Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-12-15


What was meant by "the unsold
portions OF the Johnston Land in
theahove notice did not understand.
And to solve the matter l hunted up
the original petition of the 20 voters
and taxpayers to see what they asked
for. The first thing that caught my
eye was the names of the signers, and
seeing so many names whose interest
in the good of the town could not be
questioned several names on the petit
ton | do not know | said TO myself,
before reading the body of the petit
ton, that the persons whose names are
signed here CAN not be in favor of de-
(. :0ying our only security for the
health and comfort of the people of
our town. And sure enough, in loof-
ing at the body of the petition. | found
that the 70 had only asked that the
council, at an early day, advertise
and sell all the lands remaining On
hand which WIS purchased of JOS
Johnston. And asking that if they
believed Unnecessary 10 submit this
proposition to the qualified voters
&C." thattbey should order an cleo
ton.
Reading this petition l could under
stand what was meant in this notice
by uns0ld portions of the John
stOn land" 1t was, no doubt, the de-
sign of council to comply with the
wish of the petitioners, and that was
to sell ''all the lands remaining vn
hand"
] could understand this, and it re-
lieved my anxiety as TO the fate of our
reserved piece of ground in the fiat I"
This piece of ground does not re-
main ION hand" as the following pro-
ceeding of the council and the quail
fed voters and Taxpayers will ex-
plain.
April Goth, 1872.
'On motion of Mr. Saul.
Resolved, that the voters of the
'town of GoOds0n bereluested to vote
Eat the election on the 18th of Nav
"lS72, whether or not the DnleddOaU
'grOuad shall be sold into lots or be
"held as public ground-and write up
con their tickets, For public ground"
"or against public ground"
And dinghy on the 14th of May
as shown by the official report the
judges of 'election, and which is spread
of record on the books of the corpora
tor, the qualified voters and tax
payers, decided by a vote of nearly
two To one, that the n1eddO1U 8 loI Id
be reserved for public ground. So,
This meadow" piece of the Johnston
land is not remaining on hand,n and
the special election ordered fc: the 18th
of January next. does not apply to
this piece Of meadow land.
l was heartily glad of it. For when
-llst heard of it, / could not but
think of the thousand pleasures and
comforts, the women the children,
the Old a,id lnfirm portion Of our pop
ulation were to be deprived of, if the
common liable purpose of our Poop e
heretofore recorded by solemn vUte
was to be blasted by cutting up into
lots and a sale 'Of this ''meudOtO."
One Of the'oldest and perhaps most
experienced physicians of our town
has said that:
Nothing can contribute more 10
the health of large towns than the res
ervation of open parks in their midst
to be clothed with luxuriant vegeta-
ton. They stand in the same physio-
logical relation to cities and towns,
that lungs do to the animal body
They serve to ABSORB and convert into
organized matter the hurtful gases of
the air, and render it pure to US, as the
zephrys playing around the mountain
summit" and the counil, in order to
prepare the lot for to be clothed in lu. =
urant vegetation" and thereby be Il e
lungs through which we are 10
breathe, and save ourselves from epi-
denies, lave been having it cultivated
to clear it Of all fOreign growth and |
understand will during the next year
commence the delightful task of orna-
mentation. May the good work go
Oh to completion.
Before closing, / must be allowed to
ask why should the council at this
time proceed to sell any of their lands
Ion II and 2" 1t is certainly most
inopportHne time. People c .nnOt buy
now. Money is too scarce. Times are
too unsettled and uncertain, and if
any of the land is put ulon the
market, it mast of necessity go into
the hands of spectators. But, the
strangest thing Of all.,..is that vote
should be considered necessary to
authorize the council to sell the lands
remaining on hand" Wherefore?
A VOTER