Connecticut western news., 1899-10-12
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Brief History of a Road

| eliminate the grade crossing at Bennett
 Hill. Half of that appropriation was
 to be paid by the state.
 Att special town meeting in April
 1898 the subject for discussion was the elimination of the Bonnet Hill crossing
 and the changing of the highway to a point east of the crossing near
 Whittlessy's cottage. Highway Con-
 missioner Mcdonald was present
 and with the projectors of the
 scheme attempted to give an
 estimate of the cost of the enterprise,
 exclusive of the railroad company's por-
 ton of the work, which was to build the
 sbutments and furnish the superstruot-
 ure. The commissioner estimated that
 6, 900 was an ample sum to cover the
 expense. Lawyer Roraback estimated
 that $5000 was more than ample and he
 thought $30O0 would do it. The taxpay- CTS and voters listened to this-certainly some of it-expert estimating, and said to themselves S4OO0 ought to do it any
 way, as Macdonald further said that he considered his estimate plenty high and be would rather it would cost the taxpayers less than he told them, than
 to have it cost few dollars more. Some expressed doubt as to the wis dom of go much of an undertaking and thought we could do without changing the highway from Reels to Whittlesey's and get along with abolishing the cross ing. Mir Newton, who was very much interested in having the highway chang ed, tried to find out what the cost Of eliminating the crossing would be, and separately what the cost of changing the highway. Mcdonald and the pro- jectors said there wss no idea of making separate jobs of them and no separate estimates had been or intended to be made. (And yet the first work done on the jobs was under two contracts separ- ating on these lines.) Mir Nicol asked for an explicit statement of what was in- tended to be done, and he was shown c map or survey and told that the inten- tion was to make . road under the crossing at Bennett Hill. ascending the hill at true grade of six feet to hun- dred, straight road to Whittlesey's and to be 200 feet from the railroad. Eventually MT Freeman arose and said that he understood the appropriation of S826 in 1897 had not been used and he moved that sum not to exceed S30O0 be appropriated-under the Good Roads law-to be sdded to the $826 to do the work proposed. This thus would cost the town S1,9l3. The motion was vot- ed.
 Late in July 1899 g special town meeting was called to vote further az propristion to finish the work on Ben nett Hill. MT Roraback explained that the Bennett Hill lob had cost about $5000 (which is compliment to Mac Donald's estimate) and that S2OO0 in round numbers was needed to finish it. Right here let us ask why S1200 would not have, added to the S3S00 previous appropriations, made the S5UO0? At this meeting Mir Eddy proposed that we vote An appropriation of S4500. as this year the state pays three-fourth and the town one fourth of Appropriations. MT Mac Donald was present at this meeting and said that Eddy was correct ard he later made some remarks about using the S20O0 at Bennett Hill and the S2500 in permanent improvements elsewhere. Mr Eddy explained his proposition to intend to use S200O-ef the S45OO ap- propriation-on the Bennett Hill job, and s25O0-of the s45O0 appropriation in permanent improvements on the highways elsewhere. Eddy's proposi- ton met with considerable opposition and MT Johnson said that in the matter of our roads and the Bennett Hill job we had been misled from the start. The principal objection to Eddy's mo- ton was in leaving the S2500 to be ex- pended at the discretion>Qf the com missioner and the selectmen. That is the legal procedure, and it almost kil'- cd the motion for the appropriation; however, the motion was carried.
 Less than two months after this July meeting the figures of the managers in the town report show that the Bennett Hill job cost within S96.73 of S60O0; this explains why an appropriation of S1200 was not large enough at the July meeting. But are these figures of the managers correct? They attempt 10 show saving of $839 45 to the town in the actual cost of fulfilling the contract of building the new layout. Where is it? The town reports of 1898 and '99 show an expenditure of S6669. AT on the Bennett Hill jobs, but they don't show any receipts from that source. Add sl00 land damages and probably $200 engineering bills yet to be paid and the amount is s6969.47 The least amount tha. the managers claim the state pay is s4O25.54. leaving $ss4a.93 thst the tax payers pay for road sharply curving through deep rock cut, and rising nine feet of grade in short distance from Reels and going down nine feet of grade again to reach the point near Whittle- sey's cottage. This is somewhat differ ent from their expectations of 1898 when they were to pay s19l3, and have a straight road at true grade of six feet to the hundred. Perhaps Mir John sons remarks were not empty words.
 And let us sec if the managers have moral right to claim S4O25.54 from the state to use on this job. They claim it this way, s4l3 on appropriation of 1897. 0re