The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-08-23
A CAMP GROUND CONTROVERSY.

great many enquiries are made OF me con-
corning the controversy going on between
the W. G. c. Association and the cottage
and lot owners on the grounds, and as the
press is the best means of communicating
information to all deserving to be enlighten-
ed in any dispute affecting large number Of
people, l beg space in your widely read
paper to set forth few facts pertaining to
this very grievous case in question. If
fail to state facts, hope some one better in
formed than myself will make needful cor
rectOns in a later issue of The Journal.
More than 20 years ago the Association
extended its borders by the purchase of a
field of Is acres adjacent to the southern
side of its old grounds. Mr.. Hiram Ruggles
was then Superintendent and treasurer and
according to the plan which he had made by
one r. B. Miller he laid out streets, parks,
cottage lots, and what is referred to in the
perpetual leases of the cottage lots as vacant
lots, of u feet i'll width, separating the cot
taSe lots, which only are numbered Mr..
VIM. Pillsbury, living close at hand, helped
Mr.. R. chain out the lots, &C, &C. Mr.
| RuggleS explained to. him particularly the
purpose of the vacant lots, showing him
the plan. They were to prevent crowding of
cottages. a preventive of extensive fires,
for the general good looks, for the use of
the cottagers, for wells, and for everything
else needful, except to build on. He said
that he fixed the price of the cottage lots
high enough to pay for the vacant lots, or
| intervening spaces, which were to be kept
forever open, and not for future sale
What Mr.. r. explained to Mr.. Pillsbury he
explained to many buyers of lots, myself
included. We looked upon them as adding
value to the lots. and consequently paid the
price asked for them, built cottages dug
wells on the open spaces, and otherwise
made needfui improvements and uses of
them under the eye of Mr.. 4. and other
officials for about, or nearly, 20 Years No
one claimed they We're for future sale. But
new ambitions are taken on by the Assoca-
| ton, or It's later officials. scheme is CON
/ cocted and deeds are offered for - or $40 a
head to lot-oWneIs in place of the leases,
and they are pressed to buy the vacant lots
| which the cottagers and lot owners had al
ready paid for, or the use of them. If any
cottager refuses to pay for them a second
time, though close to his cottage on either
side, it is proposed to sell them to another,
and hem him in by other buildings or
otherwise exclude him from them, render
| ing his cottage in many cases almost value
| less as Il summer home.
If the association contend that it is legal
and honest and fair to sell the, vacant lots
in question, why refuse evidence of the
| statements of Mr.. Ruggles to MI PillSbury
and the buyers of the lots The leases read
numbered according to the plan of r. i.
Miller and describe with reference to the
vacant lots, and the plan shows the lots, va
cant lots of u feet width. also the parks
and streets, so the leases were made accord
ing to that plan; and an abundance of other
| evidence is offered which the trustees show
| remarkable reluctance to hear. The writer
has been accused of trying to secure more
| than is due him. and yet they are away from
| his evidence as the darkness from approach
| ing light. All we ask is what we contracted
| for and paid for years ago. If the Associa-
| ton was not able to give leases on the orig
| nal grounds for longer time than annual
| canipmeetingS were held on the grounds a
| departure OF the campmeetings meaning an
end of such leases, how would one be better
| protected by a deed of a lot within such for
| feited grounds But our leases ON these new
grounds are unlimited as to time. and the
Association set high price on them, at rate
of o4,;60 per acre on the north side of Bay
| View Park, and s., 4Ss on south side,or about
| 81 200 for all the Park lots and spaces below
George street, about an acre, possibly a little
more, when the whole Is acres cost them
| only $4,000 Isn't such price per lot high
enough to pay for the intervening lots or
| open spaces according to the leases ? There is
| other evidence which the Association don't
want to hear
The writer is accused of misappropriat-
ing one vacant lot by building over it, but
he built with the consent of the officials
at the time. The superintendent told him it
had been decided that any one who owned
| two continuous lots could build over the
middle space, or one large cottage on two
| such lots would do no violence to the rule
| no injustice to his neighbor on either side
| Mr.. Ruggles, as Superintendent and Treas
| urer, had given such consent, and let him
| and his God look from above and see, and
| let others see, whether White Rock cottage,
with a vacant lot west and Il cottage lots of
| IL feet vacant lot east, nicely graded and Or
namented, does violence to nybody or any
| thing. Mr.. A. has expended a hundred dol
lars at least in money and hard work in
grading on the Park in front. Does the AS
ISOLATION consider him for it? Not a bit, but
wants him to pay $50 for the middle space
! HRS cottage occupies and which he has paid
for. Let truth speak, let righteousness
speak, let wisdom speak, let Christian love
speak, let common honesty and fairness be-
tween man and man speak let the Associa-
ton speak truly to men and women who
come here with their money and good will
to buy lots, build cottages, pay taxes and
furnish lots of work to townsmen, and help
the place, town and State in many ways let
the Association lay bare its clean, strong
arm Of protection and encouraging invita-
ton to everybody from everywhere and say
come, come to Northport Campground and
we will see to it that you have rest, comfort
and added health at this most beautiful sea-
side resort on the western shore of one of
the grandeSt and most beautiful bays reach
ing from any ocean or sea so far within