Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-15
The Cave Bank ROad.--A Review ofthe
ConnissIoner's Report.

M. EdHOr:--A / have occasion again /
TO refer to the bank road, l trust you VIII
favor me with short space in your coll
umns. want TO bring out more facts Tor
the public and also some of tho reasons,
as understand them, why the commits
sioners did not lay that part Of the road
called the Cave Bank road. notice In the
Record Of Jan /, 1875 the commissioners
report and their decision In relation to the
disposition of the case. IT certainly Is
very singular report when fully Hnder-
stood. Those who are not well posted IN
the case may get wrong impressionsi hence
wish to review tho report, considering 1t
n privilege which tue petitioners have to
bring out facts rs they understand them,
1t must be inferred from the title the editor
gave the report, 1.-THE Crosby Road Case
that was more particularly interested in
the road than any other person, and that
was to be especially benefited by It's con-
sirucion. 1 will only say In relation to
this matter, know Of no way in which 1
could he benefited By the new road except
| in common with the public. lis true l
have spent time and money to bring about
this much needed improvement, and have,
with the other petitioners, endeavored TO
make plain showing of the case. The
great effort Of the opposing power has been
to make the whole matter appear like a
personal affair, and that only few indi-
viduals were interested in the road. 1t
will be noticed in the commissioners re-
port that they refer 10 'ootpath which was
laid by the selectmen down the bank from
Western avenue to Elliot street. This they
recommend should be made safe and bet
Ger. They also refer to repairs which may
be made on High and Green streets also
about repairs now going on on the brook
road. They also refer 10 the great dinicul-
ty there would be in crossing the water
pipes on Cave bank. The report also con-
veys the impression that private property
would be greatly damaged; and, finally,
that The road could not be built for the
amount named by the petitioners with
out causing a DETECTION in the water
pipes. Thus it appears that The petitioners
are defeated-but may il he remem INBRED,
not annihilated.
with your leave, Mr.. Editor, will show
up both sides of the subject, and the facts
as they actually exist. l wish also to slow
what influences were brought TO bear to
prevent, or beat back, this q eat improve
ment, and how the working classes arc
brought into subsection 10 "moneyed ar
islocracy," although our laws are intended
TO protect the rights ofminorities, and grant
roads to such citizens as may need such im-
provement. II is well known that nearly
all the roads leading into the village have
been greatly improved in the last few years,
except the western, and in one case poor
mans homestead was entirely wiped out Ia
benefit few and all this because a mi
, nority of the public demanded ii. All i'm
provemenis have met with bitter oppose
} ton, and In some cases not more than q
dozen men have urged or asked for the i'm
provement. We now find that few have
been made that can well be dispensed
with; yet it is fact that several Of the av.
cnues into the village have been graded
, where the original grade was much les.
than the present grade Of II Oh and Greer
streets. The petitioners felt the need of al
+ improvement on Western avenue and far
Their west, rs there is a large amount O
travel oven that road, and 10 way to get II
Z and out Of the village bat to go up anC
a down those seyen-degree hills, or go owe
the Brook road, which speaks for itself
The petitioners felt that lie time had com,
when the much talked. OF improe emen
should he made, rs there were hundreds Q
y people to be accommodated and bene!ltet
= thereby. Many plans have been devised
; In the last 1--WE years TO get in and out O
: the village by a better grade. Severa
years ago The town built the Brock road
u and has several Times made heavy outlay
c FOR repairs which were necessary for In
local business on that road yet nearly al
c the heavy Tanning into the village has con
II tinued over the old road, choosing TO rul
c the danger Of going down tue steep grade
= rather than lake the long and marrow
$ Brook road. More than one-half Of III
- teaminS over Western avenue goes owe
the Green street road to Main, and passe
.' wha; is known as the Baptist hill. This !
very dangerous place portion of III
d year, IL well as the High street hill. /
j. has been known fpr many years that
route from Western avenue 10 Elliot AM
u Main streets could be found at grsde O
= four degrees and several surveys wer
made relative to building a road of som
= south part Of the village. Finally, severs
. years since, an arrangement was mad
II with the former land owners 10 build
y road down The bank, starting from West
II ern avenue at about the same point of tn
10 last survey, following the same line 70
/ several rods, and then turning more 81 arr
II ly down the hill, coming out al the point {
d rocks on Elliot street. This would hav
If answered for light travel, but would b
IL quite too steep for heavy teamlug. Th
u property changing hands before the roa
was built, It finally was abandoned for
% fooiplth, which the present land owner
D. prevailed upon the selectmen to substitute
" From thirty to forty workmen 60 up an
&c down this path daily, letting themselve
n down and pulling up by the new railiu
Is which has recently been pat IN. The ne'
10 road would have given this class Of lrayt
a good four degree road without iucrcasln
the distance To the shops besides accommc
dating large amount Of through lrave
l. The commissioners advice has been fol
'r lowed by repairs on the loolplth, and IN
he derstand n man employed TO keep the lrac
in safe condition. Oar commissioner
have treated the Gootpaih very respectful
ly, yet it entirely falls TO answer the re
- quirements Of those living Oh and beyon
i. Western avenue. As 10 the repairs o
10 High and Green streets, which are reFerre
=, to, / will say from good authority ths
n, those cannot I've brought TO grade of fou
-, degrees, aud Strengthened at the Bapti.
, corner, forless than $40, 600, including dam