Turner's Public Spirit, May, 1905
May 6, 1905
Ayer
Ayer-Cambridge Trolley Line. … [6 paragraphs on this trolley line not transcribed]
- W. Sargent, superintendent of the Fitchburg and Leominster street railway, received notice Friday afternoon of last week that the railroad commissioners have approved the consolidation of the Fitchburg and Leominster and the Leominster, Shirley and Ayer street railways, and have authorized the Fitchburg and Leominster street railway to increase its capital stock from $350,000 to $450,000, and purchase the $100,000 capital stock of the Leominster, Shirley and Ayer street railway at par, exchanging one share of the new issue of stock of the Fitchburg and Leominster for each share of the Leominster, Shirley and Ayer road.
The railroad commissioners gave a hearing at Boston Wednesday of last week on the petition of the Fitchburg and Leominster street railway for the authority and approval which was granted Friday, at which there was no opposition.
The reports of treasurer Robert N. Waddle [sp?, nearly illegible] of both street railway companies, which was submitted to the railroad commissioners showed the financial condition of the two companies to be in excellent shape and that both were operated at profit last year.
May 13, 1905
Littleton
The annual meeting of L.W.C. [Littleton Women’s Club] was attended by interested members on Monday last in [the] Unitarian vestry. Reading of reports of previous meetings was followed by [the] itemized report of treasurer, Miss Elizabeth Thacher [sic]; and report of corresponding secretary, Mrs. Gertrude Houghton. Mrs. Josephine Richardson spoke of the leaflets that had been prepared by the Woman’s auxiliary of the civil service reform league, on the merit system, designed for use in high schools. We were all pleased to know that by the effort of superintendent, H. E. Richardson, they had been introduced in connection with the study of civics and history in the Littleton, Acton high schools and Westford academy.
About Town. S. Green will close his afternoon dancing class in Westford with a ball, Friday night, May 19. Many are intending to go from here.
Rev. Dr. Lloyd, who comes from New York city especially to speak at the May services in Groton town hall, has consented to preach in Forge Village mission house, Sunday afternoon at four o’clock.
May 27, 1905
To the Honorable, the Board of Selectmen of Ayer, in the County of Middlesex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Your petitioners, the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company, by a majority of its directors, respectfully represent that the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company was chartered on the Fifteenth day of July, 1903, to construct and operate a street railway in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that the track of said Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company are located in said Town of Ayer.
And your petitioners pray that the location already existing for said Rail Company in the Town of Ayer, may be altered and extended as follows:
Beginning at a point on the road running from the Boston & Maine Railroad to Sandy Pond, connecting with the existing location at a point near the property of Mrs. Taft, thence across private land to Columbia Street, thence along Columbia Street to the junction of Columbia and Main Street, and thence along Main Street to the junction of Main and Pleasant Streets.
This change is desired in order to evade Steam Railroad crossings and for the purpose of evading grades and curves in the public streets.
Your petitioners represent that they will file within the proper time such plan of proposed alteration and extension as will be acceptable to your Board.
Respectfully submitted,
William Odlin,
- M. Clark,
Howard O. Weaver.
Ayer, Mass., May 26, 1905
Ordered, by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Ayer, Mass., in session on the foregoing petition of the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company for alteration and extension of location of its tracks in said Town of Ayer, that a meeting of said Board of Selectmen of Ayer may be holden in the Selectmen’s Room on the Twelfth day of June next, at Ten o’clock in the forenoon, at which time and place said Board of Selectmen will consider said petition, and that due notice of such hearing be given by publishing a copy of said petition and this order thereon in Turner’s Public Spirit, the publication to be at least fourteen days before said meeting.
Frank S. Pierce,
Huntley S. Turner,
- Frank Mullin,
Board of Selectmen