Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-16
Hearing on Complaints
Against Service on Lines
of L.A.&W.S Railway

he lives about four miles up on the
Riverside Drive and was a lumber
manufacturer employing from rs to 80
men In the summer and five or six in
winter. They had to walk about
quarter Of a mile to the railway tracks
and no station to protect them while
waiting. The cars, especially those on
which the men rode, were almost al
ways late. causing earlier shutting
down Of mill for the men to get home
in decent season. Cars also overcrowd-
ed. Had heard it suggested by railroad
men that a Gardiner Watervile service
would help the trouble. The entire SER
Vice was irregular.
Nelson-Isnt it so that up to this
winter you could almost set your watch
by those cars?
Macfarlane-No sir, moi amid gener-
al laughter, in which all hands Joined
Elliott S. Boardman. who lives at
Riverside Drive and Is manager Of
the Kennebec Lumber Co., which oper-
ates a lumber and a shook mill, said he
employed so mer in summer and SO this
winter. 10 OF the latter belonging in
Augusta. They are transported very
well in the morning but at night their
cars are Invariably late and the men
are obliged to crowd into small cars
to their own ard other passengers dis
comfort.
George l.. Weeks, who has lived
about 80 years on Riverside Drive and
whose home the cars pass. said they
were usually late and bften over
crowded. He found trouble in learning
when cars would go and where in cases
of a storm or other trouble. Had even
been taken part way home, then left
by the roadside and had to walk. The
track was SO clear that he walked on 1t
in preference to the highway. Cars as
a rule were 20 to as minutes late.
Fred A. Hayden, who has worked for
so years with the Maine Central and
nine with the Electric Road, said that
he lived in Vassalboro and was often
bothered with late cars and crowded
conditions. He had kept a record of
the passengers in the first, second and
third fare limits since Feb. q and they
proved the seating capacity over
crowded.
He had asked Supt. Cole to give the
rs or 80 who were accommodated on
that run and was told that they didn't
have the cars; but that the turnout
was to be changed from the cemetery
turnout to Crawford's, which would
help. He was out sick from Dec. is I'M
til into January and on returning to
work found no improvement. He had
been asked to sign a petition, but it
had been lost, so he started one him
self and since 1t was filed the service
with the exception of two nights in the
last two weeks had been well-nigh
perfect. His chief complaint was Of the
poor service of the P. NJ. car going
up river. Cars were often cold in the
morning. Didn't get the big through
cars, but the small green" ones.
Osgood Crawford. a Riverside Drive
resident. E. H. Ingraham and Wallace
Berry, living in that section, corrobo-
rated the previous witness evidence.
They said they had no antagonism
against the road or the MANAGEMENT
and thought that an improvement in
the present service would be Of as
much benefit to the road as to the pa
irons. They thought the people of that
section had been perfectly fair toward
the road, but the cars were too often
late and er-crowded.
Adjournment was taken to 10 o'clock
Friday morning. on account OF the
Public Utilities rooms being in use for
Legislative committee hearings.