THE PAEKWAYS 



195 



rung 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 towTiship. 



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 w^ho 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. 



