Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-07-13
Local and state Items.

To rHE "CLARESDos HIGHwATMAN
-Sw 1t may seem strange you that
our streets and high ways are no better, |
but when you are made acquainted with |
all the facts, you will at least exonerate
us as village from all blame, and put
the blame upon those persons to whom
1t belongs. That our streets are in
very bad condition no one will deny and
some one is responsible for It, In the
village we have about two-tifths of all
the voters, and about three-eighths OF all
the grand list in town. STILL from the
first signs of growth OF our village, the
farming community and selectmen have
treated US as If they were jealous of our
growth and prosperity forgetting that
the prosperity of this village was also
their prosperity. The selectmen have
refused or neglected to lay out our
streets for fear of little expense to the
town. The result is well known to US
all one street and another is obliged to
turn a short corner every little way or
run through some ones house. Pleas
ant, Court, Spring, Williams and Maple
streets are instances. Even portion of
Merchants Row is not a laid out road.
The grounds in front of the depot belong
to the Rutland & Burlington Railroad,
and the selectmen are considering whe-
ther it is best to have a laid-out road
| there or not; the farming community
thinking it useless expenditure, and
| that the village ought to do it all.
have often thought it very unfortunate
for the village that it did not lay in
some secluded sheep pasture in town,
that we might have better streets and
more privileges, for in no place in town,
aud by no pasture that is worth ten
dollars per acre, have they so poor roads
as in the village. They have quietly
put their hands into our pockets and
taken away our highway tax and ap-
| piled it to roads that the town as torn
agreed to keep in repair. AS regards
streets and sidewalks in the village, the
WOi n vi responsibility 10 UG~
tween the selectmen, trustees and high
way surveyor The trustees have a
right to control portion of the tax and
the surveyor a portion, and between
them all they have succeeded admirably
in shifting the responsibility upon each
other. A AftAr this explanations do you
so much wonder that we have no better
roads and sidewalks Is it not rather
q wonder that We have any at all ? You
may perhaps ask why we do not assert
our rights and come up to the dignity
and stature of men, All L can say is
that we are patient, law-abiding peo-
pie, and have been hoping all the time
for better state of things; but, judg-
ing the future by the past, patience is no
longer virtue. Burlington has city
charter, which works admirably, and
all like it, and flud it cheaper than the
old plan. There is no reason why we
should not have one. If our town tax
could be put with our corporation tax
and expended in the corporation, we
should have as nice streets and walks as
Burlington or any other city. But as
long as we undertake to run the village
as part town, part corporation and part
something else, so long we shall have
bad sidewalks and streets and taxes
that are not expended as they should be
And now, Mr., Clarendon Highway.
man." just send representative this
fall that will vote and use his influence
to get Us city charter, and we will
have our streets in such q condition
that you can come into town with your
blooded horses at two-forty gait, with.
out fear of upsetting or besmearing your
carriage with the mud of Merchants
Row or the "high-toned cologne water
of Center street.
A CITY CHARrRRIsr.