Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-12-15
Mr.. CROWELL'S OFFER
States Terms on Which He Will
Sell Water System
Some Facts to BE Taken into consldera-
ton In Fixing Value-All He Wants is
a square Deal"

a square Deal"
Brattleboro, Dec. 10, 1905.
VIM. II. Vinton, Esq,
Chairman Water Committee.
Dear Sir:-In response to a request of
your committee for information concern
ing the proceedings and plans of the
Chestnut Hill Reservoir company and
Sunset Lake Water company in regard
to the enlargement and completion of the
present water works system, l beg leave
to submit the following statement:
without taking the time or space to re-
hearse the action of the village on the
water question some twelve years ago, 1t
will suffice to say that the practically
unanimous vote of the village adopting
the report of their engineer. which car
ried with IL n recommendation to use the
water of Stickney brook as an additional
supply together with the vote empower
ing the bailiffs to arrange with our com
pany for an enlarged and continued wa
ter service-which arrangement was sub
sequently completed-made 1t obligatory
on our part to carry out the purport OF
their vote and this recommendation and
furnish this additional supply whenever
il should be needed.
To this end we employed our engineer
the following summer to make various
surveys to ascertain the most feasible
way to bring the water of the brook into
our reservoir or mains and have followed
up the work from time to time ever since
then. To facilitate the work and help to
finance the undertaking new company
called the Sunset Lake Water company,
was chartered. and the work Of obtaining
the necessary land and water rights and
privileges-cOmmenced several years ago
has now been completed. The needed
rights on Stickney brook. Sunset lake
and around TO Pleasant Valley brook
have all been secured and the work of
bringing the water of Stickney brook
into our village is we'll under way.
In addition to this increased water sup
ply. our plan includes extensive and i'm
portant changes in the present pipe lines
throughout the village during the coming
season, which with a 60.000O00 gallon
reservoir in Pleasant Valley, connected
with the present system by a 16-inch pipe
through West Brattleboro and Western
avenue, will give an all-around, up-to-
date water works system complete in all
its details and satisfactory in every re-
spect.
When the work is completed and the
efficiency of the system has been proved,
If the town or village wants TO buy the
property 1t will be for sale at fair price.
subject to the following conditions and
| guarantees: 1st Water in quality to be
| approved by the state board of health.
| I'd. Water in quantity to be ample for all
| the needs Of the two villages and inter-
| vening territory for fire protection anu
| domestic service for the present and a
reasonable future. Sd. The water pres
| sure for hydrant service to be approved
| by the chief engineer and at least ma
| jority of the board of bailiffs and the fire
| department. 4th In the event of a disa-
| greement as to the price we will agree to
submit the same to n courts commits
sion and abide by its decision.
| A considerable portion of the commit
| piV IN l.
| ton of the present system as n possible
purchase by the village, and various
| criticisms were made regarding its eff
| cheney and value as a nucleus for a
| larger and more complete system, and
| quite n large amount of discussion has
| been brought out over this phase of the
| situation. Now this bone of contention
can just as well be dropped now as al
any other time. for there Is not the most
remote possibility of the town or village
buying the water works in their present
| incomplete condition.
It is a difficult matter to fix a price
| upon any unfinished property that would
be satisfactory to the buyer and at the
same time just to the seller, while in this
| case so many factors would enter into q
fair and equitable adjustment of its pres
ent worth that IT would be practically
impossible to fix a price that would b.
| mutually satisfactory. To mention only
one of many, complaint is made that th'
present pipes are too small and must b'
replaced and consequently their value Il
much impaired, and that the purchase
should not be asked to pay for the mis-
takes made during the establishment o
the works. Now we claim that If thu
village had built water works at tbs
time this system was put in the sam'
mistake of too small pipes would hav'
been made, as II was made by nearly o
quite every town or city which bull
water works about that time, and Their
is no good reason for supposing tina
Brattleboro would have been an eXcep
ton.
Indeed, the committee itself admits this