THIRD HEARING. MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 17. The Chairman called the meeting to order at 20 minutes to 8 o'clock, and stated that the following petitions had been referred to the Committee: Of Jos. Nickerson, Silas Pierce & Co., and 41 others; C. C. Chamberlin, Wm. Ruddell, and 46 others; Saml. Dillaway, jr., and 53 others; Charles R. McLean, Washington Snelling, and 78 others; Benj. James, D. N. Pickering, and 9 others; Coleman Cook, and 101 others; A. B. Wheeler & Co., J. W. Briggs, Moseley & Hodgman, B. M. Clark & Co., and 41 others; Henry Mayo, and 12 others; Elbridge E. Fletcher, and 51 others; Augustus Meisel, H. W. Longfellow, Otis Tufts & Co., and 20 others; John C. Simpson, and 41 others; Henry Jones & Co., and 77 others; Charles E. Wiggin, Geo. T. Adams, T. C. & C. F. Newcomb, and 101 others; Hill & Wright, and 55 others; Robert Wright, and 53 others; Andrew Sumner, and 49 others; Justin Rideout, R. H. Waters & Co., Hale, Morse & Howe, and 39 others; H. W. Chaney, and 73 others; Robt. E. Jackson, and 38 others; Patk. Donahoe, and 36 others; J. W. Stover, and 24 others; Manson & Peterson, and 72 others; Mark Googins, James Richards, John A. Parks, and 57 others; John M. Jenks, and 20 others; D. H. Blaney, and 51 others; D. Scott, and 76 others; John McFarland, Bedford Erskine, and 35 others; Wright & Whitcomb, Patton, Ginn & Folger, and 48 others, that the East Boston Ferries be made free. The counsel for the petitioners was then requested to proceed TESTIMONY OF WESLEY ABBOTT. Q. (By Mr. PUTNAM.) What is your business? A. For seven years. Q. You have been in charge of the bridge since the tolls were taken off? A. Yes, sir. Q. How long have the tolls been taken off that bridge? A. It was freed the 9th of Nov., a year ago last Nov. Q. Have you observed anything as to the effect of taking off the tolls upon the amount of travel on the bridge? A. I think the travel has been very much increased. Q. Can you make any estimate how much it has been increased? A. I should think it had trebled. Q. Have you any facts, upon which you base your estimates? A. Well, nothing very definite. We took an account one day last November of the number of teams that passed over from six o'clock in the morning until six in the evening, and, reckoning them at the old rates of toll, it would give about three times the average tolls for the same season of the year. Q. Three times the average tolls for the whole day? A. Three times for the whole day, and we only took from six to six. Q. Have you any other means of judging of the increase of travel? A. Well, I can judge something by the amount of wear on the bridge. I don't think the planks will last more than half as long as they used to. Q. Does anything occur when the draws are open that enables you to judge? A. Well, before the bridge was freed, we had to help turn the draw, and we took change in our pockets, and collected the tolls at the draw, and had a pretty good opportunity to observe the number of vehicles that would collect when the draw was off. I think now we should find it very difficult to take tolls sometimes. Q. You think that the chain of vehicles that collects when the draw is open is very much greater than it used to be? A. Yes, sir. Cross-examination. Q. (By Mr. SWEETSER.) What was the occasion of your taking a count in November? A. One of the aldermen of Chelsea requested us to do so. I don't know for what purpose. I think it had something to do with some question that might come up in the legislature. I think I heard so; I won't be positive. The Chelsea people thought their share of the bridge was greater than it ought to be, or something like that. Q. You didn't take any pains to find out also from what places the travel came that went across to Boston? A. No, sir, we had no means of knowing. Q. Was it an ordinary day? A. Yes, sir, we took a day at random. We didn't know until the night before that they wanted us to take a count. Q. It was a pleasant day, I suppose? A. It was a pleasant day. Q. You think that the travel has increased three fold? Q. To what cause do you attribute the increase of traffic? A. I suppose that the population has increased some, for one thing; and then I think very likely that people who own teams pass over oftener than they would; and I dare say other people have bought teams who wouldn't have bought them to ride back and forth in, and pay tolls of about $50 a year. Q. There is some travel from East Boston that now goes over the bridge, which formerly didn't go that way? A. Yes, sir; there is a good deal of travel, I should judge, that comes there now. Q. That didn't come before the tolls were taken off? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you remember taking some that formerly went over Winnisimmet ferry, that don't go now? A. Yes, sir, I think we do. Q. Do you know anything about the amount of team travel that comes from towns below? A. No, sir, I could not tell where a team came from, unless I was personally acquainted with the party. Q. I didn't know but you were personally acquainted with the men who drive market wagons from the towns below. A. I know a great many that come that way from the towns below. Q. (By Mr. HERSEY.) How soon after the abolition of the tolls did you notice a marked increase in the travel? Was it immediate or was it gradual? A. I think it gradually increased. Q. A. Q. TESTIMONY OF CHARLES R. MORSE. (By Mr. PUTNAM.) What is your occupation? In Boston? A. Yes, sir. Q. How long have you followed that occupation? A. Twenty-three years. Q. Do you have occasion to make much use of the ferries between Boston and East Boston? A. We do, a good deal. |