THE PARKWAYS 195 
tung down on the first act in this great play of the cor- 
porations against the people. 
While the contest was being waged, one of the local com- 
mittees, in order to test the sentiment of all the people 
of East Orange, obtained, through a return postal card 
vote, an expression on the question, which declared a pref- 
erence, by a majority of more than three to one, in favor 
of the parkway for Central avenue to the exclusion of the 
trolley there, by a direct vote of more than one-half of 
the entire electorate of the township. 
Soon after the transfer ordinance was passed the Park 
Commission, on April 20, 1897, on receipt of a certified 
copy of the ordinance, formally accepted the avenues as 
transferred. The matter was thus considered closed by 
the people, who had confidence in the commission, except- 
ing, perhaps, all of those who knew of the determination 
and resource of the traction company, and recognized that 
the transfer proposition had still to run the gauntlet of 
both the Board of Freeholders and the city authorities of 
Orange, in both of which boards the corporation interests 
were, as was then currently understood, well entrenched. 
Again the scene of activity had shifted—not now to the 
court, nor for the parks, but to destroy the contemplated 
parkways, and to secure, if possible, regardless of cost or 
effort, another almost priceless county road franchise. 
