Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-05
THE WATER QUESTION
Is It to Be Municipal Ownership 2
A Statement from Members Of the Water
Board Who Are Opposed TO the Pur-
chase Of the CroweIl system.

Board VINO Are opposed 10 tne FuT-
chase Of the croweII system.
The members OF the water board Of the
village of Brattleboro feel that II Is time
that the voters know the exact situation
regarding municipal ownership.
In January, at the time the water board
WIS elected, they were authorized to
procure and establish, by purchase or
otherwise, water system for the use OF
the inhabitants Of the Incorporated VIII
lage of Brattleboro, the expense not 10
exceed $3.50, 200, and 1t was preferable
that said board procure by purchase or
arbitration the Sunset Lake system ana
the Chestnut Hill Reservoir system, II 1t
could be done for a just and fair consld-
Grafton, but on failing to do so, to con-
struct an independent system.
The members of the water board mao
two or three different talks with Mr..
Crowel to see IL they could buy the plant
at a reasonable figure. At every meet
ing MIR. Crowell frankly stated that II ne
could not get 100000 more than II woulu
cost to put In a new system ne uloh
want to sell and would not
The water board at one time trleo "
arbitrate by choosing three good engi-
,eers and having them go over the sys-
tenn, carefully estimating its cost ana
value Mr. Crowell fatty refused TINS
ntoposition. At another time tine DoaIu
offered Mr. Crowell clear up to the limit,
$3.50, 900 on his guaranty to make tne
water sufficiently pure for village pur-
noses. This Mr.. Crowell also declined TO
do. Therefore, there was no cnance 10
do anything in regard to arbitration.
After the water board was ready TO
issue bonds for a new system and nad
called a meeting for that purpose MI.
Crowell and his counsel, Mr.. Fits, then
wanted to arbitrate and two men were
practically agreed upon for arbitration
and MIR. Crowell and his counsel SAID that
this should be attended to WITHIN the
next two weeks, providing the BOARD
would vote to arbitrate and the Vliiase
sanction their vote. The water Doaru' as
a whole did not favor arbitration at the
time. for they had learned upon lnVes-
tiRation that the Sunset Lake ana Pleas
ant Valley water was not as gooo quahty
as ought 10 be put in for a permanent
system but, acting upon the guaranty Oh
Mr. Crowell and Mr.. Fits, as 10 the
D,Iritv and quantity of the water, ma
joritv Of the water board finally agreed
~ submit 1t to the next village meeuhs'
which had already been Called on coh
dition that Mr. Crowell stop Work anu
arbitrate within the following two weeks.
This Mr. Crowell and his counsel agreed
10 DO There was nothing said at the
Village meeting against this proposition
and the sense of the meeting was 10 an =
bitrate Immediately after TINS MI
CroweIl. on the advice of Mr.. Fits ue-
nlinpd to aTD1traIe WIN lnt WalCl DOoAN
and Mr. Crowell went on laying pipe on
High street, the street in the rear OF the
brooks House and he ordered pipe Tor
Frost street. Consequently, the water
board conclude that as Mr.. Crowell mas no'
lived up to his agreement made with
them that they are In no way Dounu "
arbitrate Since that time, as dry Weatn-
err has come on, IL has been demonstrated
that the natural supply OF water IRON
Sunset Lake and Pleasant Nailey cannon
be depended upon. For several WEEKS
there has been no water running IRON
Sunset Lake and 1t mas aIreaoy peer q,
drawn ten inches below the point al
which Mr. Crowell had right to lower
1t. 100 7,
Now what is Sunset Lake waterT II
has been demonstrated every year tna'
a very little OF Sunset Lake Is sprlnt
water for II the lake was fed largely pS
springs. 1t would overflow more or les'
all summer On the contrary every yea
when the snow has ceased to melt an'
run into the lake and the heavy ram
of spring are over, the water oegins
dry I'D and for several months there II
none running from the lake. If any on
cares to go up there and investigate an'
we wish every man would, they woul'
find that nearly all OF the outer edge
the lake consists of a muck bottom an
how much Of the centre OF the lake !
muck bottom we are unable to say.
eral business men Of Brattleboro wen
to Sunset Lake and interviewed severa
of the cottagerS recently and they eX
pressed a feeling that they are penn
robbed of their privileges and as re
suit a great many people stayed ava
from Sunset Lake this summer. And tn
result will be that suits will be- brough
for damages. Members OF the boar
asked several of the cotragers about usin
the water of the lake and they prompt
replied that they never got any waite
from the lake for drinking or cookin
purposes and advised the gentlemen pres
ent to try for themselves. They did tr
and wish every voter could have glas
of this water direct from the lake I
drink 1t would mean that they woul
never consider Sunset Lake water
There are quite a few of these col
tages on this lake which must be eithe
bought or removed. for, If they are no
the water is not fit for village purposes
as it is easy to see that they cannot Q
properly drained by sewers and, II the
could be, it is not just and right to II
nocent purchasers Of these building lo'
and buildings to prohibit their boating
fishing and bathing in the lake.
Mr. Crowell had imperative orders Tn
season to sewer Sunset Lake before usin
the water. He surveyed this out an
evidently found 1t practically impossib
to do as his agent reported that II wou
be cheaper to hire a man, which he sa
could be done for about $3.50 year.
carry of the garbage. dish water ar
other sewerage from the cottages. No
any one knows that this could not
done thoroughly enough so that more
less of this would not drain into the lax
and even If 1t could, does the town wal
to buy a system where they are obIgS
to keep a man on duty at an expense
$3.50 and they question very much Whetl
err it could be done for this price, an
as there are more cottages built the e.
pense will increase. This item, alon
would mean three and one-half per cen
on $1,000 and, as more cottages we
built on the lake, the expense would Il
crease and also the contamination.
Now in regard to the pipe line whit
is laid around the mountain from Sue
ney brook members of the water boa
question the durability of this systel
Mr. Croweu claims this good for l5
20 years. but a competent engineer, who
the board have had to look over IN
matter, says It will not last five. II
certainly great deal of expense to mai
tain the same, as 1t has been built up
a steep side hill, in some places whe
there have been slides and where the
must be again. In order TO keep the wat
running in this line, It would be ne
essary to have some one go over the Ii
nearly every day to keep the leav
raked from the racHs In summer and I
anchor ice and leaves in winter. For
the water should cease to run any leng
of time in winter, IT must certain