Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-02-27
BARTON'S PROSPERITY.
VILLAGE OF BAR TON,

porting. To- day we have over 1900
incandescent lamps in the village.
The streets are lighted with PIT six
teen candle power lights and two arc
lights. We also furnish electricity
for lighting two other villages. The
income of the electric system is $4,000
a year, which defrays all the expenses
of the system. Our lights are fur
nishe d to US at small cost as COM
pared with that of many towns in
this vicinity.
A day system is becoming almost
necessity, and there are several par
ties DESTROYS Of re nting electric power
to do manufacturing of lumber and
for other industrial purposes. It
seems to be only matter of a short
time when this will be brought about,
as the power plant is capable of fur
nishing many horse power.
There are 66 Peoples telephones
and 25 New England telephones in
the village. Nine Peoples and six
New England have been installed the
past year.
It is very satisfactory to know that
we have one of the best water systems
in Northern Vermont, as evidenced
by the fact of our small Insurance
rates, and also, the burning of only
two buildings since the plant was in
stalled, ana those fires from no fault
Of the system. 1t is not only seen in
this fact, but also in the low rates of
water rent, and the revenue which
it's income provides for the corpora
ton. In pays into the vii lage treas
ury $1,000 annually above all expenses.
During the last year the reservoir
has been rebuilt at a cost of $3.50.
Large granite blocks to the amount
of 225 cubic yards have been laid from
the ledge to the top of the dam and
one hundred and fifty barrels of Port
land cement have been used in it's con-
struction. It is an enduring piece of
masonry, and precludes the necessity
of further expense for many years.
The income from the water system
last year was $1829 26. This is an in
crease of 1868 since four years ago.
Almost all the new houses have taken
village water this ye ar, which will add
much to the increase in water rent.
1t is known by our citizens that re-
duction of thirty three and one third
per cent on water rates was made in
1896, and at the present time our
water rent is lower than in any OF the
villages in the county. And this is
not all: we have an abundance of
water at all seasons of the year, for
domestic purposes, fire protection and
the running of a few motors for viii
lage industries.
The prosperity of the whole town
may be seen from the standpoint of
increase in taxable property during
the last four years. Our grand list in
1900 was $1O678.56, and in 1904, Dist
No. had list of S4S28 80; Dist. No. Z
a list of S3377.77, and the town outside
! the corporations list of $3.50 G5.
making total of s12O76 IS, or an in
crease of S1198.02.
From the standpoint of the in
crease of voters in town our prosper
itv is indicated. The check list of 1902
contained 623 names, and in 1904, IA
names. Dist. No. 1 showed a gain of
SO names, Dist. No. a gain of 40
names, and the rest of the town a
gain of % names.
The list is as follows, Dist. No. /.
81, No. 7,215; town outside corpora
tions, 2O8, total as above IA. We are
unable to give the increase of popu-
lation of the whole town, but are sat
isfed it must have been considerable
by the tenements built in both vii
lagos. In district No. l, there were
something over 1850 people in 1900,
as reported by the census taker and
in the spring of 1904 there were 1901
and at that time many of the Peerless
girls were not here.
We congratulate the town on the
last election, and that our majority
for Governor Bell was so much more
than any other town in the county
that we are entitled to one more dele
gate to the county republican con-
vention than any other town, while
two other towns surpass Us in popula-
ton. We think our record in pure
politics is also creditable.