029reverseStreetcars Ran
'Between City, Ingersoll
By SIENSER-HUNTER �- IIr;ay, John McKay, ll. Dodge, Dr.
Street cars used to rumble along Odium, S. G. McKayJ H. Nelles,
Dundas street not so many years W. Street, C. Wilson, C Hamlyn,
ago and the clang'of the motor- Alex Watson, Charles Clarke,W.
man's foot bell was a familiar S. Hurst William Spinks, D. W.
sound.,, _ Karn, A. B. Lee;, G. W, Hunt, W.
- This may be news to. many of A. E. Moyer and C. S Johnston.
'Woodstock's more recent residents . For a time, Woodstock's three
but the older ones will well re- newspapers took great interest in
'member, the new road and every incident
The line was known as. the was chronicled. If the "Estelle"
Woodstock, TJiames Valley and left the track, as she did occasion-
j, ngersoll Electric -Railway. It raq I ally, or hit a dog, o; failed to hold
From Dundas street east, with the going down Dundas street bill and
/track in the centre of the street, hit Mille street curve -too fast,' it
/ ,westward: down Dundas street was duly chronicled.' Other new
;hill to Mill street,* then turnedcars, larger and heavier to 'carry
down Mill street, along the west both Passengers and freight, were
side, 'to Park - Row, and along added later on and a complete
Park Rowtotthe highway and on service provided.
to Beachville and Ingersoll. AMUSEMENT CENTRE
HOURLY SERVICE Some time after the line was
- yThe car barns and -power -house.. established, an amusement centre
-- _.•'ere on the highway just west was erected between Woodstock
of Dickson's greenhouseand part and Beachville on the south side
P the building is: still there. An oP the highway; known as Fair-
!ourly service was run with a car mounY-Park, to increase the pat•
going in each , direction. from the-ronage'of.khe. railway. A merry -
power house: go -round was erected near the
'Old records reveal that the line road and a'pavllion built farther
was established in 1900. Dr. S;R. back among the trees for sum.
Ickes and J. W. Armstrong - of Mae plays:. A stock company
Philadelphia came to Woodsy-k known as Tom._Walsh Players'
and :negotiated the new project. presented plays there. three nights
The Woodstork law•frm'of- Wal a week and Woodstock and Inger-
lace and Little were their agents. soll people swarmed 'there to at -
The promoters announced that tend. Picnic grounds were also est-
$100,000 had been subscribed, ablished and boating was provided
which'was'later inere-ed to.$130'. across from `the park, at the
000.-The company opened i n; of- Thames river. Fairmount Park
fice. in the McLeod. Block on Dun- thrived and prospered for several
das street,.. opposite Vansittart Av-.. years, much to the benefit. of the
erue railway.
The' first' car was named the With the advent of -the auto-
F "Estelle," , cribed.'as a "hand- mobile, business of the railway
some, modeGrn t pe street cal',
began to falloff and the line was
sstronger than theaverage and abandoned in 1925 and a bus ser-
beautifully decorated," A trial trip vice was inaugurated which con -
was first made with free rides giv. tinued for a° few years longer;
en many citizens`and the line was eventually being takenover by
opened as ;far as Beachville the another bus. line.
Ip. next day. Louis Bale, still living in Wood -
OPENING, CEREMONY' . n stock, 'and the late William Tay -
An opening ceremony was held for were conductors on the rail-
toinaugurate the 'line and Way line for many years.
e speeches Were made by several I
prominent citizens:
-Among these were J. G. Wallace,
attorney. and president of the com-
,' pony,: Mayor James Scarff'R. W.
Sawtell, W. A. Karn, 177Richards,
D., R. Ross, G R. 7?attullo, Rev:
Moulding. Baker. Other guests
ere Dr. A. TMc-
�' MO PER YEAR`
Electric Rail,way 1den
"INalk Over sent Terms
INGERSOu — Dr. Ickes and The proposed route in town
Lawyer' .Wallace of the Wood. stock, Ingersoll and Thames ford along up Street to i
Valley Electric Railway were i s the p Oxford Street
town last night and met the At aarket.
committee of th meeting of ('•••••-�
e town council
in reference to the
following Monday the
terms - of
the proposed bylaw.
duly considered as I
-:
The members of the commit.Finterest�—
tee have agreed to concede the
in 1
40 years'' franchise and ;theu
dt,ons
company will be required tooderich
ppaybesides taxes
a rental of
Tv100 per annum for the first
,here.
of op
I'onths
10 years, $200 per annum for
the second 10 years
'let and or -
and $300
per annum for the balance of
per cent.
o and one -
the teen.
The only bone
,000 of pro -
of contention
was the terms of rental which
the
time the di -
lace,
representatives of the cam-
presi-
Party considered too high. The
. N.,.. Ball,.
H.
committee however were as
as
adamant and the bylaw
, Arm-1
will be
submitted to council far
-
sill
o.
val on those terms.
.The rails have been laid and
the Poles erected as far
as the
corporation limits and the
stringing of the. wires has now
been
proceeded with..
if no furtber delays occur it
is
I
expected that the cars will
be
running here in a few days
Z5'F
•