Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-04
THE PUTNEY COLUMN,
Not a Quaker Meeting

But one of Unusual Quietness-.-tbe
only changes Of importance Were I'm
the Offices of Overseer aud Road Con,-
missioner---n Fire Protection M.nsur.
at Last Adopted.
The town meeting orators seemed IN
have forgotten their bottles of eloouence
Tuesday, and for that reason the meeting
was the IN )st sensible of any that has been
held in recent years. To the surprise of
all an adjournment was reached before
1880 o'clock. The reading of the report
of the last meeting was an innovation and
was followed by the election of George r.
ApIin moderator. Mark Ward and A. ]
Aver were nominated for the office of town
clerk, but Mr. Aver withdrew and Mr.
Ward was elected by reclamation. l.. p.
Bailey would not run for first selectman
and NJ. G. Ingalls, was nominated. Mr..
ingalls, declined to run but indicated that
he would again take second place. HIP
Farr was then nominated and elected with.
out opposition. Mr.. Ingalls, was elected
by reclamation but it was necessary to
ballot for the third place, G. Ii. Converse
winning over O. b. Blodgett. The next
change in the list came when Mark Ward
was elected overseer of the poor and it is
the prevailing opinion that that office is
now filled by the right person. J. +. Clark
won over Russell Braley on ballot for
second lister. 1t was necessary to ballot
twice for road commissioner, the candi-
dates being II. l.. Scott, Parker Fuller.
last year commissioner, and w. Z. Pierce.
Mr.. Scott failed of the election on the first
ballot by one vote but won by a good ma
iority on the second. E. G. Parker was
elected school director for term of three
years and Mrs. Mary Washburn was elect
ed trustee of the public library for five
years. Lyman b. Wood was elected com
missioner for the West Hill cemetery fund.
A full list of officers is published else
where in this paper.
Under article three $50 was appropriate
ed to help defray the expenses of Memo
rial day. The report of the library trus-
tees showed that there were $50 volumes
in the library. 1t is expected that the
greater part of the Universalist library
will be added to the town library soon.
An appropriation of 800 for the support
of the library was made. The selectmen
were authorized to borrow public money
for the support of schools.
Considerable discussion of no particular
interest took place over the question of a
tax rate. On the motion of DR.. G. S.
Foster it was voted by a show of hands to
make the rate 100 cents on the dollar to be
subject to the usual four per cent discount
Article I, ito see if the town will furnish
all necessary text books used in the Cen
trail school that are not furnished by the
state" was dismissed without argument
The next article was to see if the towr
would vote to sell its road scrapers and in.
struct its road commissioner to abandon
entirely the use of road scrapers on its
highways. DR.. Munger explained that he
had the article put in the warrant for tn,
purpose of calling attention to the fac
that the scrapers were used to an excess
Dr. Foster and Q. B. Newcomb argued il
favor of retaining the machines and the ar
ticle was dismissed.
The question ''to see if the town vii
vote to appropriate $500 for fire protection
was then taken up. w. A. Coles plan o
putting in a new steam pump as explained
in The Phoenix of two weeks ago was tolt
by DR.. Foster James Crawford thel
made the forcible argument that if thu
village were burned an increased ia,
would be levied upon the outlying districts
to meet the deficiency in the grand list.
This argument completely controverteC
the one IndI IRE pToIecllOn III Tue Vlllag
would be of no benefit to the farmer. w
H. Blanchard argued that a fire distric
should be organized. DR.. Munger thel
reconciled all opinions in the motion tina
''as soon as fire district may be organize
and officers elected and $400 be raised b
private subscription the selectmen be all
thorized to appropriate $500 for the pro
lection of the fire district" The motion
was carried easily Mr. blanchard move,
that if such organization was made befor
the tax was levied the selectmen be au
thorized to levy an additional tax of 10 pc
cent to raise the appropriation, and it wa
so voted. The article in regard to buyin
a town farm was dismissed. Under "othe
business" DR.. Munger asked that his re
port as health officer be heard by title onl
and it was so ordered.