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

money is needed. unless the purchase VI
new books is curtailed. The library Is
managed very economically, the librarian
receiving only - day as salary ana the
trustees under Mr.. Brooks's will paying
onc-half the cost Of the ianitoT and for
the general care and maintenance OF the
building. I'm their opinion no money is
appropriated by the town every penny OF
which is so carefully used.
Under article seven the polls OF the
Western engine company of West Battle-
boro were exempted from taXasiQn.
When article eight was reached, with re-
gard to the exemption of f. ID. Williams
carriage mandatory from taxation for
term of five years. G. +. Thompson moved
that such exemption be granted, and eN-
planned his reasons for il. Others spoke
upon the question, and some opposition
was developed. ON being put to vote viva
voce it was impossible to tell which side
prevailed. An attempt was then made to
poll the meeting by the raising of right
hands, and the chairman appointed Hon. j.
l.. Martin and j. G.. Stafford (Mr Stafford
beingan opponent of the eXemption)t assist
the moderator in making the count. The
meeting had some fun with Mr. Stafford
because, when asked for the count on his
side of the aisle, he said he "cOuldnt
quite make out. but he should think there
were 40 or 10 1t was tried again, and
Mr.. Stafford was still unable to make his
count. Meantime the moderator enter
tanned a motion for a division of the
house, to which Mr.. Thompson objected
that this was not parliamentary. on the
ground that another motion could not be
entertained while the vote on a previous
motion was in progress The moderator
ruled to the contrary, though undoubtedly
wrong i'm doing so. Somebody then began
to insist upon a ballot which was taken,
resulting in vote of $50 for exemption to
| p against.
The next article with regard to exempt
! ing the Hildreth factory, was carried by
| viva vUce vote.
The Towns Highway Policy vigorously
Discussed.
Then came the important work Of the
meeting. Under article 10, "TO see what
action shall be taken toward the purchase
of stone crushcr," Commander Brown
moved that the sccctmen be instructed to
buy steam roller and stone crlisher for
the use of the town. This brought the
subject before the meeting and Selectman
Perry, who had made an investigation Of
the subject of stone roads and improved
methods of highway building, was called
upon for his report, which he gave as fol-
| lows:
Mr. Pcrry's Report on Stone Roads.
In discussing the policy of establishing
a stone-crushing plant in Brattleboro it is
not my intention to weary you about the
matter. or to be biased by my likes or dis
likes in regard to it. But | wish to pre-
sent a few facts in regard to the general
-
have been able to gather from different
sources, to the end that we may all act in
diligently on this important subject.
have found, by making little investiga-
ton, that Greenfield is building macadam
streets at an average cost of - cents a
square yard, with depth sufficient to
maintain its heaviest trucking and includ-
ing the cost of drainage, which is cOnsid-
cradle in Greenfield, as they have a clay
subsuil Greenfield is blest with the best
of stone for the work, which is easy of
access. and the cost for trucking the stone
is light compared with many other towns.
Taking the cost AT - cents a square yard
l6-fool roadway would cost. in round
numbers, 5000 mile: a 20 foot roadway
$500; and a 2j-foot roadway $40. 200 a
mile. | am informed that Bridgeport
Conn, is building macadam roads in it,
suburbs for 5000 mile
Spencer, Mass, built last year nearly a
mile of macadam street at cost of 6C
cents a square yard, including some drain
age, which would make the cost of IL
foot roadway $500 a mile. a 20-foot road
way SG72O. and a 2j-foot roadway SSOG4
Spencer paid its men Nl.7j a day, its tcan'
$3.50 a day. and SD day for the use of ;
steam roller. This was an extraordinary
ID. 4 4 q
, superintendent said he could not duplcat,
the work at the same cost, because the ma
terial VS., fartheraway and would cost NOR,
to deliver, The streets that were improved
last year were near 10y the plant maxim:
the bill Tor carriage quite light.
The cost of plant, such as would NEE
, the needs of Brattleboro-that is a No.
, cruShcr, with elevator, screen bins for tn
, broken stone, with boiler and engine ant
> bins complete--wOuld he $500. 4 l25
ton steam roller, with all modern improve
: ments, could he laid down here for abou
5000, making total outlay of $500, eX
elusive of site, which ought not to COS
p very much, as the plant should be PLACED
p against some bank, easy of access, anC
where storage could be had for the stone,
} 4 steam roller is one of the necessitie
e for building good macadam roads, and il
2 BrattlebOro with our steep grades, it woul,
r be indispensable to a complete plant Fur
thermore, believe it is entirely practca
BILE to use the power from the roller to rul
= the crusher, thus saving about $1,000 in tn
e cost of the plant. If it should prove t.
: be practicable to do this the plant coult
= probably be established for about $500
A very important question with us is
t how do our advantages for building ston
b, reads compare with the towns of which
0 have given you the figures. We have onl
f one advantage, and that is that very littl
e drainage would be required. as we have
sandy or stony subsoil, so that this item o
y expense would be very small. The physi
. cal formation of BTattleborO is so extreme
= ly uneven that, locate the crusher wher
e you may, we are bound to meet extreme
+ in distance, as well as heavy grades. Tn
!. only stone that | know of that is easily ac
/ cessible would be field stone from Centreyll
or the westerly part of the town | know
T. of no ledge that contains the right qualit
. of stone within reasonable distance of tn
5 streets. Therefore we must labor unde
some disadvantages, but not serious ones i
\ the work is rightly managed. The fact
l quite clear to my mind that we cannO
i build macadam roads or streets as cheapl
+ as many other towns because of the uneve
i formation of the country But the fac
l that our town is so uneven is one of tn
e greatest arguments that can be brough
1 forward in favor of macadam roads.
level road has little or no wash from rains
4 but the moment that there is a grade
D., creates a current, and the greater the grad
4 | tho mora tho wash 4 stone road ga pnC