Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-30
s.gssloA's aelset QUESTION.
-
sps(hl Tswa Msetlaa Very Quickly Passes
:. 4evee lAs-JkJbadss lssms. 4

Benton. Mel July 2a.- (SpeciaD.- The
special town meeting which was called
for Saturday afternoon tosconsider the
bridge, rfuestion. was a short-lived one.
lastipg only about three minutes. There
was "a good attendance in spite of the
fact that the farmers are in. the midst of
their haying and that they had to give up
half of one of the best hay days of the
season to. attend the meeting. The prin-
cipal articles In the warrant read as fol-
lows: ga
Article TO see what action the town
will stake to SEQ what is. the legal effect
of the action taken at town meeting
held In said town on the 18th of Novem.
Der. 1888; also what is the legal effect OF
a written agreement OF said date pretend,
ing TO be by and between said town and
the Somerset 4 Kennebec Fibre %.
signed by ]. o. Peaslea Sprague Holt
said town, and Edward W. Heath, pre-
tending to act for said company
Article ITO see what action the town
willaake to recover any money belonging
to said town. which may have been I'M
lawfully paid to said Somerset < Kenne,
bee Fibre Co. under the action of the
town at said town meeting held in No
vember last or under or, by reason oil
AS soon as the meeting was called to
order the articles were read and promptly
The whole matter originated in the
meeting held in November, nearly year
ago The bridge in question is an old
wooden one spanning the SebaSticook
near the plant of the Somerset x kenne-
bee Fibre Co. There is a good iron bridge
a short distance above the wooden one:
The car barns Of the Benton 4 Fairfield
Electric Road are at one end of the
bridge and the highway passes through
the yard, of the mill after crossing the
BRIDGE, The approaches to the bridge
have always been bad and the bridge IL
self is old and almost constant repairs
are necessary to keep II in condition for
a highway bridge. When the Electric
Road was put in the company put in a
narrow gauge track to take the freight
from the cars on the electric road across
to the mill.
I'M view of these conditions a town
meeting was called to see II the town
would be willing to give the bridge to the
company if it could be entirely freed
from the responsibility Of maintaining IL.
The meeting voted to do TINS ana tne
bridge was given to the company, TO-
gether with the sum of sl200 and tile
land about the bridge
This action apparently did mol meet
with general favor in the town, for the
old board of seiectmen was turned down
at the last election and an entirely new
board elected. Last March; committee
was appointed to look into the matter and
employ counsel to investigate the case
and render a decision as to the Legality
OF the action taken.
The committee secured tfle services oi
Hon. S. S. Brown of Waterville. The
matter aroused much interest and Tor
time was the one subject of conversation
in the town. Some believed that the
town had made a good trade when 1t got
the old bridge off it's hands, even If IT
did have to pay $l200 and give some land
TO do 1t. The ma jority, however, seemed
10 think that the town got he slippery
end of the bargain and desired to have
the legal status of the matter settled II
was thought by this class that If possible
the money paid by the town ought to be
recovered. as 1t was enough to give the
bridge and the land 10 the company
The matter finally quoted down ana
little was heard from 1t until the can
was issued for the special town meeting,
Saturday the purpose of which was to
revive the issues and see II something
could not be done to recover the sl2Vo az
least. Inc meeting, however. utterly
failed to do this. as those present had
evidently had enough of the matter ana
washed to let II hang hre while longer;
50 the articles In the warrant were passed
over without any action being taken on
them.
There was an attempt to set the orator
ical ball rolling. but 1t failed. as II was
clearly the wish of the meeting to let
the matter go without action.
There is a feeling on the part Of many
at present that If the town got the small
end of the trade it had better keep quiet
and take its medicine and not go hunt
inc for 1920 with $2000. but the faction
which, wants to see the matter pusned Is
an active one and Is not yet satisfied.
One plan has been suggested by when
the town could get satisfaction, II satls-
faction II is after, and that Is py puttlh'
In a board of assessors at the next an
nlIaI meeting that will assess the mill
property to the limit and collect the taxes
on the assessment. 1t is said that the
plant Is valued at present In the neigh
horhood of $50. 100 and that the valuation
could be made much more than this II
this plan is tried the result will be IN
teresting. 49,.
One man. who has taken the pains to
figure IL out from the old town reports,
SAYS that during the past % years Ben,
ton has spent $4,000 on her roads ana
bridges and that all she has to show Tor
Il is the iron bridge across the Sebasti-
cook Just above the old wooden one
which is causing the trouble.
The whole question still hangs hre ana
possibly only a law suit can bring about
a final settlement.