The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-05-15
Special Town Meeting.


The first business to come up and that
for which the meeting was principally
called, was the report of the committee
appointed at the annual town meeting
relative to preparing and macadamIzing
West Front street. The committee con.
sisted of Messrs. C. A. Marston, A. H.
Lang, G. II. Webb, B. F. Baker, L. W.
Weston, Lewis Anderson.
Hon. c. A. Marston in behalf of ma
iority of the committee submitted a plan
for the work that called for an expendi-
ture of about 81, 800 and called upon E.
E. Greenwood, G. E., who made the sur
vey and drew the plan to explain it to
the meeting.
Mr.. Greenwood exhibited the plans
and explained them to the effect that the
proposition Is to make 30 foot wide
road bed between the edge of the side
walk to be constructed on the north limit
of the street and the inside rail of the
track Of the S. & n. railway, removing
the track of said road to the south far
enough to give room for this road aud
sidewalk. Also to elevate the street
about one foot in the lowest places for a
distance Of about 300 feet and to cut back
the bank along the south side of the
| street to get material for the necessary
| filling; to put in two 12-inch iron pipe
culverts; to build slope wall on the
river bank of rip.rap work to protect the
street from the river In freshets; to mac
adamize this piece of street but not to
build the concrete sidewalk until another
season in order to allow the ground for
this walk to become thoroughly settled.
Mr.. Greenwood gave in detail estimates
of the cost of filling, excavating and
matchmaking the piece of street, aggre-
eating $2,375.
There was some opposition to this
method Of doing this work aud Mr.. L. w.
| Weston, member of the committee,
voiced this opposition, advocating the
elevation of the street ~ feet at least,
the putting in of larger culverts; doing
the grading this season and next year
the matchmaking if the town should
so vote. He said an appropriation of
81 900 to 81 800 would be ample for this
season according to his plan.
The majority report of the committee
was adopted after some discussion and
the sum of 81 800 was voted for the work
in accordance with Mr.. Greenwood's sur
vey.
The sum of 500 was voted to purchase
the strip of land lying between this
street and the Kennebec river, property
of the Skowhegan Pulp Company.
The vote authorizing the building of
short street, two rods wide on the south
side near the house of John Nutting,
passed at the March meeting, was re-
scinded and the selectmen were directed
to discontinue the street.
The vote appropriating $1,000 for the
extension of a sewer on Madison Avenue,
passed at the March meeting, was re-,
scinded.
1t was voted that the $1,000 voted at
the March meeting for the extension of
Madison Avenue sewer be applied to the
payment for West Front street work and
that the selectmen be authorized to bor-
row 5000 to complete these repairs and
pay for the strip of land between West
Front street and the Kennebec river.
A. II. Wyman, of the board of select
men, reported adversely to the PROPOSE
ton to purchase steam road roller. The
selectmen he said had written to officers
steam road rollers, and, while the re-
plies received from these municipal Off
GERS were that these rollers work well
generally, the expense of a roller and its
operation is so large that it is not deem
ed economy for a town with no more
work for roller than Skowhegan has,
to purchase and use one. The report of
the selectmen was adopted.
George w. Cover, Esq, town agent,
read the following:
REPORT.
At the annual March town meeting in
1901 it was Voted, that the seectmen
and town agent be instructed to confer
with the representatives of the Maine
Central r. II. Co. and ascertain What ar
engagements can be made relative TO the
occupation of the towns land next east
of the Cigar Store, the safety of the rail
road crossing on Russell and Water
streets and the maintenance of the side
walk on the railroad bridge, and report
at future meeting"
Your committee have attended to their
duties and report as follows
RAILROAD CROSSING.
We find that in 1872 the town put
chased OF Eben Neil the land in question,
to be used as a street, which gave the town
a passway twenty feet in width between
the railroad and Cigar store.
Afterward, the railroad company built
their new freight house and desiring to
run their side track to it, obtained from
the Assessors of Skowhegan Village Cor
poration in 1886 permission TO lay their
track across this land. The track thus
laid extended within about four feet OF
the cigar store, on the Russell street side,
and slightly farther on Water street.