The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-20
Condition of Local Trolley
Line Subject of Inquiry
on Today
FORMER EMPLOYE
WAS FIRST WITNESS
Knowlton Tells of Neglected
Condition of the Track and Closed
Cars - Says one of Them is Practi-
calIy Shaken to Pieces.


calIy Shaken to Pieces
The public service commission be-
gan at 1.45 o'clock this afternoon the
public hearing on the condition of the
Brattleboro street railway, the result
of a petition recently presented to
States Attorney o. B. Hughes at the
instance Of the Brattlebo-o board of
trade. Mr.. Hughes was in charge of
the presentation of testimony for the
petitioners and the company was repre-
sented by Attorney W. r. Daley.
Elbridge L. Knowlton, q former con
ductor and motorman of the road, was
the first witness called and testified
that he was in the employ Of the COM
pany between - and 13 years previous
TO 1902 as conductor and motorman,
and that he had worked on the track
The street railway was built about 20
years go, he said and the three closed
cars, Nos. l, ) and s. were bought
when the road started business. No.
5 is not in such good condition as the
other two 1t is badly racked. The
roadhed was, he thought, in as good
condition as usual at this time in the
spring. There are places where there
are no crossings and where guard
planks are needed. Flat wheels have
been several times annoying. Last
year it was August before the fixing
mp Of the track for spring had been
done on Prospect hill where he lives.
On cross examination by Mr.. Daley
he said that he had complained at the
office of the company about the fiat
wheels when his daughter had typhoid
fever and her physician had said that
something must be done. The company
remedied the trouble in day or two
by taking wheels off one of the open
cars. He had been asked TO testify
yesterday by C. S. Hopkins. Improve
ments to the cars since they were pu;
in operation here had consisted princi-
pally of electric headlights and an
electric heating system. Pressed as to
what was the matter with ear No. :
Mr.. Knowlton said it was shaken to
pieces in the same sense that an old
farm wagon is shaken to pieces. He
declared the roadbed should be fixed
in the spring. Pressed as to what was
wrong with the track now, and where
he said there were low joints in front
of the library and all the way from
here to Prospect hill . On the hill ht
said the cars "pound along on low
joints. Some repair work to the tracl
1 had been done this spring on Soutf
Main street.
| Mr.. Knowlton testified that he never
knew of the track being planked at tn,
Pellet street and Washington stree
crossings, still he did not know of an,
damage being done there.
As to the seating capacity of th,
cars ne thought it was not sufficien
after shows in the Auditorium and a
; or clock at night when mill hand
were going home. Three times this win
ter he had to stand while ridin,
home. He had not observed any lacl
of patronage. He knew of an extra ca
being run at night to accommodate
the mill hands.
Replying to question by Nj
Hughes, he said he did not think thre
Icars were enough to accommodate tn
travel. He cited an instant last Sun
day when he and three who were wit
him walked because there did not ar
pear to be room in the car His pri1
cipal complaint was that half hou
schedule was not sufficient.
Mr.. Daley announced that after til
hearing he would ask the commissio
to 90 over the line.
States Attorney Hughes called 9
the next witness Carlos K Jones,
former superintendent of the road.