The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-02-06
WESTPORT GETS
THERE.
FIRE PROTECTION VOTED.
SEVENTH FOUNDERS DAY.

specldl IOWH HleeCnS ana, Wnen IL was
finally decided to authorize the select
men to contract with the Westport wa
ter company for the rental of hydrants,
enthusiasm was high. The hour of the
meeting had been changed to 2 o'clock
and business was begun promptly, o. /.
Jones being chosen chairman. Lawyer
Wilson was promptly on hand with a
motion that the town accept the fire linn
its as follows, slightly changed from
those before given out:
Beginning at stone bound in the town line
between w estport and Norwallx at the head
of Duck Pond so cal. ed and running northerjy
on said town line to the center OF the Bridge
over the highway just westerly OF the dwell
ling house of Charles l.. Wilson: thence due
north from said last mentioned bound 200
feet; thence north easterly 200 feet from the
center of the highway leading past the dwell
ling houses of George ii. Nash Lloyd Nash
and Frederick H. Nash and parallel with cen
ter of said highway TO bound erected in the
center OF the highway leading to Poplar
Plains four corners called just northerly of
the dwelling house OF George s. Adams !;
thence north-easterly in n straight line to the
west end of Lees Dam called; thence east
thence due east in straight line 200 feet;
thence southerly in straight line
to the highway 200 feet east
of the center OF Lees Lane called where it
connects with the main road leading to
Weston; thence southerly III the center of
said Main road orhighway to point 200 feet
northerly OF the residence OF Mary Gray;
thence south-easterly in a straight line to a
bound erected in the center of the highway
running past the residence of David Whitney
and 80 feet south of said residence due south
erly 200 feet to u bound erected; thence south
erly in II straight line on the east side of
Conpo street 50 called and 200 feet easterly
therefrom to "A point so feet south of the Will
dwelling house called, thence due
southerly, to the center of the channel Of
Saugatuck river, thence following the channel
of said river southerly to the mouth of Duck
Pond, thence in a straight line to the point
of beginning.
Little discussion was called forth by
this and the resolution was quickly pass
ed. Then Mr. Wilson read second res
olution, which, for half an hour or so,
caused warm discussion, but was finally
carried. 1t was:
Voted That the selectmen of the town be
and they are hereby authorized and directed
to make IL written contract with the Westport
water company by its duly authorized agents
for the rental of water for fire purposes from
so fire hydrants to be located at such points in
said fire district as said selectmen shall see
fit, at the annual rental of $50 per hydrant tor
10 years, payable quarterly, with the privilege
to said town to increase said number OF n.y.
drants at the same price and with the further
privilege to said town to renew said contract
terms and conditions; the pressure of water
through the main and pipes conducting said
water to be 60 pounds to the squareScinch at
the Westport carriage BRIDGE that a tax of
one mill and one halt on the dollar be assess
ed upon the taxable property within said fire
district to pay for the rental OF the water for
fire purposes from fire >hydrants as specified
in this vote or to be erected by the Westport
water company for that purpose; and that no
property outside of said fire district limits
shall now or hereafter be taxed for that pur-
pose, said tax TO be due and payable on the
fl rst day of October, 1891.
George S. Adams moved to strike out
the clause adding a number of hydrants
and wished to amend by limiting the
number to so. f. M. Lees said that the
request for more hydrants was to be
made by the town, or, rather, the select
men. Future town meetings could add
as many hydrants as desired and he
thought the amendment limiting the
number to so was unnecessary. Mr. Nash
asked what the town had to do with the
matter, if all bills were to be paid by the
fire district. Mr. Wilson said that this
matter had already been provided for in
the charter. Mr. Nash went on to say
that it hardly seemed necessary for peo-
pie outside the fire limits, already accept
ed by the meeting,t to vote here. Freder-
lex Morehouse asked that voting be by
ballot, but was out of order, as motion
was already before the house. Mr. Will
son spoke against the adoption of the
amendment limiting the number of n.y.
drants to 80 and Mr. Hurlburt spoke in
favor, saying that it was well to begin
with so; more could be added at any
time. Mr. Lees thought all this talk
about amending was entirely unneces-
sary. Mr. Hurlbut said that the idea was
to provide for the future only as needed.
The amendment was lost. F. M. Ray
mond spoke on the phraseology of the
resolution, saying that the fire district
should be substituted for the town. Mr.
Wilson explained that the charter of the
water company gives the town the priv
ilege of voting on this subject. E. M.
Lees was glad to speak in favor of the
measure, because he believed that the
step now in contemplation was of the ut
most Importance and would conduce
more to the prosperity of the town than
that had ever been done. The
town must, if it wishes capitalists to To-
cate here, make use Of the appliances and
improvements of to-day. The water
company proposed to pay down $4,000
or $50, 1000 in improvements, which would
remain for all time. TO those who lived
in the town outside the fire limits, Mr.
Lees spoke earnestly, saying that the
grand list would be so greatly increased
by this step that advantages would ac-
crue to all. He spoke Of the Whytlaw
bingham company, which will probably
locate here and add 1900 persons to the
population of the town, but only on con-
sideration that full water supply could
be obtained. Only mill and a half tax
was proposed for the water expense and
this only on the property within the fire
limits. Some had said that water tax
alton ought not be laid on property Of
those who did not patronize the company
but this was Of no effect, for were not all,
irrespective Of family or the number Of
children, taxed for school purposesa Mr.
Morehouse again arose to ask that voting