The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-07
March Meeting.


ficcrs were chosen: Moderator, Hon. l..
ID. Eldredge; town clerk, Hon. l.. f.
Knapp; selectmen. w. W. Chapman.
George Hammond. \. j. Marshall :;
treasurer, c. +. Piuney; overseer of the
poor, A. j. Marshall; first constable and
collector. NJ. A. Munroe; second cOnsta-
bic. NJ. +. Day; listers. l.. +. Knapp.
Gasca Rich, f. j. Matthews; auditors,
James Nj. Slade, b. ). Beckwith, Thad.
Nj. Chapman; trustee of surplus fund,
Calvin Hill; town grand jurors. Justus
Cobb. George l.. Porter. II. d. Maynard,
j. Nj. Nash inspector of leather. John
Powers; pound keeper. Charles a. Chap
man; town agent. J. NJ. Slade: superin-
tendent of schools. Prof. f. Brainerd /;
surveyor of wood AID Inspector of lum-
Der, Thad. NJ. Chapman; fence viewers.
George McCue, Henry l.. Sheldon, Prof,
ii. NJ. Seely; county grand jurors, w.
w. Chapman. G. G.. Cady. j. f. Crane; ;
textbook committee, Principal c. ID.
Mead, Prof. Seelv. The reports of the
various town officers and of the special
town hall committee were accepted and
adopted. 1t was voted to raise $4,000
to defray the expenses of the town for
the ensuing year. A detailed report of
the proceedings follows.
The meeting was called to order at 10
O'Clock by the clerk. Lyman +. Knapp,
who read the warning.
lion. J.. d. Eldredge was chosen mod
orator and took the chair.
l.. L. Knapp was nominated and elect
ed clerk and was sworn.
James NJ. Sade moved that further
action on the remainder of article of
the warning. " to elect town officers
ETC.. be suspended and that the third ar
tice-"To act on reports submitted BE
taken up. 1t was so decided.
Mr.. Slade said that as one of the au-
ditors he was ready to explain anything
that might not be Ineligible to the tax
payers. BY vote of the last meeting the
fiscal year was to end Feb |. so that the
report could be in the hands of voters at
an early day; but the compilation and
printing of the unusually long report of
this year had caused delay that could
not be avoided.
A. Z. upper said he noticed in the
rep4rt several items. on pages 20 and u,
that appear under the head contract"
At the special town meeting the building
committee were asked about the contract.
and as he understood it. they said they
let the contract for $1,000. He called
umns at front entrance"
George Hammond said these were not
included in the contract; but the com
mittee thought it best to put them in
and made a separate contract. This was
the case also with the steps as finally
built. In answer to further inquiries
by Messrs. Slade and Upper.
Messrs. Knapp and Hammond of the
building committee stated that the
lot which it was proposed to deed to
Smith q Allen was given them for eX-
tras not include in the Sll.500 contract
the making of the working plans, the
belt courses of marble around the build
ing. etc. The committee had acted as
they thought for the interest of the
town. As the work of erecting the
building progressed 1t seemed wise to al
ter the original plan and add to it in some
features. 1t was for these additions that
the lot was given in payment. Col.
Knapp said Z. II. Daniels bid upon the
first specifications was Sll.1OO. Only
two bids were received in response to
advertisements sent to leading build
ers at Fair Haven, Rutland, Brandon.
Burlington and Nergennes. Both bids
were outside the amount at the disposal
of the committee. So the contract was
made with Smith q Allen on the terms
stated. the committee not deeming it adj
visable to delay the work by waiting for
the preparation of new specifications.
Mr.. Slade asked what estimate had
been made of the value of the lot.
Col. Knapp said it had been placed at
81 600, at IS 70 and rs low as 5000. If
it was worth $500, Smith 81 Allen had
received none too much for their work.
Mr.. Slade asked il the contractors had
the material in the old building.
Col. Knapp replied in the affirmative.
After some further questioning by Mr..
Upper, during which nothing of impor-
lance was brought out. j. L. Buttolph
wanted to know. what ali this talk
amounted to. lle'saw no reason for dis
satisfaction. The house had been built
and paid for. and the best we could do
was to go to work and get money to-
gether to pay our taxes. He only wish
ed the committee had gone further and
done off the basement for town purposes.
He moved a vote of thanks to the build
ing committee.
Mr.. Slade said it was not his object to
find fault; but he thought II his duty to
ask what had been done with the lot in
order that the taxpayers might know.
VI HIS pdIls ne was SdllNutu WIFI Tue
hall and with the committees doings. But
in his opinion the hall should have been
made twenty feet longer. 1t might
prove too small for the uses of the town.
The question was raised whether the
committee had not been instructed to
finish of room in the basement for the
town clerks office and to put in vaults for
the preservation of the town records. 1t
was found upon examination of the
records of last years meeting that the
committee were directed to do this work
if it could be done without exceeding the
appropriation. Mr.. Hammond said it
could not.
Chas. NJ. Wilds agreed with Mr.. But
tOlph in his remarks. The town in in
structing the committee to buy the Wood
lot intended that the material from the
old house and what land was not needed
as a site for the building should all go for
the purpose of building town hall. He
thought the committee was composed of
men who would be likely to get full
value for the lot if any one could. But
he did not believe that the building was
too good to hold town meetings in. The
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