News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-12-27
That Stowe Land Case.
BURLINGTON Dec 81 1899.

OEC Il IOOOs
Editor News and Citizen:--
Ii makes me smile to see Mr.. Meal
lisrer spring into print with such alac-
rity to deny statement never made.
If he will read my last communities
ton he will see that | did not men,
ton any price when | told them |
would release the town of any re-
sponsibility. In a separate para
graph | told low much money the
town might have secured had the Sc
lectmen seen fit to lease the lots to
me.
To explain why the Selectmen had
never heard of this" | will give an
excerpt of the following letter to me
which is dated Stowe, Oct II and
signed by A. H. Cheney Yours re-
cieved yesterday and contents noted.
Mr.. McAllister and | satisfied our
selves last week that we were justi-
fed in selling to the Burts, = i = and
see no reason for thinking we shall
come to any different understanding.
We do not care to enter into any
trade regarding No. 46 y We
do not want anything to do with it,
SO you may call our decision final,
that we do not think best to lease to
you"
Please note that after | had told
them [ was ready to come before
them and make an offer releasing the
town from any espOnsibility | was
told they had decided to ''selI" to
the Burts. Could not be made to
change their minds, and thatI might
consider that decision final without
giving me any opportunity to say
what my price was. Because | told
the voters of the town what price l
was willing to give, | am charged
with making q false statement. lam
asked how | found these lots las
though there might be some crime in
finding land for a town. | found
them while looking up the title of the
University of Vermont to 200 acres
OF land which the Burts had another
"honest claim" to, title which they
have since bought and paid for,
l hope that | have made the land
matter sufficiently plain so that it
can rest. did not allow any COM
munication published until | found
the report was in circulation that |
had attempted to get some land be-
longing to the Burts. Then an arti-
Gle was published showing that it
was not true and somehow the i'm
preston creaped in that it was not
the land but two members OF the
Board OF SeIectmpn that belonged
to the Burts " Since then | have
tried to make plain that | made no
dishonorable proposition to the Sc
lectmen, have published no false
statements and committed no crime
in discovering the land in question.
The readers judgement must say to
what extent | have succeeded.
do not understand the cholera in
fantum attack of inferno cations
about the Trout Club" that came
upon Mr.. McAllister right in public.
They certainly have no connection
with leasing public. lands He has
not invested a cent in the Club, so
cannot discover any obligation to
discuss the matter in public with him.
If anyone is having any trouble
about me and the Club they must be
having it alone for so far as | know
there was nothing peculiar about my
getting into the-Club, and when |
found certain provisions made which
l could not approve | voluntarily
withdrew. have not yet made my
reasons public, as felt that the fish
pond would be agood thing, if it sue.
ceeds, and do not want to stand in
the way of it's success. So unless the
members of that organization think
it would be for the best interests OF
the Club that you and l, two outsid-
ers, begin to publicly discuss their
affairs, l shall say nothing further
on that subject
Respectfully,
w j. BIGELoW.