The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-07
rcoNTINuRD PROM FIRST pAaK.1


thirty or more, the company arrived at Bur-
lington soon after s A. NJ, and, being all good
walkers and meaning business, they
marched at once to the college grounds.
President Buckham received them very
cordially at the new medical building, which
was first examined; after that in their order
the Billings library, the experiment station
building, the college proper, where a mill
tary drill of the students was had under
Lieutenant Cummins of the United States
army. Then teams were provided and
three-mile drive brought them to the farm
on Dorset street in South Burlington. Here
the land, stock crops and improvements of
the station were thoroughly inspected. Some
forty visitors partook of n dinner that was
a great credit to those who prepared and
served livery good in quality and guam
tity and after active exercise in the cold
wind the whole company seemed to enjoy
it. On their way back to the city they WIS.,
tied the grave of Ethan Allen and other
objects of interest The arrangements for
the trip were well made and they reached
Montpelier at p. NJ. all well pleased with
the journey and the good treatment re-
ceived.
THE special committees from the senate
and house held hearing Thursday on
the bill relating TO the construction of a
bridge from Grand Isle to North Hero. Sem
ator Bates presided and called upon Senator
Fisk of Grand Isle to make a statement in
regard to the proposed bridge, the necessity
for its construction, probable cost, etc Sen
ator Fisk said that the length of the bridge
would be 1915 feet. In order to keep the pas
sage for vessels open il would be necessary
to have a draw in the center. The average
depth of water is sixteen feet. There are
five towns in the county and three of these
are islands. These are now all connected
with bridges except North Hero and Grand
Isle. In 1880 the legislature appropriated
1000 and in 1882 $1,000 to assist in building
..Nff 1riI % I,,;1. Il
the proposed bridge had been estimated at
SAL, 000-S15,0OO for the draw and piers and
$4,000 for the dump work,-but Mr.. Fisk
thought this estimate rather high, and con-
sidered that it could be built for $4,000 or
even $50, 900. The general government al
appropriated $4,000 to dredge out the chan
mel near the proposed bridge Site and the
material taken out would be deposited in the
line of the bridge and could be used in the
dump work. The necessity for having a
bridge was evident to any one. as the ferry
could not run all the time. They wished
for $4,000 from the legislature. Mr..
Macomber from Grand Isle told of the diff
Guilty and danger of crossing the channel in
the winter. They were unable to construct
the bridge unassisted, owing to the fact that
they had only thirteen or fourteen hundred
inhabitants and consequently small grand
list. Ex-senator Chaplin was present at the
request of Senator Fisk and spoke in favor
of the bill in witty speech that brought
tears to the eyes of the spectators in the
gallery. He declared the present method
of crossing the channel in the winter to be
positively dangerous and he very seldom
attempted it, as he had very wholesome
dread of water, which he supposed to be
common to the members of the general as
sembly. AT present, man could hardly
! get to the county court to be tried for his
| life for it would hardly be civil to ask him
to swim across. The senator said that he
was not poor man, as his looks might indi-
cate, but he worked hard for his money on
land so poor it would hardly raise a mort
| gage, still he was willing to help pay for
this bridge. Several citizens of Grand Isle
were present and spoke on the question.