Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-01-19
FAVOR GOOD ROADS.
CITIZENS VOTE TO PURCHASE STONE
CRUSHING PLANT.

The annual village meeting took place
on Wednesday afternoon, In accordance
with the warning.
Whether 1t was the cold weather or
whatever else the reason may have been,
the meeting was very slimly attended,
and the highest number Of votes cast on
any ballot was only 1876, out of the 600
or so of voters within the Village limits.
And the shot times" and "warm doings"
which had been so lavishly predicted
during the week or ten days just preced-
ing the meeting did not come anywhere
near materialzing. AS matter of fact,
it was an exceptionally good-humored
and business.like meeting ana one of the
shortest in recent years.
1t was 10 o'clock when Moderator
DR.. w. H. Sheldon called the meeting to
order and directed Clerk Burke to read
the warning. Then DR.. Sheldon was re-
elected moderator viva voce, and j. M.
Burke was again chosen clerk in the
same way, by acclamation.
Article of the warning, ITO act upon
reports of trustees, treasurer, collector
and water commissioners submitted by
the auditor" was then disposed of by
motion to dispense with the reading of
the reports and another to accept and
adopt the auditors report both of which
were carried.
Article 3, "To vote a tax upon the
polls and ratable property of said village
to defray the expenses of the ensuing
year, pay outstanding orders and inter-
est" was laid on the table, on motion of
B. S. Beckwith, until the three succeed
ing articles should have been disposed of.
Then came up article 4, and with 1t the
big and indeed only important question
of the day, viz: "To see if the village
will vote to buy a stone crusher and
roller" Mr. Beckwith moved that this
article be laid on the table, and stated
that the tax to be raised this year to pay
the outstanding orders would have TO be
double the tax of last year without hav-
ing any stone crusher to be paid for.
Judge w. H. Bliss expressed the opinion
that the article ought to be laid on the
table without debate. He thought there
was something to be said on the other
side and therefore was opposed to the
motion to table.
The moderator then called OF Trustee
Buttolph, who has had charge of the
work on the village roads for the past
two years, to give his view of the situa-
ton. Mr.. Buttolph said that the Corn
wall stone crusher which we haye been
using is worn out and out of date and
that it would cost about four times as
much to use it further as it would to get
a plant of our own. He had, he said,
corresponded with various parties, and
had found out that we could get new
crusher at cost of about $2200 with a
steam drill at a cost of about 1925. He
thought the entire outfit could be bought
for sum not to exceed $4,000 and said
he was very much in favor of stone
roads, as other roads, made with the
kind OF gravel we can get, are no good.
the gravel washing off quickly and the
whole thing having to be done over again
within short time. Mr.. Buttolph then
moved that the trustees be authorized
to purchase a plant at a cost not to ex-
ceed $1,000 and to issue bonds to pay for
the same at per cent interest, the
bonds to be 10 In number, of $500 each,
and one payable each year until all were
taken up.
Judge Bliss asked Mr.. Buttolph what
would be the cost per rod in building
roads by the use of the Cornwall ma
chine as compared with the one he pro
posed. Mr.. Buttolph said 1t made q
great difference to start with about the
foundation. The work done on Sey
mour street a year and more ago cosl
about 60 cents per square yard, while
the piece of road put in on Main street
the past season cost about one dollar pei
yard. The difference was mostly In
foundation and drainage. Mr.. Wing Of
Cornwall who had had experience il
this line in Rhode Island, had told hin
that down there they had crushed three
tons of stone in II minutes, and he haC
been Informed that stone ready for thu
crusher could be bought for about n
cents ton. The question then bein!
open, Auditor Beckwith made the re
mark that his OIL lection to the cTushe
was found in the report, which showed
that 1t would take about double las
years taxes to pay the outstanding or
ders, without saying anything abou
buying any stone crusher.
Mr.. Bliss moved an amendment to MI
Buttolph's motion to the effect that tn
bonds or orders should be sold so as T.
get the lowest rate of interest possible
as he thought they could be marketed a
considerably less than per cent. MI
Buttolph accepted the amendment an
further stated that from correspondent
with various parties he could say pos
lively that we could get No. Chan
pion crusher for S2230, delivered
Middlebury, with man to superinten
setting it in place, and steam drill
such as needed, loaded on the cars 1
Boston for 1926. The crushing of ii
stone would not cost more than II cen
per ton. Secondhand crushers migl
be got at prices between $500 and $40
but he was sure the whole outfit whiC
he proposed could be got for a sum NJ