone hill from the Barre railroad,
subsidiary OF the Boston & Maine sys-
tenn, is being considered by the Vermont
public service commission at hearing
in the city courtroom this afternoon.
If granted charter, the petitioners
propose to construct the road from the
line of the Central Vermont near the
George Straiton granite plant, under
South Main street and the Barre rail-
road, across the trotting park and along
the bank of Jail branch to East Barre,
thence to the quarries and on to Will
Jamestown, where branch of the Cen
tral Vermont now terminates. The COM
pany has already purchased options for
almost complete right of way to East
Barre and Graniteville, including the
trotting park property.
Agents working in behalf of the pro-
posed railroad have been busy during
some time in acquiring right of way,
and several deals were put through dur
ing the day Saturday and some Saturday
night. The proposed line is said to
follow q survey which was made about
four years ago, and for which stakes
are in position.
Sixteen Of the % petitioners for the
charter are said to be local men. Other
signers are well-known officials of the
Central Vermont railroad, such as f. H.
Fitzhugh, g. c. Jones and c. w. Writer'S
Cho of ha in.
cluae these three Central Vermont men
and A. Il. Campbell and William Barclay
of Barre. Other local men who are sign.
ers are: John Trow, George Straiton,
John Stephens, Samel Gerard, w. HI.
Miles and r. A. Hoar
The hearing began promptly at 2
o'clock, with Chairman John w. Red
nond and Commissioner s. Hollister
jackson present, Commissioner w. r.
Warner being detained at his home in
Vergennes by Illness. The commissions
clerk, Rufus w. Spear, was also in at
tendance, while the petitioners were rep
resented by Attorneys John W. Gordon
and r. A. Hoar, together with Vice.
President Writers of the Central Yer
mont States Attorney Carver repre-
scented the states interest.
Reading Of the petition was dispensed
with. as Attorney Gordon showed copies
of newspaper containing the advertise
ment for the hearing Then the same
attorney presented an affidavit diselos-
ing that $4,000 of the capital stock has
been subscribed, and blue prints of the
proposed line were introduced.
After the blue prints had been exam
ined, Attorney Gordon made q statement
to the commission, saving that since the
Barre railroad was built p or % years
ago il had not accommodated all the
quarry owners and that the Barre rail-
road had been petitioned from time to
time for extensions, whereupon the rail-
road had insisted that the owners bear
large share of the expense.
He said the benefits We're especially
for the quarry owners and that the petit
tion was brought after failure within
twelve months to get the Barre railroad
to extend. The owners had then ap-
preached the Central Vermont people,
and the latter readily consented to build
the railroad under conditions satisfac-
tory TO the quarry owners. He said the
petitioners came here with the backing
OF the Central Vermont and Grand
Trunk railroads.
When Attorney Gordon said he could
bring roomful Of witnesses to show
the public good of the project, he was
told that a men would be heard, after
which w. H. Harrison, William Barclay,
George Straiton. Frank J.. Place, A. Z.
Campbell and Fred Hyland were sworn
in as witnesses by Clerk Spear.
OF these Mr. Barclay was called to
the stand, and he detailed the advan-
tages which would come to the Standard
quarry and others by the proposed rail-
road, and he also told of failures to get
tracks from the Barre railroad.