The Somerset reporter., 1903-04-16
Special Town Meeting.


Coburn hall, Saturday last was largely
attended not only by those within the cor
poration limits, but the farmers as we'll.
The subject at Issue, the matter of new
bridges in the village, whether we should
have them, where we should have them
and how many, interested all. Il will
be remembered at the regular town
meeting held on the first Monday Of
March it was voted:
"That the town build bridge across the
kennebec river at or near Kennebec street in
Skowhegan, at a cost not to exceed sI5,-
10000 and raise a sum of SI5,ooo.oo there.
for, the same to be expended under the
direction of the selectmen who are authorized
to issue the towns negotiable bonds there
fore, bearing interest at not exceeding a.
per cent per annum, payable annually. and
to mature at such time or times, not less than
s years or more than 20 years from the Sd day
of March 1908 as the selectmen shall deem
for the towns best interests, and that all
further details relative to raising money,
precise location, purchase and construction
Of bridge be left in the hands Of the select
men"
The vote was by ballot and stood 297
in favor, and 243 opposed.
Within a few days after adjournment
Of the meeting and before the selectmen
and committee appointed to contract
for the bridge had acted finally in the
matter petition was presented to the
selectmen signed by eighteen voters of the
town asking that special town meeting
be called to act upon articles to reconsider
the vote to build said bridge and rescind
the same. Within the same period a
legal obstacle was raised against build
ing said bridge 1t being held that the
town had no legal right to build the
south end of this bridge upon land own
ed by private parties, and that public
way must be laid out and accepted by
the town at q meeting called by the
selectmen and containing an article for
that purpose.
With this question confronting the
promoters of the bridge no time was
lost in petitioning the selectmeD to lay
out a street as follows "Begining at
the southerly end of Kennebec street and
extending southerly across the Kennebec
river and ending at the intersection of
Mt. Pleasant Ave. with Olive street,
The selectmen laid out the proposed new
street as requested making it four rods
wide, and as it crossed the land of Chas.
E. Young and A. E. Bison, those gentle
men gave the right of way for same.
The matter rested 10 this condition at
the time the warrant for the special
meeting was posted, as published in the
REPORTER of last week.
The meeting was called to order by
Town Clerk Webb at 10 o'clock, who
read the warrant to the assemblage.
l.. l.. Walton, Esq, was elected moder-
ator and the business Of the meeting
was commenced upon. The first speaker
was George Cover, Esq, who it will be
remembered so ably advocated the con.
struction of this bridge in question at
the March meeting, After referring
briefly to the vote of the town previous
ly, the second article in the warrant was
taken up aud he made the motion that
the town accept the street as laid out by
the selectmen. After the motion was
seconded Edw. n. Merrill, Esq (who by
the way was in England at the time of
the March meeting) spoke at some
length demonstrating against the accept
ance of said street, referring incidentally
to the bridge issue, claiming that vote
against said acceptance was vote OF
remonstranee against building said
bridge ana a vote to accept was vote
for the structure. 1t was finally agreed
between the opposing factors to make
the vote on this motion as put by Mr.,
Cover a test case for the governing of
article 3 to reconsider, to rescind and
to ratify the vote of the March meet.
ing. 1t was voted to use the check list,
and vote by yes and no votes, ana Gen.
Isaac Dyer, E. F. Fairbrother, R. II
Townsend and Herbert Wentworth were
made a committee TO assist the clerk in
the use Of the check list. Voting com.
menced at 11.20 a. m. and continued
unnterruptedly until 2.40, at which
time the moderator announced that the
vote stood 378 for acceptance to 40G
opposed. Upon motion of Mr.. Cover
and 10 compliance with the previous
understanding it was voted that e. n
Merrill be instructed to cast one vote
each disposing of articles 3, 4 and 5, as
result of which he voted yes on articles
3 and and no on article 5. Article 6,
in relation to building a new bridge
across the north channel was then taken
up and quickly disposed OF. Hon. C.
A. Marston making a motion to build
said bridge, which was seconded and as
quickly unanimously voted. 1t was
also recommended and voted that COM
mittee OF eight be selected to serve with
the selectmen In the matter as a building
committee, who were instructed to
secure the services of a building engi.
neer, learn what kind of bridge was
needed to best serve the purpose and
its cost, and to report at subsequent
meeting to be called, at which time such
necessary amounts as would be needed
would be voted by the town. The CON-