The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-09
From the st. Adams Messenger
The Reform school.

Ever since the special session the Mont
pelier papers have been unable to reconcile
themselves to the decision to remove the
reform school to Nergennes. The trustees,
without exception, share their views. In
company with the governor they have Wis
tied the property, been all over 1t, and the
result, if we may credit Waterbury cor
respondent of a Montpelier paper, was the
confirmation of their previous convictions
and great unwillngness GU their part to
proceed to adapt the property to the use of
the school. We gave very little attention
to all this, presuming it to be but the dying
echoes of disappointment, but there seems
to be desire to fight the battle over again
it not before the legislature, at least be-
fore the people-and for no other apparent
purpose than to create such public dlsap-
proval of the proposed removal as to JUS
tify the governor and trustees in neglecling
to carry out the purpose of the legislature
and leaving the matter so far open as to
give Waterbury rehearing in 1876. This
is the way the Waterman speaks of the
Nergennes property
According to common report, the land 1t (the
state proposes to buy Is or poor quality, worn
out, heavy, adapted only to the raising OF grass,
and hence not fitted to the raising ofvegetabes
by the boys for their own consumption. IL Is
expected that the arsenal ground, comprising
ten or twelve acres, Will cost as much at least
as the whole farm OF one hundred and thirty
acres in Waterbury will bring when put into
market. That small piece of ground has upon
II two old buildings, which are OF no use, eX-
cept for temporary purposes and Will need be
removed in order TO make way for the new
building. Everything there must be made
ready The cellars must be dug the founda-
lions laid, the sewerage provided for the water
works put in order. the grounds graded, the
fences built, the barns erected, and many other
N lpn additional
ever e.it may cost, Will add so much eX-
ira expense TO the items, and then the state
will have but a trifie more land than in Water
bury, and farm not so good for Its purpose.
Now in the first place, we consider it ut
terly purposeless and mere waste of
words to discuss the question at all. The
legislature visited the property in body
and examined it abont as thoroughly as the
trustees have since. They took all the tes-
timony that the friends of Waterbury ask
ed for, and enough to satisfy reasonable
people, in regard to the value of the prop
erty and its adaptation TO the uses of the
school. They heard all the evidence and
all the arguments of counsel that were
brought forward in behalf of Waterbury,
And then they decided, by a majority of
almost two TO one in the popular branch,
to remove the school to Nergennes. Abso-
lutely nothing has been discovered since to
| throw any new light upon the SUBJECT or 10
influence in the slightest degree the unbi-
ased mind of any man who had vote to
give. The foregoing statement that the
farm is poor one is counter to the whole
current Of evidence given by gentlemen of
high character and responsibility who have
been familiar with it for twenty-five years,
1t Is very possibly little run down having
been owned by an estate for some twenty
years, but with naturally strong soil and
all of it accessible and tillable, which is far
more than can be said of the farm at Wa
terbury, 1t will soon be restored, with tri-
| fling expense, to the condition when it was
famous as being one of the very best farms
in Addison county.
AS for the arsenal property, instead of
there being "ten or twelve acres, there
are more than twenty-eight, as the governor
and trustees have satisfied themselves by
| survey, and all of it that was cultivated is
In high condition. The buildings show for
themselves and there was no possibility of
legislatures being deceived in regard to
them by the people of Vergennes. And
although no specific instructions We're
passed, in the form of bill or resolution,