Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-10-05
WATER BOARD STATEMENT I
MEMBERS FEEL THAT MR.. Gro
WELL is UNREASONABLE.
Say They Have Been Unsuccessful in
Their Efforts 10 Arbitrate for Sunset
Lake and Chestnut Hill systems-At-
tend the Special Meeting Oct. ~.

The members oi the water board Of the VII
lage Of Bmttloboro feel that Il IS time that the
voters know the exact situation regarding mum
cipal ownership 80,
In January, al the time the water board
we're elected, they were authorized TO procure
and establish, by purchase or otherwise, Wa
INCORPORATED village of Brattleboro, the expense
not to exceed 100000 and II was preiefaole
that said board procure by purchase or arbltra.
tion the Sunset Lake system and the Chesthut
Hill Reservoir system, II IL could be dohe LOT q
lust and fair consideration, but, on iaillng 70
DO so, 70 construct an independent system.
The members Of the water board had two or
three different talks with Mr.. Ctowell 70 see II
they could buy the plant at TeasonaIe usu,s ass1ej
that II he could not get 100000 more thah y
would cost to put in a new SYSTEM ne uluht
want TO sell aud would not.
The water board at one time tried @ 70 pa,;ns
hy choosing three good engineers ana having
tbrn e, over the system carefully estimating
its cosI and value. Mr.. Crowel hatly refused
this prop1stion Al another time, the ooaIu
offered Mr.. Cr0well clear up 10 tne lll!t S-osS,
600 on his guaranty 10 make the water sum
ciently pure for village purposes ms ht.
Crowell also declined TO do. therefore, thete
was no chance to do anything in regard 10 ar
bitration. i,o
bonis for a new system and had called meet
ing for that purpose, Mr.. Crowell ana ms coui,, %
sell Mr. Fits, wanted TO arbltrate Snu W. W. ma M
Mr. Crnwell and his cOunse said that tnis @
.bnnId be attended to within the next Two
weeks provided the board would vote 70 mn M
trate and the village sanction their vote l ihe
,rater hoard as a whole, did not favor arDitra'
,inr AZ tbat time for they had learned upon
Investigation that the Sunset Lake ana fleasdht
valley water was not a, as good qushV ~ ous.s
TO bee put in for permanent ssteIn' Dut, NJ ~
ing up1n the guaranty OF Mr. Crowell and Mr.
Fits as 10 the purity and quantity OF the wa
ter majority Of the water board finally agreed
10 submit it 10 the next village meeting, wheh men
had already been called, on condltlen lhat ni'
CroweU st6u work and arbitrate within the iol-
lowing two weeks This Mr.. Crowell and ms
counsel agreed TO do There was nothing sara
at the village meeting against this proposition
and the sense Of the meeting was to arbltiate'
Ir,,,e,iiatcIy after this. Mr. Crowell, on the adj
,irp of Mr. Fits, declined to arbitrate with the
water hoard and Mr.. CrUwell went on laying
pipe on High street, the street IN the rear Oh
The Brooks House and he also ordered pPe lor
Frost street Consequently, the water board con
rIudc that as Mr. Crowell has not lived up TO
his agreement made with them that they are
In no way bound to arhltrate. since that tllhe'
az dry weather has come on, it has been demon
strated that the natural supply OF water rom
Sunset Lake and Pleasant Valley cannot De ae'
pended upon. For several weeks there has been
no water running from Sunset Lake and It has
already been drawn 10 inches below the point
M which Mr. Cruwell had a right to lower IT,
Now what is Sunset Lake waterf IL mas peen
demonstrated every year that very little OF
Sunset Lake is spring water, Tor y the she
u-as f.A largely hv springs. ii would oNerno"
5,ora ar Iess ali SIMMER on the contrary every
wear when the snow has ceased 10 melt anu run
int, the lake and the heavy rains OF spring are
over the water begins 10 dry up and 10, several
murtss fls4e E hone running iieni the iAhS ~
nny. nue cares TO 20 up there and investigate,
and we wish every man would they would hhu
that nearly all Of the outer edge oil the lase
consists of a muck bottom How much oil the
center of the lake is muck bottom we are uh-
IA zqT
Members of the water board and several bust
ness men OF Bratteboro, went 10 Sunset Lake
and interviewed several OF the cottagers recently
and they expressed feeling that they are oe-
| ing robbed Of their privileges and as result
great many people stayed away from sunset
/ Lake this summer And the result VIII De that
| suits will be brought for damages. Members OF
/ the board asked several of the cottagers about
I using the water OF the lake and they promptly
+ replied that they never got any water from the
| lake for drinking or cooking purposes and au-
yised the gentlemen present TO try for them
/ selves They did try and wish every voter could
/ have glass Of this water direct from the lake
| to drink 1t would mean that they would never
consider Sunset Lake water.
There are quite a few Of these cottages on
/ this lake which must be either bought or re-
moved. for. If they are not, the water is not nc
| for village purposes, as II IS easy 10 see tl'al
they cannot be properly drained by sewers ano'
! II they could he, it is not just and right to in.
| nocent purchasers of these building lots and
building; to prohibit their boating, fishing and
| bathing in the lake.
Mr. Crowell had imperative orders this season
to sewer Sunset Lake before using the water.
! lie surveyed this ont and evidently found IL
practically impossible to do, as his agent re-
ported that it would be cheaper to hire man.
/ which he said could be done for about SOU a
wear. to carry off the garbage, dish water and
| other sewerage from the cottages. Now, any
one knows that this could not be done thorough,
| " enough so that more or less OF tins wouid
! not drain into the lake, and even II 1t could.
| he town