Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-25

rHE CITIZENS MEETING, SATURDAY NIGHT
The citizens meeting at the American
Hotel, Saturday night. in reference to the
State Fair, was very largely attended and
a good deal of interest in the matter was
displayed. Morillo Noyes, Esq , presided
and Mr.. X. C. Rowe acted as secretary.
Gen. W. W. Henry, of the committee tc
confer with the committee of the State So
eiety, made verbal report, after which the
following letter was read, showing the rea-
sons for which Col Merrill favored St.
! Adams:
RUTLAND February l., 70.
JAMES A. SHEDD, ESQ.
Dear SU Il have consulted with Clark-and my
own opinion is, il is nexpedent to call special
meeting OF the Directors Of the Agricultural SOce-
ty the result, under all the circumstances, would
be had TO cOncede to each other yesterday To
Burlington is the objection Of the entire newness OF
the grounds, that with all the energy OF its en-
terprisng citizens. there Will be inevitably dissp-
pOintnent felt by its officers. The grounds select
ed are to he made out OF patches OF land owned by
different parties, and as a whole are too small
while feel IL VIII be almost imposs blllty to
get a frst-class track on such 4 sui.-and am very
sure 5000 or 5000 is not enough TO do 1t. We
spent s GO at St JOhnsbury, OF which Association
was president for many years, and you are aware.
although a number OF thousand dollars have since
been paid out in additions and completion, they
yet come short Of hrst-clsss grounds.
/ believe we should do a wrong to Burlington,
in encouraging the site visited yesterday, as the
one for permanent investment in this direction,
and l really hope they Will decide TO 20 ahead
and permanently locate ample grounds on The Tai!
r0ad somewhere.
l can come to but one conclusion in giving my
vote, and in the exercise OF my jud gment, throw
out a II personal consideration, and 20 Tor what
think is the best thing for the Society and the in
terests which We represent, and am forced to vote
with Mr.. HOlyoket and Jerg much against my per
sonal feelings. against you and Burlington. | am
sorry you tenac Ous but am convinced you
and your friends at Burlington Will in the end
{. A MERRILL
\ good deal Of free discussion ensuei,
from which itappeared that Col Merrill ex-
pressed himself, before and after seeing the
grounds proposed, as being decidedly in
favor of Burlington that our committee
offered the State committee everything the
latter desired that a. to the amount OF
monty raised being insufficient, ten good
and responsible men offered to guarantee
that enough money should be raised and,
finally. that our citizens guaranteed the
State Society good grounds good buildings
and good track, and therefore considered
that the State committee had no particular
call TO 90 back Of this guarantee.
Gen. Henry spoke of the probability Of
the State Fair being held here at some fu-
ture time, and thought that the grounds
should be obtained. the track LAID ont and
other arrangements completed at once. lie
stated that Captain y g. Proctor's land
could be bought at q comparatively low
rate 5000 Tor - acres Mr.. ". L.
Strong would sell thirty acres Of his land,
opposite the Home, for $500 per acre.
Fred lladley, Esq, offered to sell some
- acres of his land, just outside the city
limits, for $500 per acre.
1t was stated in regard 10 the grounds
near the North Bend. that Mr. Pomeroy Of
itred to lease his land for three years with
the privilege of two years more, at Sl2j for
the first year and 800 tor the succeeding
years. Judge shaw would lease his lanS
for $3.50 per year. Carolus N0yes, Esq
moved that the meeting adopt the North
Bend grounds. and advocated the motion
ably and at some length. and the motion
vas unanimously adopted
\ committee was then appointed. con
slsting of Messrs. Ii. II Howe, ID {. Bar
her. c. W. Brownell, Jr., and Luman \.
Drew, TO see if the subscribers % the fund
would approve of turning it u towards the
County Fair.
4 vote of thanks was passed TO ten
John L. Barstow, and the gentlemen COM
posing the committee of which he was chair
man, tor their Cxerti0ns an the behalf OF
project, after which the meeting adjourned
The sum raised it appears. was $ 90.
IRON 80 subscribers