Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-29
WIDEN AND REPAIR.
Extensive improvements in Main Street
Proposed.
Petition to sslectmsn Asks That the
Street from Bank Block 60 the Bridge
he Paved and Strengthened.

Petition TO selecImsn Asks That the
street from Bank Block 90 the Bridge
he Paved and Strengthened.
A petition has been circulated this week,
to which many signatures have been at
tached, asking the selectmen to widen
Main street opposite the American House,
and to repair the street from the top of
the hill near the Peoples National bank
building to Milestone bridge. The petit
tion states that by repairing is meant paw
ing the street with granite blocks. That
part of the street, the petition says, is I'M
slightly, rough and positively dangerous.
The petition will be presented to the select
men without delay. A hearing will then
be held to determine to what extent the
abutting property would be damaged in
case the street was widened.
The argument on the part of the petit
! TONERS is that the roadway on Main street
hill is one of the worst pieces of highway
in town, and that safety to teams and to
the public demands that it be repaired.
| There is no question, moreover, they say,
| but that the best and most economical
way of repairing it is to pave it with gran
tie blocks, as was done on the hill from
the bridge down to the railroad track.
This would not only protect the hill from
being quilted out by storm, but it would
do away with repairs for years to come and
would put into use from three to four feet
more of roadway, which is now available
only as a gutter.
Paving the street would necessitate cut
ting down the hill which is now a foot or
more higher than the sidewalk on the west
side in some places, or raising up of the
sidewalk on that side. To raise the walk
would be to put the stores TO much incon-
venience, so that probably the more feast
bic way would be to cut down the hill.
The plan to widen the street will meet
with pronounced opposition. The same
question was brought up when the late s.
n. HeIrick was on the board of selectmen
and survey was made, showing that to
straighten the street would necessitate cut
ting off from five to six feet OH the north
side of Thomas Judges building and about
nine feet on the south side and about nine
feet on the north side Of John Rays build
ing, which joins Mr.. Judges building.
Mr.. Judge was seen in regard TO the
matter Wednesday. He stated that the
improvement ought to be made, but that
he would fight the matter TO a fiash, for
the reasons that bis building was too old
to be moved back, that to cut of the front
would spoil it fol- store purposes and that
he was not yet resdyIo sell at any price.
The tenants Of Mr.. Rays building agree
that the Improvements ought to be made
but that there are serious obstacles in the
way, which one can readily see by inspect
ing the interior Of the building.
This aspect of the case is one which the
selectmen will need TO consider very care
fully, and in their best judgment, so that
the public convenience is subsefved while
no injustice is done to private rights
Whether the street is widened or not
there is nothing to prevent repairing and
paving it and, as stated before, public SAT-
ETY. demands that something OF this kind
be done at once.