Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-02-04
CITY BUYS BIG Pillow.
Will Keep City Streets Open to Auto
Traffic.

chased a big caterpillar tractor ant
Sargent street snow-plow, and viii
undertake to keep the streets Of
Ellsworth open to automobile traffic
throughout the winter. Demonstra
lions of the plow have satisfied the
city government and people OF, Els
worth that this can be done. 1t is
the plan also to keep open traffic into
Ellsworth from neighboring towns
such towns paying for the plow on a
rental basis
Opinion as to the value of the
pillow and this snow removal work adj
mits of but little question but the
investment in the pillow in the city S
present financial condition was a
matter for consideration. This was
largely overcome by the terms of
purchase, and the demand for the
purchase of the plow from the bust
ness men and many of the heaviest
| taxpayers of Ellsworth, was such that
! the aldermen could not ignore.
The purchase of the plow was
! brought about through the efforts
of the Ellsworth Snow committee,
organized first to cooperate with the
chamber of commerce of Bangor in
keeping the Bangor-Bar Harbor road
open. Then the demand seemed to
be, on the part of the business men,
to keep open the roads into Ellis
worth. rather than out of Ellsworth,
and the committee shifted its efforts
toward the purchase of pillow for
Ellsworth. This committee organized
as follows: H. A. Robinson, presi-
dent; H. C. Stratton, treasurer; L. c.
Fortier, secretary; H. B. Lancaster,
D. e. Linnehan, A. e. Farnsworth,
executive committee.
Popular subscriptions to the
amount of about $500 were received,
and with this as a starter,
the committee almost en- masse.
with many of the business men, APP
peared before the board of aldermen
at their regular meeting Monday
evening to put over their proposition
They were further reinforced by pc
tition signed by many business men,
1t was a lively meeting, and there
was considerable argument, but
argument in favor of the pillow pre-
dominated. When some of the alder
men seemed skeptical as to the
ability of the pillow, they were
promptly invited to take a ride on II
and at nearly midnight Monday IN
a snowstorm, four of the aldermen
might have been seen riding on the
plow as it walked through the drifts |
on Beal avenue, the worst-blocked |
street near the city center. Then |
they came back to the meeting, and |
the vote was taken. Aldermen Smith,
Higgins and Dunleavy voted in favor
of purchase of the plow; Aldermen
Moore and Gray against.
The tractor manufactured by the
C. L. Best Co, was purchased
through H. NJ. Hodgkins of Bar
Harbor. The pillow is Sargent,
manufactured by the Union Iron
Works. of Bangor. The total cost is
$3.50. The snow committee agrees
to pay the first installment of one
third of the purchase price, while the
citv will pay one-third in six months
and the balance in one year. The
city took over the pillow this morning,
and it is operated under the super
vision of Street Commissioner Har-
rington. The snow committee will
continue it's organization and act as
an advisory committee.
When spread to extreme width, the
plow opens a swath eighteen feet
wide, and will negotiate any drift.
One great advantage of keeping the
streets of the city open in winter will
be that it will allow the use of the
fire truck all winter Valuable
property has been lost in Ellsworth
in the past because of delay of fire
apparatus by blocked roads. There
are 175 miles of streets and roads in
Ellsworth, and it is no small job to
keep these open. The tractor may
also be used to advantage in summer
on road work, and will haul long
string Of trailers loaded with gravel.
Up to noon to-day, the snow com
mittee had received subscriptions ag-
gregating s1,187.50. Other sub
scriptions are invited from public
spirited citizens, and may be left with
the secretary of the committee Mr..
Fortier. Following is list OF con-