Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-03-04


miles of streets and roadway in district
NO p We spent last year to lnalil'aln
tbnse 10 miles $4,000. which is not far from
tbe average cost. This gives us an aver
ACE of S2S7.5O per mile for maintenance
onlv Now suppose we were to build
milo of stone road that would need no re-
nairs. and were to hire money at per
cont TO build that stone road, we could
hire $1,000 for that purpose, and pay the
interest with the S2S7.j0 that we now pay
for maintaining our present roads. II II
should prove that we can construct a gOod
stone highway at from 5000 to $4,000
mile. we are not allowing very great mar
Gin for the item of pleasure or luxury,
but are simply cutting down the item Oh
maintaining sand and mud. The cost OF
maintenance must necessarily increase as
our population and traffic increase, ana
our material gets farther and farther away
and more expensive to obtain.
Tn. Highway Discussion Continued and
the New Policy Adopted.
Mr.. Perry said, in concluding his state
ment, that, in his opinion, it was fortunate
that the town didn't enter into the scheme
of buying stone crusher 10 or ~ years
ago, when the subject was first brought up.
The machinery of that day was crude ana
cumbersome. while with the Improvements
that have now been made high degree Oh
perfection seems to have been reached, and
by its use it is possible to build roads That
are economical in cost and pleasure to
use. In answer to questions as to the
depth of stone used in different places he
said that II inches was the extreme depth
in Greenfield. this being for the places, as
about the railroad station, which bear the
heaviest trucking. In the ordinary streets
the depth was eight inches. On country
roads the usual depth is four inches at the
sides and six inches i'm the centre
Col. Fuller expressed the opinion that
had stone crusher been bought at the
time spoken Of and some good road built,
the town could long before this have afford
ed to throw away the old machinery and
buy new.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Perry's re-
marks Col. Fuller offered the following
amendment to Commander Brown reso-
luton:
That article 10 he referred to the oelectncn.
with full power to inv, stigate the wh"l" subject.
with inStructiul rs to buy suita be Stun crl~l-r
and road building plant. and To put the same INTO
operation in the building OF roads in Brattleboio.
This amendment Commander Brown ac-
cepted Mr.. Kirwan wanted the purchase
of the plant left optional with the select
men after making their investigation.
/ Col. Fuller said he meant what his reSolu-
ton said. As soon as it was known that
the purchase of this plant had been or
dered the selectmen would be beslcged by
those having such machines To sell. lie
wished the selectmen to investigate and
make sure of buying the best machinery
at the lowest price, and then TO buy il.
He wanted no option given them to allow
any chance of going on with the old waste
full way of carting on and carting OF dirt,
including the sand from 1.-THE old sand
bank over there to which | am related.
/ Col Fuller spoke at some length and with
great force OH the wasteful and eXtrava-
CANT policy which has marked the town,
highway management to the present time
Col Haskins supported the same views
in an equally strong and forcible way, say
ing that he had been much interested il
the study of highway building, especially
since the paper on this subject which
Judge j. NJ. Tyler read before the PROBES
siona club. He described the system O
permanent stone roads built at Bristol
X. L., a town the size of Brattleboro
which are a pleasure to drive over, anC
cost comparatively nothing for mainte
nance. Their cost. with stone put in to
depth of Is inches was 90 cents >quar,
yard. He inStanced the case Of a Brattle
boro citizen who saw the men at work oil
the road near the top of Prospect hill
where load OF loose dirt had Just been
dumped into the highway rs he stoo,
looking at it one of the workmen said 4"
know what YOU think: YOU think it is al
damn foolishnesS. and so do |. This i
a sample of the way the work has beer
done all over town.
Two or three other gentlemen added
few words to the discussion. but il is SIG
nitcant fact that no one said a word %
made suggestion against the plan of en-
tering upon a system of permanent worl
on our highways When put to vote Col
Fuller'S resolution, accepted by Command
er Brown as a substitute for his own wa
carried by strong and full AYE" vote
and when the contrary minded" wer
called for not more than two or three sol
tary voices said mo \ new day ha
dawned on the town of Brattleboro.
Col. Estey then moved that a sum q
money not exceeding $40, 600 be appropr
ated for the purchase of the road-makin
plant and to make beginning on the ne,
system. On being Intercepted as I
whether this money would be necessary
Selectman Perry said that without som
additional money it would be impossible t
build much stone road the coming seaso
for an object lesson to show the peopl
= what the new policy was going to amour
to. The usual amount of ordinary repair
would have to be done on the highways.
Col. Fuller said the very thing he want
| ed was to prevent return to the old meth
cd. He wanted to compel the road con
, mssioners to make the roads with the ne,
machine roller, Rev. c. O. Day que.
toned whether, gross sum of $4,000 be-
ing appropriated, the concerns havin
road making plants for sale would not fl
! their price accordingly. j. G. Stafford il
terrogated the selectmen as to what the
= policy would be and what they would wis
= or need in the way of funds.
Col. Hooker then gave a definite stat,
ment as to the views and policy of the pre-
ent board if reelected. He said that if tn
= usual amount of concrete sidewalk wa
e laid, and necessary repairs were made. tai
ing the chances of freshets and sprin
washouts, very little money could be save
from the proceeds of the Il per cent IA
toward building the new stone road. TIL
plan would be to put as little money an
$ work as possible into the usual kind of r.
I pairs, and to make the new machinery d
7 the work SO far as it could. The stea,
road roller had long spikes which could /
| used in tearing up the surface of the road
e bringing up new dirt; this could then |
I crowned up and afterward rolled down il
| TO hard surface which would last throne
, the season. The plan would be to beGi
I the new stone road at the top of Hio
e street hill and carry it up Western avenI