Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-03
10000 SPENT TO
 BLOCK GRAND TRUNK

10000 SPENT TO
 BLOCK GRAND TRUNK (continued from Page one)
 said, that the Grand Trunk had spent | S2. 100000 on construction work at the | time of the abandonment.
 Traffic Agreement.
 | The traffic agreement which Mellen
 said was to put the two roads "on | friendly relationship for 25 years" was
 the continuation, according to his testi- | mony, of several conferences between himself, Smithers and Chamberlin. The trial adjourned today before 1t
 was put into evidence, but according to a letter prepared by Mellen on Oct. 29. 1913, to be sent to Chamberlin. it pro- vided that the Grand Trunk should enter New England Ion the most favor
 ed nation basis" which included joint l trackage and traffic arrangements
 which gave the Grand Trunk access to 1 the New Haven's territory.
 MeIIen Could Not Recall Dates. The actual agreement was prepared i by Edward D. Robbins, general coun- 1 sel for the New Haven, he said, and | was a revision of his own preparation.
 It was dated Nov. Is, 1913, and the government tried to bring out that it | was between the two dates that the Grand Trunk abandoned its extension | work and that the agreement was mod l flied by Robbins in anticipation Of the 1 trouble that might be raised. But Mel | len said he could not recall the dates l clearly. The government promised to refresh his memory tomorrow with i otker evidence.
 Real Fight Began in 1910. The real fight between the two roads. | it appeared from MT. Mellen's tesi-
 mony, began in 1910. after a meeting l between himself and the late C. H. Hays, then president of the Grand l Trunk, as the result of which Mellen l thought it had been arranged for the l Grand Trunk to sell the New London 1 Northern road to the New Haven and 1 for the New Haven to transfer the i New York, Ontario and Western to the
 Grand Trunk and thus settle their diff | ferences Hays without any warning i soon after delivered his manifesto" l that he was going to build his exten- l sion from Palmer, Mass, to Provi- i dence Mellen said. The New Haven, | it appeared, then took steps to oppose | the line. Because the Grand Trunk 1 proposed, he said, to make use of the New Haven's facilities in Providence, and to eliminate grade crossings, en- | tailing expense to the New Haven, he opposed the charter in the Rhode 1sl- | and legislature. He also got a loan from the New Haven board of direc-
 tors and spent $50,000 in the "collec- ton and dissemination" of information to show that the Grand Trunk was
 violating obligations to the Canadian
 government in building the extension
 He got authority also to seek right of way for line between Southbridge 1. and Palmer, Mass, over the same
 route proposed by the Grand Trunk
 but failed.
 Bought a Couple of Farms. l After that, Mellen said, he bought i q connie of farms in that neiQhhOr- hood one of which "was peculiarly
 valuable as a location for railroad
 It was a perpendicular farm located in a notch," he said, and I hoped tC \ spend my declining years on it."
 S5o,ooo Spent to Oppose Grand Trunk
 Between S50.OOO and $60,00O of New
 Haven money was also spent, MT. Mel
 len testified, in opposing a proposition by the Grand Trunk to extend its line: from White River Junction, Vt, tC
 Boston The Grand Trunk, he said was doing "a lot of newspaper worl 3 and hiring lawyers" to promote tht
 enterprise and the New Haven organ
 ized a counter-remonstrati -MelleI l said he turned the work over to Ben : jamin A. Kimball, president of tn, Concord and Montreal railroad, anC
 A. w. Sulloway, president of tht ! Northern New Hampshire railrsad l both Boston and Maine subsidiaries l They were told, he said, among othe things, ito secure protests from stock |, holders of their roads as the GranC , Trunks attacks on their properties" Y q promised" Mellen said, ito re :. imburse them and did so to the exten n of $50,000 or $60,OOO." e Steps to Parallel the c. V. : The New Haven also took steps t '" Eextend to one of the subsidiary line
 of the Boston and Maine near tn n New Hampshire border, known as tn !, Sullivan county road, paralleling tn d Central Vermont, the Grand Trunk :. line.
 |, While the fight was going on c. NJ h Hays lost his life on the Titanic ant f was succeeded by MT. Chamberlin ,. Mellen wrote .congratulating him ol = his accession and, as (the result o = further correspondence, Mellen, Smith d CTS and-Chamberlin had a meeting il = New York in the summer of 1912.
 What did you talk about?" aske
 Attorney Batts for the government.
 Reminiscent Conversation. 5. "Oh. politics, religion, old times an . some railroad business" replied Mi l. Mellen. Back in 1872 Chamberli
 was stenographer and was clerk 1
 the same railroad office in St. Aiban, Il Vt and we talked about how we use h to beat around calling on. the girl; l. He had various "reminiscences" a ''Yes, yes, but about the railroa ,- business" interrupted MT. Batts w The witness then said they had dis 5. ,cussed the question of the Gran T l Trunk and the New Haven coming If an amicable understanding and ths r. he had drawn up memorandum le the principal points of discussion. re Mellen Grows Faeetious. .Is this it asked the attorne!
 showing a document.
 y, Now. | can't be sure about thes