The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-24
LOCAL STATION TO
Be OPEN FOR
ALL TRAINS
CONTINUED from First Page)

engers leaving or arriving at said
station during the night
! 1t does now and will continue to
operate its trains over said branch so
! that the baggage car on any OF its
trains Will be next TO the engine.
Further answering said petition
said Rutland Railroad Company al.
I legee that at prior hearing before
! tins Commission held on the 10Th day
of April 1910, in proceeding institu-
ted by said citizens of Bennington to
require the Railroad Company to
| change the location of its round
house and protect the said grade
crossings at Main, River and County
| Streets and maintain the service at
said station now asked for, 1t was
| agreed at the suggestion OF the Com
mission or with its consent that if
! the Railroad Company would movo
the turntable and place for storms
! engines to the present location all Of
! the other matters referred to in sai@
petition would be dropped and not re-
! newed for a period of five years; AMI
| acting in pursuance OF said agree
ment said Railroad Company has
| changed the location of its turn-table
and place for storing engines as con-
templated by said agreement and eX
| pended considers bic money in doing
! so.
Wherefore the Rutland Railroad
Company prays that said petition be
| dismissed.
Mr.. Guiltinan proceeded to pro
duce his evidence as to conditions at
the station before and after the de-
parture of the night trains. He said
he had occasion himself to come in
on a late train the night before and
/ found the station open and lighted.
! Charles A. Maurer, said it had been
! his experience on the occasions when
| he had been obliged to take a night
train, to be obliged to wait on the
| station platform, as the station IL
self was locked and not lighted and
there was no way of getting into the
! baggage room unless one of the tram
employees opened it. He said this
condition OF things had existed only
last May
Engineer Sibley then took the
stand again and reiterated his preyi-
Gus statements as to the station be
ing open and lighted before the de-
parture of the sleepers and said il
, had been the practice of the conduc-
tor to see to this, This had been the
custom as he saw it,
w. ]. Burritt, night clerk at the
Putnam house, was then called and
said that he was on duty every other
night and that passengers who came
, in on the Ills trolley from North
! Adams 10 take the sleeper at II 40
came into the lobby of the hotel to
wait, as the station was not open IN
I'll lZ;l5 He said he had been en-
! ployed as night clerk at the Putnam
house for seven years and that near
ly every night, he has known this to
be the case Some of the passeng-
ers, he said had often been women
, and children.
Henry Chase, county game warden
! for seven years, told OF the station
being dark and locked up when he
had had occasion to take night
train. He said this had been the
case two years ago and understood
there had been no change recently
ID. A. Guiltinan said that he had
been told by Chief Brazil that since
about the time of the last inquiry, the
station had been kept open and light
ed before the arrival and departure
of night trains. He said he under
stood however, from others who had
been obliged to take a night train
that such was not the case as a rule
and that the station was neither open
nor lighted
William II. Sibley was called to
state what the conditions were at the
station after the arrival and depar-
ture of night trains from his own OBJ
servation. He said that the station
was opened one half hour before the
departure of the first sleeper and not
locked again until afteh the arrival
of the last sleeper. He said this duty
was performed by the conductor. but
could not say exactly since when
this condition of things had existed
For the past two or three years. the
station has not been open at night so
that passengers could procure tickets
or check their baggage. He said that
they could pay their fare. Is cents.
to North Bennington and procure a
ticket TO their destination at North
Bennington. Baggage was always put
on here and checked upon arrival at
North Bennington
ID. A. Guiltinan said in his opinion.
the station should be kept open so
that passengers on incoming and out.
going night trains would be able to
purchase tickets and check baggage.
John Nash then took the stand and
said that he knew of several occa.
sions when people coming in on the
last trolley from North Adams. in.
tending TO take the 12:45 train out
OF Bennington. had no place to wait.
unless they went to the Putnam house
He thought that for the convenience
OF such passengers. at least. the sta.
ton should be kept open.
w. b. Sheldon spoke in favor of
keeping the station open to receive
| passengers. coming in on the trolley
at night and said there should also be
some person in charge. for the pro-
lection of women passengers. and TO
preserve order around the station
| This he considered a nroorfrr. -