Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-03-10
MARCH MEETING.
WHAT THE VOTERS OF MIDDLEBURY Dill
AT THEIR ANNUAL GATHERING.

The voters of Middlebury on Tuesday
voted to raise $50, 900 by taxation, to let
the selectmen decide as to a new bridge
over the highway near the town farm,
and that the three-arch stone bridge pre-
viously arranged for over the river in the
village should he built. Officers were
chosen as follows: Moderator, G. Nj.
Wilds; clerk, NJ. A. Brooks; selectmen,
E. j. Mathews, Edwin g. Piper and
! Lothrop b. Boardman; road cOmmissiO-
ner, George Hammond; treasurer, G. E.
Pinney; Overseer of the poor, o. F, Com
stock first constable and collector, Nj.
A. Munroe; second const Bile. w, 5. lis
dale member of county board of edu
cation, Prof. Buyce; listers, Oliver Sew
erance, Allen II. Foote, c. w. Mathews;
auditors, j. NJ. Siade, Geo. Hammond,
b. 5. Beckwth; trustee of public money,
G. E. Pinncy; school directors, p. 5.
Severance, W. n. Cady, Anson Sumner,
NJ. c. Riley, Homer Balm, E. X. Severance; /;
fence view ers, Frank Stone, Johulliiggins,
p. b. Cloyes; town grand jurors. j. Nj.
Slade, w. fl. Button, w. w. Turner;
Inspector of leather, Y. Kidder; pound
keeper, Fred Hayden; inspector OF lum-
ber, John Spencer; town agent, G. NJ.
Wilds, Not more than third of the
voters were out.
The meeting organized by the re-elec-
ton of Messrs. Wilds and Brooks as
moderator and clerk. respectively.
The reports of the various town officers
as printed were accepted and adopted
without debate.
The first of the numerous ballots of
the day was on road commissioner, for
which Office |. l.. Rogers, George Ham
mond, 5. G. Tisdale and G. II. Balm were
nominated. A p. Tupper, j. Ii. Stew
art and w. n. Cady, the tellers, found
that there were IFS votes in all, of
which A. II. Foote had !, G.. III. Balm l6,
/. L. Rogers 10, S. &. Tisdale 40 and
George Hammond 81; and Mr. Hammond
was declared elected,
The next business was the choice of
school directors. n. 5. Dewey moved
that there be SIX of them. An amend
ment was made. that the number be
three. Some difficulty was experienced
in getting at the views of the voters, but
it was finally decided that those in favor
of three were the more numerous. AS
this was a matter in which only the
voters of the town outside the graded
district were interested, it was thought
best to defer the choice of the directors
till the rest of the town business had
been done.
Hon. John w. Stewart, speaking for
the selectmen, said that an engineer
whom the board employed reported that
the bridge near the town farm was never
properly built and that it was rather
shaky. Selectman Mathews expressed
the opinion that the bridge was unsafe.
The matter of rebuilding the bridge was
left to the selectmen, who were instruct
ed to put up such a structure as they
thought proper.
There was long debate about the pro-
posed stone bridge over the river in the
village. Mr.. Stewart said that the select
men had contracted with Mr.. Battell to
build Il three-arch bridge at a cost to the
town of $4,000. There was some un-
easness among landowners up the
stream, who feared that the proposed
structure would Obstruct the the flow of
the water; hence some steps had been
taken to see what it would cost additional
to build twO-arch bridge. A twu-arch
bridge would require but one pier of
feet width, while for one of three arches
two piers, each feet wide. would be re.
qured. But it appeared that two arches
would cost more than three-how much
more no one could say accurately-sO the
selectmen thought it best to submit the
matter to the voters. He did not appre
, hend serious difficulty with the up-rivel
land-oW ners. Judge Slade favored going
ahead with the original three-arci
bridge. Mr.. Upper thought the bridge
committee were competent to settle tht
, matter; he moved that it be referred t
them, with the understanding that they
were to call the voters together if they
deemed it advisable, Further remarks
were made by Judge Slade, DR.. Sheldon
Geo. Hammond, j. w. Martin, Mr.
Wilds, Mr.. Battell and others. Mr.. Bat
tell said twO-arch bridge had been sug
gested as better because Its erection
might avoid trouble. lie had not beer
able to arrive at the exact amount i
would cost over a three-arch bridge
One builder had put the difference a
; $1,000; Clinton Smith said it would b,
$2500. If the change in plans wer,
made, he should want $1,000 more thai
the price agreed upon for the three-arcl
bridge; If the cost to him should exceed
$1,000 and not be over $2500, he shoulC
ask for the amount actually expended
any extra cost above $500 he would as
2 sumo. He did not think the expens,
= of the change would be over $500. Mr.
I Tupper's motion was lost. The matte
remains as heretofore settled-th,
bridge is to be of three arches and Mr.
iDdNlNii 10 W bN pniN RA-NOpO AOl DuilulHk
[ it.
= 1t was voted, on motion of DIR. Russell
, to appropriate $50 for the observance o.
Decoration day in this village and 81
for East Middlebury.
. Prof. BOyce was chosen a member o
e the county board of education by ac
: clamatiOn.
The amount of the tax coming up
Judge Slade moved that $4,000 be rails
; ed, and it was so voted. 1t was subse
quently voted that discount of PEI
cent should be allowed on town taxes
paid on or before Sept. l.
The Jurors on the list submitted by tn
= selectmen were elected, as follows Tow
= grand jurors, j. NJ. Slade, w. H. Button
w. w. Turner; grand Iurymen, p.
Severance, j. b. Benedict, F. A. Bond
! petit jurymen, S. X. Seeley, j. w. Mead
|" q IL. j. Phillips, VIM. Belknap, p. F. Chap
man.
~ The lively fight of the day was owe
y selectmen. Thad. NJ. Chapman movel
~ that the old hoard he ra-alactad Mr.