Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-09-07


January rs, 1902 the town voted to hire
a candidate of such character as is set
forth in the following article of the war
rant: ITO see if the Inhabitants of said
town will adopt some measures for hiring
a Congregational Minister of good moral
character and respectable Ministerial Tai
ents (whO has not been hired in said Town
heretOfOre) to preach at the Meeting House
the ensuing spring. 1t was also voted at
the same meeting "tO lease out the Town
Lot the ensuing season to the highest bid
der at public vendue on the Last Monday
in March next" April IL, 1902, the fol-
lowing information was introduced into
the fifth article of the warrant for a town
meeting to be held on the 2Sth of the same
month: "To see if the Inhabitants of said
Town will adopt some measures that shall
put a stop to the animosities and difficult
ties that are now Subssting am ing the In
habitants, and be productive OF Uniting
and harmOnizing them in a Congregational
minister 1t is evident that flame was
burning quite tiercey, whether Rev. Mr..
Goddard blew it up or not The town
voted TO pass over the article and chose a
committee consisting of Judge Jason Dun
can, Thomas Clark, Samuel Porter. Esq,
Alexander kathan, Esq, and Jonas Walk
er, ESQ, "tO confer with Rev Aaron CrOs.
by respecting a settlement with him, and
also a Dismission from said inhabitants,
and to see what Condition he would agree
to- The committee reported MIR. Cros-
bys proposal for consideration to the in
habitants of the town that he continue
on the farm he now lives on the ensuing
season for the usual compensation he has
given in years past; that he continue to
~ Wi "a
until there is a candidate employed for set
Element in said town; and that he preach
during the interval when the pu pit was
not occupied by a candidate The town
voted not to agree to committees report
also voted that the selectmen. Daniel Tay-
Tor, Samuel Porter and Seth Hudson, with
the addition of Jason Duncan and Samuel
Duncan, "be Empowered TO settle Tevd.
Aaron Crosby for all past matters to this
day. seven months passed and the COM
mittee failed to settle" Mr.. Crosby-that
is, to collect from him the rent due for the
use of the farm since Dec. /, 1901, up to
date; and, also, TO recover possession Of
the farm which he occupied.
Divers town meetings had been held
during the previous two years without eff
feCting reconciliation between Mr.. Cros-
I by and the town. 1t now became expedi-
ent to adopt severer measures. According
| ly, on Dec. Is, 1902. the town voted TO sue
| Mr.. Crosby for the rent due and recover
/ possession of the town farm. A flag OF
truce was exhibited and an armistice de-
/ clared for 80 days In the meantime the
/ Towns Committee was to settle with said
/ Crosby whenever said Crosby shall offer
/ the same) and choose with him Indifferent
men, TO adjudge who has the legal owner
ship to the Land on which said Crosby
/ now lives April p, 1908, the town voted
that the Inhabitants of said Town give
/ full liberty to have the Pulpit in the Meet
/ ing house in said Town occupied by any
Minister of the Gospel on Sundays for the
future while Mr. Aaron Crosby at
tempis to preach in said Meeting House. ."
/ Voted TO confirm the proceedings hereto
tole had ny the town against Mr. Aaron
/ Crosby The town committee failed to
/ negotiate peace during the armistice of 80
days AM hostilities were renewed. Samu-
! FL Porter, Abel Butler and Daniel Taylor
were chosen agents for the town to carry
on any suit or suits against said Crosby
/ Voted that the following be recorde 4. viz.
"Dummerston, April p, 1903. We the
subscribers hereby certify that for our
/ services the year past as selectmen, we will
never receive nor have any compensation
! therefor, as We consider the appreciation of
Large majority a full and compleat re-
ward. Daniel Taylor, Samuel Porter, Seth
! Hudson, Selectmen.'
/ The trial of the suit or suits was held at
the county court during the spring of 1904
and resulted in verdict for the town An
/ eiectment was obtained against Mr.. Cros-
by; rent due was recovered; and the town
regained possession of ;he farm, The law
suit for their recovery cost $3.50. y, all of
which was paid by p persons who had
signed on Dec. 26, 1903, S570 for that pur-
pose. Samuel Porter, Abel Butler, John
/ 5 Gates and Thomas Clark each signed
$50 The final settlement of the town
with Mr.. Crosby was made on May l, 1904
in the form of a release in which he quit
claimed all his right to the town farm in
consideration of the sum of $40. Ii was
witnessed by Gen. Martin Field of New
fame and Eli Crosby. Evidently the town
farm was fruitful source of trouble, and
il is no wonder that the town was anxious
TO sell ii. A committee of five persons was
chosen that year TO sell the farm, and on
Sept. p, 1901, the ministerial lot, then
containing 90 acres, was sold TO Samuel
Porter for $500. The security for the
land was taken in real estate of double the
value of the land sold. 1.-The mortgage
conditioned that the interest of the pur-
chase money be paid to the town treasurer
annually and appropriated forever TO the
support of the Poor, and the surplus, if
any, to other town charges
The evidence is plain, therefore, that the
town never lost anything in the sale of the
pnblic lot to Judge Porter. He did not
become resident of Dummerston until
/ lTH4 and cOpspouputly had not inU Ia an