The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-30
TROLLEY TRACKS LAID
ON TEN-FOOT CENTERS
IN STRATFORD AVE.
Residents Of StratfOrd Avenue
In Stratford Wondering Who
Gave Connecticut Company
Permission To Chance From
Eight Foot Centers.
Especial to The Farmer)

|
Stratford, Sept. 3O-Why were not
the citizens of Stratford given an OPP
portunity to say whether they wanted
to give the Connections company per-
mission to put ten-foot centers in
| Stratford avenue to replace the eight
kfoot centers now there? And why has
not the State highway commissioner
filed with the town, clerk a map show
ing the proposal lines of the new War
ranite road which within couple of
days is to be started on Stratford ave-
nue?, These and a number of other
questions germane to this matter of
paving Stratford avenue with War
renite, the citizens of the town would
very much like to have answered.
With no word. of warning the Con-
necticut company has started work on
re-laying its tracks in Stratford ave-
nue. on ~ten-foot= centaEs and is fever
ish1y pushing the work to completion
evidently with the idea of finishing it
before the residents of the staid old
! town of Stratford become aware of
what is being, carried out right under
! their = very noses. Superintendent
Charles Chapman is on the job almost
every minute of the day and has two
big gangs of 1aborers at work on the
trolley line ripping UP the old tracks,
laying new ties and laying the new
tracks on the ten-foot centers. At
the rate the work is being pushed
now it will be finished within week
or so and Mr.. Chapman and the COM
pany he represents can sit back and
| laugh at the discontinue of the
Stratford avenue residents as they be-
| gin to realize what the laying of ten
foot centers in Stratford avenue really
means.
| AS far as can be ascertained no less
than II feet of Warrenite is to be
laid on either side of the trolley
tracks, the state laying 9 feet and the
1 hRGidaG
the strip between its rails, laying
| feet on either side of the outside rails.
With ten-foot centers on the trolley
tracks this means that a total width
of 35 feet or more will be laid with
Warrenite, which means that scores
of beautiful trees will have to be cut
down as they were on Stratford ave-
nue. in Bridgeport, and it also means
that the present highway lines will
| be pushed back; front doorways cut
away and general havoc created all
along the thoroughfare.
The thing that rankIes in the
! breasts of the Stratford avenue resi-
| dents who see what is being done is
that the road builders evidently in
tend to follow out the old town high
way in some places while they will
follow the new highway line in other
places.
Stratford avenue as it is laid out
at present is not the Stratford ave-
nue. that was laid out one hundred
years or more ago. The old Stratford
aveune highway line runs through the
| swamp opposite the car barns on
Stratford avenue yet it is hardly to be
expected that the Warrenite peoples
| surveyors will construct the new road
through this swamp and disregard
ing the highway which is now being
used and which has been used for
years past.
Yet at St. MichaePs cemetery they
are following out the ancient high
way line, pushing the trolley tracks
half-a-dozen feet or SO north of their
present position and it is understood
that the same procedure is to be car
ried out at other points along the
highway wherever it suits the road
builders pleasure to deviate from the
present Stratford avenue line. This
means that no one can be sure wheth-
,er he is to lose all the trees in front
of his residence or is to have the gut
ter in front of his place pushed out
| two or three feet with just that much
cut from the front of the property of
his neighbor across the street.
Selectman Charles Welles was in
terviewed in regard to the matter
yesterday, but could give very little
light on the situation. He said he
didn't know along what lines the War
renite people intended to build the
new road the highway commits
SiOner had not yet filed any map with
the Gown clerk.
"a map has been filed for the lay
out on North Main street. he said,
''but no map has yet been filed for
the Stratford avenue one. I suppose
if there are any objections to the lay
out the complaints will have to be
registered with the state highway de-
partment."
ST don't think the people are in a
very good position to kick" said Mr..
WelIes, considering that Stratford
is getting this fine road at absolutely
no expense to the citizens of the town,
the work being paid for by the state"
One man living Stratford ave-
nue., whose property is being damaged
by the construction of the road on
the layout of 200 years ago said yes
terday that he would not have minded
having his property damaged if he
had only been given opportunity
to say something in his behalf. An
other man is of the same opinion and
threatens to bring suit against the
state, town, or whoever is response |
BILE for the existing state of affairs, |
if his property is damaged as he an
ticipates it will be if the contractor is |
allowed to follow out his own sweet
will in the laying out of the new road. |
Still another man in front of whose |
property a number of fine trees will |
have to come down is quoted as say
ing he will shoot any man that lays
a hand on the trees until the matter |
has been threshed out
Golden Anniversary
Next Monday, October s, Mr.. and
Mrs Henry Meachen, of South Elm
street, will celebrate their golden we'd |
ding anniV ersary by keeping fopen |
house. at their home all day. Mr..
and Mrs. Meachen were married just