The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-09-22
Communication.

Hon J. s Larrabee and myself. as 70
their crclusice right of keeping q ferry
from what has generally been known as
Larrabee's Point in Shorehamto Ticon.
deroga, in the State of New \ ork In
the fall of 1916, Hon. J S. Larrabce
conveyed away by deeds to Hon. Saml
II. Holly and myself, quite a portion Of
the land laying upon this Point-deed-
ing 36 rods north lying upon the bank
of the lake, and rescrving only ls rods
to himself, and between the part sold and
the part reserved, lay 8 rods upon the
shore, owned by Hon Saml II Holley
alone. 1t was then believed, and facts
have since shown the belief to be we'll
founded, that the public required for
their accommodation the erection of
public house. Accordingly, one was
erected and furnished, and has since
been kept open by our humble self for
their convenience. The outlay of CAPT
tai has exceeded $4,000. In ls4s. there
was granted to J s. Larrabee, and his
heirs and assigns, the exclusive right of
keeping ferry from his la1ming place
at Larrabee's Point,in Shoreham, t. II
condcroga, n Y, for term of 5 years
As nearly all my marketing for my ia.
bic had to be done at Ticonderoga,
found that my ferry bills were a serious
drawback upon my income. then en-
deavored to make an arrangement with
them to carry me by the year, and offer
ed them $500 if they would do so.
They spurncd the offer, and exacted full
fare. l then and now believe that had
a right to ferry myself, and such as
chose to ride with me, if started from
my o,cn and not from his landing place
| accordingly was necessitated to make
farther outlay. l purchased good
scow and small boats and commenced
my own ferriage, together with such as
choose to ride with me, in every instance
starting from my own landing and re-
turning to the same point, and never
interfering with their landing in one soil
tary instance.
The rates Of fare, which they have al
ways charged, are nearly double what is
charged at the ferries in Orwell. Con-
sequcntly, this drew much Of the travel
to other ferries, that would have other
wise come here, and my business has suf
fcred from this state of things to quite
an extent. 1t is urged by the travelling
public, that | ought, as a matter of right
to have the ferry. 1 furnish sheds and
shelter from the inclemency of the skies
fires to guard against the cold, and often
boy to go in search of the other ferry
man who may at that instant be out of
sight and hearing. l have reduced the
fare, to those who choose to ride with
me, nearly one half from what they have
always charged, and believe it to be for
the interest of property holders of this
place to have the fair kept thus reduced
The prices which | charge are a suffi-
cient remuneration. and / shall not al
ter them. without better reasons than
any that have been assigned, for the high
rates of fare charged by the other ferry.
Common sense would dictate. that the
ferry should be kept at a public, rather
than private house. Here they stop
to rest, to eat, and to warm, when needy
of these comforts and here it is conve-
nlent to find ferryman to conduct
them to the boat, and pilot them over
to the other shore. AS to the right of
using the waters of Lake Champlain for
the purposes of navigation, there can be
but one opinion every man who owns
the right of way, or soil, upon the shore,
has an undoubted right to place any
craft he pleases upon the waters of said
lake, and no law can be made to preclude
him. Every man has a right to go from
his own land, on to the public highway
of waters, and no law can prevent it, any
more than law could prevent a man CO.
ing from his own farm out into a public
road. Had j. s. Larrabee, when he
decided us the land we occupy, reserved
the right of fcrriage from our shore,
then we never would have raised the
question as to their exclusive right of
ferriage ON Larrabee's Point. But in
asmuch as no did not, we claim, and
shall ercr claim, that we are not tres
passers upon their rights, when running
a ferry boat from our own land, but ac-
ting in accordance with good faith and
sound Jurisprudence. We have made
these statements that the public might
know and judge for themselves, whether
our rights in the matter are real or as
sumed. BENZ b. Brown.
Shoreham, Sept IL, 1852.
Il The Eleventh Annual Fair of the