The Somerset reporter., 1905-05-18
Special Town Meetings.


mainly 10 do with the towns loss in
December last, whereby Coburn Block
was destroyed by fire. and the town
lost incidentally its only large hall.
At the annual meeting in March c. A.
Marston, A. K. Butler and z. ?. Viles
were elected committee Ito see about
providing officers, a safety vault for
keeping the town records, and also a
place to hold public meetings." said
committee to report at a special meet
ing to be called.>
The meeting of Saturday last was
held principally to listen to the report
of this committee and incidentally to
act upon proposition to be made by Z.
n Merrill, Esq who has in mind the
erection of new block on the former
site of Coburn Block
Pursuant to the call nearly 800 people
| assembled in the new engine hall at 2
o'clock and L l.. Walton was chosen
moderator Mr. Marston reported for
the committee above mentioned, said re-
port being devoted entirely to the loca
tion and cost of a permanent town hall.
Two locations were suggested, the Ross
and Harville lots on the corner of Madi.
son avenue and Russell street, and the
Seveno, Brown and Fisher lots at the
corner of Court and Water streets.
The Ross and Harville properties COM
bined would make a lot 57xl33 feet
The Ross property can be bought for
$4,000 and the Harville property for
$500 Soundings were made under
the Ross property, which showed a
comparatively good and solid founda-
ton, though there were few deep
pockets of softer material.
The property at the corner of Court
and Water streets comprises the Eta r.
Seveno lot, the W. G Fisher lot, and a
portion of the II. w. Brown property on
Court street The Seveno lot can be
bought for $4,000 the Fisher lot for $4,000
and the Brown lot for 5000, for which
consideration Mr.. Brown Is also to clear
all three lots and have the buildings.
He would also permit the use of the
west wall of his block for the east wall
of a contemplated town building. The
entire lot. including these three proper
ties would measure 82xS6 and be sub
stantially square.
The committee made no specific
recommendations, other than If the
town thought advisable to build they
recommended solid, substantial build.
| irg of brick and granite, with stores on
the irst floor, offices and a hall on the
second floor, and rooms for fraternal
assoc iations on the third floor. The
estimated cost of such a building on the
first named lot would be $40, 1000 to
$75, 600, and on the second lot from
500, 600 to $65, 900.
The report of the committee was ac-
cepted and at their request they were
discharged.
Another lot which was suggested but
not mentioned by the committee was
the DR.. Mann and Fairbrother properties
on the west side of Madison avenue.
Mr.. Merrill's proposition which he
gave in general way TO the meeting,
was to allow the town the use of the
hall in his proposed block tor town
meeting, and also the rent of suite of
three rooms twelve feet wide and from
Twelve TO twenty feet long, with safety
vault, for a sum equivalent to the taxation
of the property, the contract to be made
for fifty or ninety-nine years
After prolonged discussion a vote
was passed appointing commtte con-
ssting of S. w. Gould, w. II. Wildes
and + Greenwood to draw up such
a contract with Mr.. Merrill and submit
il to the town on Wednesday for final
det erm n ition and the meeting WAS ad-
journed to that date.
WEDNESDAYS SESSION.
Promptly at oclock yesterday after.
noon l.. L. Walton, Esq moderator,
called the adjourned session to order
and called for the report of the special
committee. ", II. Wildes, acting for
the committee said the committee had
been able to meet with Mr. Merrill but
writing an unsigned contract embody-
ing in substance about the same offer
presented orally by Mr.. Merrill at the
saturday meeting: that the committee
to confer with Mr.. Merrill further in
the matter, but we're unsuccessful, sub
sequendy learning that he had been ca l.
ed away and was still absent from town.
After reading the unsigned contract,
the report of the committee was accept
ed Upon motion ii was then voted
that the article IN relation 10 any pro-
posed contract with Mr Merrill relating
to town Offices a vault and town hall be
passed over and it was unani mously
carried.
Hon. : W. Could addressed the meet
ing at some length regarding the needs
of the town as to a town hall OF opera
house His remarks were both timely
and to the point A the close of the
same it was voted that the board OF Sc
lectmen be made a committee To inyesti-
gate as to town building and building
site and report AT a subsequent meeting
Later this committee was increased by
the addition Of 5. w. Gould and { A..
Ross.
Discussions pro and con concerning
the prospective new hall OF town building
brought up the question as to whether,
by the destruction of Coburn hall block,
the town lost all rights it possessed in the
property and Hon. S. j. Walton, Lewis
Anderson and W. II. Wildes were APP
pointed committee to investigate the
matter, as well as to look into what
rights, If any, the town claims by virtue
of a bequest the late Gov. COburn made
the Association in his will