Norwich bulletin., 1914-10-10
Special to The Bulletin )

Willimantic, Oct 9.-The eastern Connecticut development committee held a meeting in the rooms or the Board of Trade Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock to hear from the people in this neighborhood in regard to the pro posed trolley line to, Storrs, so that they might have facts and figures to present to the State Business Men association when the time came to busy themselves in the matter. mere were about 36 at the gathering, which was presided over by President Joseph T. Cruttenden of New London. Secre- tary c. W. Pearson of Norwich kept the minutes
 Civil Engineer Palmer.
 The first speaker was Shepard B. Palmer of Norwich, a member of the firm of Chandler & Palmer, civil engl- neers, who stated that President h. w. Perkins of the Shore Line Electric railway had, much to his regret found it impossible to be present at the meet ing, and had requested him to present the views of the officials of the line He stated that he had been over sev- era1 of the proposed routes Friday. taking the one out Jackson street. through Conantville and Mansfield Center in the morning, and on the Coventry road through Perkins Corner ill the afternoon.
 Cost S25,0oo Per Mile.
 His estimate of the cost of construc- tion was $25.00G mile by the Mans field route, and the total cost in the neighborhood of a quarter of a, million. By Perkins Corner he thought $780, 900 would cover the cost. He stated that the directors of the Shore Line Electric company were not in a posi- tion to finance the proposition, but that they would agree to furnish the power and to operate the road at less ct SerUiPn 0nJ1l6 he cured in any other way.
 In answer to a question by Presi- dent Beach of the Connecticut Agricul- tura1 college as to whether the road Palmer said that if, as stated. the amount of freight from the college was 5000 tons a year, at $1 a ton, that would amount to only $5,000, and if 30,000 passengers made the trip dur ing g. year, and paid 40 cents for a round trip, that would give $12,000 ad- ditional, and the road would have to pick up a good deal of business outside of the college to pay it's operating eX penses. The operating cost of such a road, he said. from the statistics of the public service commission, is general ly in excess Of 50 per cent. of the gross earnings, and the proposed road would need to have gross earuinsg of $5,000 & mile to get by. Later he admitted that this amount would probably be made on the first mile, with local buSi- ness. increasing his total estimate of what could be counted on to $22,00o. Estimates 5000 for EasIeviIle Route. J. J. McCraw of New London, su- perintendent of the southern division of the Central Vermont railroad, was present. and spoke brief upon tbe route by a spur track from the com pany'S road at Eagleville, a distance of three and half miles to the college. He estimated the cost at SS5,000 and said if the road was built by outsiders the freight rates would be in the neigh borhood of 25 cents mile per ton, but if the railroad built the line the charge would probably be e. dollar mile.
 Views of Lifelong Resident.
 Albert Gurley was the next speaker heard, and he explained his qualifica- tions by the fact that he was a native of Mansfield and had been a lifelong resident of this section. He put in @ plea for the Mansfield route and said an easy grade could be found. In his opinion the country would be built up considerably in a short time, with the trolley. and it would prove a paying venture. He was opposed to the Eagle vile route, which left Mansfield out of consideration. He said considerable freight would be picked up at Conant- vile and other places along the route and expressed himself as willing to aid financially in the project, saying that whatever public opinion might be, he