Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-07-28
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL NEWS
AGAINST GRANTING LICENSE TO BREWERY
Vermont Valley Railroad Officials Before New Hampshire Com
missioners...What President James H. Williams Says

Taking the result of q hearing before
the directors OF the Vermont Valley Rail-
road company at Bellows Falls Saturday
as the basis of a deduction II Is reason
able to believe that as long as Brattle-
boro votes no license the license COM
missioners OF New Hampshire viii not
grant a license to sell liquor on the island
opposite Brattleboro. The hearing re-
ferred to was on the petition Of F. e.
Gale & Co. to have the Vermont Valley
company withdraw their objection to hav-
ing the commissioners issue a second
class license to sell liquor on the island
by the bottle. When Brattleboro citizens
made a protest last March to the license
commissioners of New Hampshire against
granting a license to Gale & Co., the
Central Vermont and Boston Maine
railroad companies Joined them, the
ground for the position taken by the rail-
road companies being that they had large
interests in Brattleboro which would be
jeopardized. The Boston & Maine COM
pany operates the Vermont Valley rail-
road, and it's opposition was made in the
name of the Vermont Valley company.
The protest of the railroad companies had
a large influence in preventing the grant,
ing of a license
Since then Gale & Co. have made at
tempts to secure a license but have been
refused. A few days ago they turned to
the directors of the Vermont Valley COM
pany TO nave Inem mOully lhSAA OppOSi-
ton and asked to be heard by the board.
The request was granted, Saturday was
the day set for the hearing and the
citizens of Brattleboro were notified to
that effect. The hearing was held In the
directors room at the Bellows Falls ma
tional bank. these directors being present:
James II. Williams and John H. Williams
of Bellows Falls, Hugh Henry Of Chester,
H B. Wall Of Keene, N. H.. John II. Albin
of Concord, n. H., and II. E. Folsom OF
Lyndonville. Gale & Co. were represented
by Lawyers Woodman and Martin OF Con-
cord and Temple OF Hinsdale. Justice
Howe OF Hinsdale also appeared in the
interest of Gale & Co. Brattleboro was
represented by Lawyers Martin and Fits
and by Charles w. Durham, Leroy F.
Adams, Charles A. Harris, Henry p. Well
man, George +. Crowell, Henry X. Brown
and Robert e. Gordon, who presented
remonstrance petition signed by about
$50 Brattleboro citizens.
Counsel for Gale & Co. opened with
statement that the petitioners conducted
a good place when they were operating
the brewery" and intimated that the
present opposition was the outgrowth or
personal feeling against them. Lawyer
Temple and Justice Howe emphasized
Hinsdales financial interest in the matter
and said that Gale & Co. ran good place,
although they admitted that they never
went into the institution. Judge Howe
said that Gale was a good square fellow
and that whenever he got caught he
settled"
Gale produced 20 letters from citizens
of Brattleboro a majority Of which stated
that Gale was a man Of good business
capacity and reliable in his business deal
ings, and some of them commended the
way he handled the saloon on the Island.
The letters were from the following named
persons: d. p. Dewitt. James +. Hooker
Charles r. Crosby, M ]. Moran, a. r.
Wood, H. E. Taylor, J. G. Ullery. Leslie
Smith, H. B. Haus. l.. II. Richardson
John T. Moynihan, w. H. Fletcher, l.. ID.
Taylor, Charles H. Pratt, E. ]. Fenton, T.
]. Heaphy, H. r. Brown, F. L. Hunt ].
l.. Roess and w. H. Corser. After the
letters were read Mr.. Brown testified
that he wrote his letter for Gales general
use as showing his business capacity. but
that he had no idea that 1t was to be used
in an effort to procure license
Those who appeared for the opponents
Of a license presented a written protest
from the Central Vermont Railway com
pany and an affidavit from Station Agent
]. H. Burke Of Brattleboro showing the
marked improvement about the railroad
grounds since the brewery was closed.
Several OF the Brattleboro men present
spoke on the subject.
Mr. Albin, speaking for the directors
said that their opposition was purely TOT
business reasons. His argument was that
Brattleboro had voted no license and that
with a license on the island there would
be a great deal of crossing and recrossing
of the railroad tracks with great danger
of accident. He said that the railroad
company was expanding large sums OF
money to obviate just such conditions and
that over 100000 had been spent In
separating the grades at Bellows rams
where the highway leading to North wal"
pole now runs under the railroad, largely
to avoid trouble at the grade crossing.
The directors voted unanimously not TO
recede from their position.
It is hardly necessary to call attention
of the public to the improved conditions
in Brattleboro under no license and with
the brewery closed. One arrest and only
one, for intoxication in the past three
months is a police court record that
speaks volumes in favor Of keeping things
just as they are.