Connecticut western news., 1914-12-31
CANAAN-MILL RIVER TROLLEY
Marcus H. Rogers Writes Interestingly
 of Propos, Line.


 In letter to the Springfield Repub- lican, accompanied by n convincing map, Marcus H. Rogers, of Mill River, !. argues in forceful manner for the con- struction of the much talked of trolley line from Cannan up through Clayton, Mill River and Hartsville and around to Great Barrington-a pet hobby of Mir. Rogers's and on that appeals strongly to to the committees that would be affected by it. In part Mir. Rogers's article says: .t a.a4
 Forty years ago, Mill River in the town of New Marlboro, was a remark ably busy and prosperous community, with four paper mills, some of them running night and day, and some other industries. The town contained more than 2,000 nhabitants-which has now dwindled to LIZA. Today the mills are only memories, simply for lack of transportation. But the Konkapot river daily murmurs over the rocks and the crying need of trolley road, to restore, in some measure, the indus trial activity of long ago. There are nine excellent mill-sites on the river within a mile and half, throu gh the village of Mill River, aggregating, a fall of about a29 feet. As ex-Senator Joyner recently declared, As sure as human progress, this water-power will again be utilized "=# "To build trolley road into one of these back towns and await its de- velopment, until the line will .pay,y is a slow-going and doubtful experiment.. But most fortunately for the Konkapot valley project exceptional conditions promise early and encouraging results. One of these conditions is that it would be. and was originally intended to be, part of the Berkshire street railroad, and of course to be operated by that company, which already has line run ming from Pittsfeld to Great Barring ton, and thence through Sheffield to Canaan, Ct. 1t was mighty poor busi- ness policy for. the New Haven com pany to parallel it's own steam road by building trolley road from Great Bar rington. to Canaan--unless there was a broader and more promising purpose for the development of South Berkshire st- tached to it. And that is exactly the case, for it is we'll known that 1t was the avowed intention of the nianagers of. the system at that time-the surveys were made and promises given--to con- tinue the trolley road from Canaan, ID through the Konkapot valley, through the villages of Clayton, Mill River and Hartsville, along the shore of Lake Buel, back to Great Burlington, thus making loop line This purpose and promise made it seem unnecessary for the town of New Marlboro to join the Hill Town association in the general appeal project is not included in the rather formidable cataiog of that associ- ation. We thought our prayer from the hills vas sure to be granted.
 Besides the three villages through which it would run, the adjacent vil- lages of New Marlboro, Southfeld and Monterey would also be we'll accom- modated. The Borden company at Ga naan send two or three teams into the town every day in the year, to collect milk from the farmers which would undoubtdly be increased with better facilities Two rotary lime kilns of latest design, located near the line, with a mountain of as good limestone as any in the world, are idle-for lack of transportation. A charter for the Connecticut end of the line has been granted, and the distance from the state line, through the town of New Marl- boro and corner of Monterey, to tho connection at Great Harrington, would be about IA miles. There would be no apparent grades on the entire line, ex- cept at one point known as "Three-mile hill in Great Harrington, and that not serious matter. The road can be con- structed at comparatively moderate cost, and it is deemed certain that free right of way for it will be granted, where it would leave the high way. Our only hope now rests with