The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-24
LOCAL STATION TO
Be OPEN FOR
ALL TRAINS
EmplOye and Telephone To Be
Installed at Once
BELL AT DEWEY CROSSING
Hearing Before Public Service Com
mission Adjourned Today Sub
ject to Call.

Following a conference between
Daniel A. Guiltinan ard other mem
befs of the citizens committee and
the representatives of the Rutland
railroad company last evening, the
hearing before the public service
commission upon the petition OF citi
zens for certain changes in the man
agemen; OF the local station aa1
freight yard was resumed this morn
ing with a partial understanding that
a continuance would be had.
AT the conference between the rep
resentatives of the company and The
railroad officials the latter made GER
tain PROPOSALS. These proposals were
that in the immediate future an en-
ploye of the company would be sta
toned in the local office to be on
duty during the time of the arrival
of the evening and night trains and to
attend to the wants of the travelling
public, that a telephone would be in
stalled in the Office for the conVen-
fence of the public and that a recon-
mendation would be made for the in-
stallation of an electric alarm bell at
the Dewey crossing. SO called.
The hearing was continued by
/ chairman Redmond of the commits
sion with the understanding and
agreement that the other matters
mentioned in the petition are still in
the hands OF the commission and that
the adjourned hearing may be con
vened at any time by either of the
xK-ith h.
commission Chairman Redmond
suggested that a committee, the
smaller the better but composed of
representative citizens. represent the
community when the adjourned hear
ing is called. He also suggested
that whatever else is attempted in
the matter be undertaken with
spirit CT fairness by both parties. The
hearing was then adjourned and the
officials and members of the commits
sion hurried to the Putnam house in
order TO catch the 1106 train
Progressive headquarters were
crowded to the doors when at . o.
clock yesterday afternoon, the public
investigation of the railroad accident
of September was continued.
Thomas +. Slattery, trainman, who
was on duty on the train leaving here
at 7:45, involved in the wreck of
September Z, was the first witness to
be examined Mr.. Slattery said that
Mr.. Shufelt had shown him the or
ders, to the effect that the milk train
was one hour late, about 6 10 on the
evening of the wreck, and that after
that, they made the regular run to
North Bennington and back on train
1863 at 6:15. When questioned as to
what he understood by the order, he
said that it meant that it gave them
the use of the track for an hour. or
until 7.15. He described the make up
|of the train and said that it had al
ways been customary for Mr.. Shufelt
TO show him any orders before start
ng out on the run to North Benning-
ton at 1:45. In response to a ques-
tion as to why the crew started out
bitter receiving the order, Mr.. Sat
terry stated that both he and Mr.. Shu.
elt forgot the order and the fact
hat the hour, in which they had the
right of way. had expired. He said
be couldn't say whether or not the
presence of an operator in the Ben
hington station could nave been the
means of averting the accident.
William II. Sibey. regular engineer
pm the branch run from here TO
North Bennington on train 81 was
he next witness and stated that he
i'd not make the run at 7:45 on the
fVening of Sept but engineer
iokay of Rutland took his place. as
be was called to 90 out on another
un. He did, however. make the run
North Bennington at els
IN train 369 and saw the
riders that Shufelt had recei, ed
regard to the milk train. He also
lade the remark that the milk train
ad not arrived to Engineer Gokay
nd fireman Densmore as he got out
his cab at 725. He said he IN
erstood that after 7:15 the milk
fain, OF train IS, being n southbound
lain had the right of way and that
had not been his custom to start
nt before the arrival of this train.
nless he received orders to do so
men asked how he could receive
hy such orders il there we're no op-
rator at this station, he said the on
way was by telephone to his
ssidence,but this had been neces-
ny only on rare occasions. He said
could remember of one such in
ance, when he had been called TO
house TO answer a telephone call
ON the operator at North Benning-
N, asking how he was going over
yainst IS" He couldn't see any rea-
n for the call as he had intended
wait for the train and would not
we left until the milk train came
Il was suggested that on some
passions this would mean in
nVenience to passengers and