St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-04-26
Road Commissioners Meeting.
A Profitable County Gathering at ~
LOhnhhurY.

Road Commissioners Meeting.
A Profitable County Gathering at ~.
JOhnsbury.
The annual gathering OF the road COM
missioners of Caledonia county was held |
in Pythian Hall Wednesday and was I'm.
doubtedy the most profitable meeting OF
its kind ever held here. This was State |
Highway Commissioner Gates first visit |
to st. Johnsbury in his official capacity, |
though he is pleasantly remembered as a
graduate of our Academy in the class OF
1880, and he made very favorable i'm
preston. In opening the meeting Mr..
Gates said it was the best attended so
far in his tour throughout the state as
every town was represented by its road
commissioner and over a dozen towns
were represented by their se!Sctmen.
The road commissioners attending
were:
Barnet, w. H. Higgins.
Burke, W. H. Chappell.
Danville, H. B. Ward.
Groton, Charles Morrison.
Hardwick, c. A. Slapp.
Kirby, W. P. Willis.
Lyndon, A. G. Hovey.
Newark, A. c. Burns.
Peacham, W. V. McLschlin.
Ryegate, w. Thompson.
Sheffield, F. c. Bickford.
st. Johnsbury, Horace Jackson.
Stannard, Harry Munsey.
Sutton, w. B. Melcher.
Walden, George Jennison.
Waterford, {. W. Owen.
Wheelock, John Buckley.
Concord, A. L. Douglas.
Newbury, w. H. Tewksbury.
The following selectmen were present:
Barnet, F. c. McGill, Martin Gibson,
Moses Roy.
Concord, G. w. Reed.
Danville, O. Il. Stevens, William P.
Page.
Hardwick, J. E. Hancock, A. A. Good
rich.
Kirby, P. II. Graves, w. P. Russell.
Lyndon. G. H. Kittrsdge, G. NJ. Camp
bell, Mr.. Lamont.
Peacham, w. w. Morse.
Ryegate, George Cochran, George P.
Sanderson.
Newark, M. E. Ham.
st. Johnsbury, Harry H. Carr, Wesley
Sargent.
Walden, F. E. Gle.
Waterford, c. L. Heminway, B. K
Graves.
Wells River, A. H. Bailey.
Village of St. Johnsbury, NJ. J. Russell
Supt. Streets.
Prot. ]. w. Votey of the University o
Vermont spoke in the morning upor
scientific road construction. The speaker
emphasized the advantages OF eartt
roads in localities where the proper ma
terials are obtainable and gave much ex
cellent advice as to the proper method o
construction and the care that is needed
He pointed out the necessity OF selecting
the best material and exhibited larg
number OF gravel samples by way OF ii
! lustration. Photographs were alst
shown, illustrating the different RENE
dies for muddy roads, etc.
After dinner Gov. Bell met with til
commissioners this being the first count.
meeting be has attended and the frs
= time since he has been Governor that b
) has addressed st. Johnsbury audience
: Gov. Bell was cordially welcomed an
spoke briefly OF the advantages of goo
roads and urged all present to keep tn
roadsides slicked up.
Commissioner Gates followed wit
j some excellent suggestions upon the sub
+ ject of state roads, talking iniormall
and in an easy manner upon the variou
y kinds of roads to be built, the problem
, to be overcome and the satisfaction 1
! seeing good results accomplished. H
said the state would expend its none
on gravel, Telford gravel and V shape
stone roads. Permanent roads do nc
mean that such roads once constructe
+ do not need turthur repairs; the macada
mized roads in Massachusetts that ar
S paid for out of the state treasury cos
$50 to 5000 mile annually to keep in II
e pair. He preferred gravel roads whe
ever possible, but they should never t
., constructed where the foundation Wi
Il not hold the road or where the gravel
5 poor. He described the construction {
: the Telford road and showed man
photographs Of such roads in variou
= parts of the state. He hoped the con
missioners would make 20loot road,
h with a l2-foot track and four too
h shoulders on each side. He recommends
a stone culverts instead OF tile whereve
:, possible, and explained in detail hoy
r stone cuverts should be constructed
e This led to general discussion of Gu
y verts which was participated in by
:, number of the commissioners and select
l. men. In closing he urged the commission
ers to guage their work according t
k their appropriation and to do their wor
S thoroughly and conscentiously.
a The commissioners were greatly please
Y with Commissioner Gates and his suG