The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-20
TONyN OF RUTLAND.
Iscpor, of the scIcctmcn.

Feiio1g Citizens Your selectmcn, in ad.
ministcring the affairs of the town during
the past year, have had regard for the pub
lie sentiment in respect TO rctrenchmcnt,
and have adhered to the s,rictest economy
compatible with tho best interests of the
town according to their best judgment.
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.
We have laid out and established short
piece of road from the Highway beginning
at point near the dwclling-housc Of Grove
l.. Smith, at West Rutland. and running
around hill about 100 rods to point fur
thor south in the same highway. The oh
jcct cf this piece Of road was to avoid The
hill in the cid road, and the obstruction OF
snow in winter, the old road over the hill
being impossible much of the time in win
ter on account Of snow drifts. There was
no expense for land damages The expense
Of fencing was 500, and the cost OF build
ing will he Sil10, contract having been
made TO that effect.
The above is the only road We have laid
ont during the year; but we have built
short road from the Rutland railroad jus,
west of Thomas Ross foundry and running
past the dwelling housc Of George W.
Crawford, at an expense in building of
s179.50, and paid Mr.. Ross for land dam
ages $40. This road had been laid out by
/ a r,rrnnr Hoard ,f
We have also pald the land damages and
for the building Of the road from near the
dwclling-housc OF Elijah W. Smith to the
town line between Rutland and Ira This
r I'd he'd 'c"H previously laid by courts
committee. The land damages were S72s.
The expense of building the road was 5000
We have expended upon the Woodstock
Turnpike $500. This amount was cxpend-
cd in stoning and grading very bad por-
ton of said Turnpike, which was in such
condition as to make the town liable to in
dictment, and the w0rl, VAS done thorough
ly and 50 us 10 make permanent piece of
road
We have also rebuilt the Wells bridge on
thcroad to West Rutland, at an expense of
S4G9.22. The old bridge had become de-
caycd and unsafe, and u new bridge was
absolutely necessary to the public safety.
We have also expended S113GG in re-
pairing the Curtis bridge 50 called, on the
Chittendcn road. Also @2j on the Union
bridge across otter Creek Also Sl3S on
the Clarendon road near the dwelling house
of Geo l.. Musscy. Also small amounts
in planking and repairing other bridges in
different parts of the town.
We have also settled with Pierpoint
for building the new bridge across Otter
Creek, and paid him S97j, he having per-
formed his part of the contract 10 our sat
isfaction, and, as we think made that
bridge the best one in the town.
The existing highways and bridges are
now in good condition, aud will not, for
the comingyear, require any extraordinary
expenditure. unless occasioncd by acct
dent.
There are now pending two petitions for
highways, one for IN extension of Church
street, in the village of Rutland. north to
Pcrkinsvilc and south through the yard
of the Episcopal church, TO West street
This petition is pending III the county
court. and the selcctmcn have opposed the
same on the ground that the advantage TO
the public would not hc adequate TO the
expense the land damages alone amount
ing TO 81 ,S4l.25, as awarded by the courts
committee. and the expense Of building
would be probably not less than Il, 800.
The other is Il petition for highway
from point near the dwelling house of
Col. r. Proctor, across East Creek TO TIA
ter street, so called This has been pend
ing for some time in the county court, and
has been opposed for the same reason as
the Church street extension. The estimat-
ed expense Of this road is from $1,000 to
$4,000 and although the sclectmcn ap.
prcciated the advantage aud convenience
Of both said roads if built, they have not
felt at liberty to add the above to the al
ready burdensome debt of the town.
petition was pending in the county
court when we were elected selectmen one
year ago, for tunnel under the railroad at
some point between West street and the
freight depot. \ hearing was had before
the courts committee who reported ad.
versely TO the petition, and the same was
dismissed at the September term of the
court. The ground for reporting against
the petition by the committee is set forth in
the report Of the agent for prosecuting and
defending suits, to which we would refer.
We are satisfied that the town must fur
nish some remedy to the travelling public at
the West street crossing, and that, unless
II Is done by the town, it will be by the
county court. But as it is a project of
great magnitude and expense, we have
thought it best to lay the whole matter be-
fore the town ut the annual meeting. We
have had survey made by practical en-
gineer, and the expense estimated for build.
ing tunnel, and find that it is practicable
to build one in West street under the rail
road, with branch leading into Forest
street, and that the expense of the same
would not exceed $4,000. And we have
reason TO think that the railroad authorities
would contribute materially towards this
expense, but to what extent we cannot say
definitely. Although the expense will be
large, we think the town has got to meet
it, and that large amount can be saved |
by the town taking the matter in hand rath-
er than to have it done by courts COM
mttec.
REPORT OF HIGHWAY SURVEYORS.
A resolution was adopted at our last
annual meeting, directing the sclectmen to
require the highway surveyors to present a
detailed report of their expenditures, to be
printed in the annual report. We find the