The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-08
But Not to Father" Move to
Change the River
GIVE ANSWER TONIGHT
Council Met the Abutters on the River
Last Night, Including President
sortwell Of the Montpelier g.
Wells River Railroad.

A dozen abutting land owners, includ-
ing President A. H. Sortwell Of the Mont
pelier & Wells River railroad, appeared
before tho city council last evening for
hearing on the proposed changing of the
Jail branch river bed to run across Burn
hams meadow from the Prospect street
bridge. The chief aim Of the abutters at
this hearing was to have the city council
permit passage through the legislature
Of the bill now in the hands of the legis-
latiye committee on municipal corpora
tions, which, il passed, will give the city
the power to condemn and take whatever
land is necessary for the construction Of
the new river bed across Burnham's
meadow and now owned by the Central
Vermont railroad.
This bin was ordered held up in the
committee by the city council last week,
as Mayor Robins stated that the council
had come to a decision since the bill was
drafted that il was not best for the city
to father the bill and let it 20 through
without first knowing Just how much the
abutting land owners were going to back
them up, providing the river bed was
Attorney r. A. Hoar, representing the
abutting land owners, first asked the
council what their object was in holding
up the bill Mayor Robbins replied that
the council was Of the opinion that for
the city to take hold ofShis project and
Co., - ka Nl,wnnr,h
was taking too much responsibility; that
the council considered the proposed
change to be more OF private than of
public benefit, and the abutting land
owners should get together and bind
themselves to share the expense and re-
sponsibihty with the city. The city, he
said, was perfectly willing to do its
sabre.
Mr.. Hoar then stated that Engineer
Frank A. Walker had made estimates on
the cost Of the project, which the latter
would present to the council. Mr. Walk
er stated that the estimates .had been
figured by himself and the city engineer.
They had estimated, he said, that the
actual work to contruct q new riber bed
actual work to construct new river bed
retaining wall and to fill up the old river
bed would cost S27 600 Included in this
amount was also the expense of removing
the highway bridge at Prospect street.
The new river bed would take up $4,000
square feet Of land, and 9l,000 square
feet OF land would be reclaimed from
the old river bed. thus leaving net gain
in land Of $1,000 square feet abutting
on land that az one time sold. vacant,
So, nd tf c.nlI uor
at only cne dollar square foot would
bring nearly double the amount of the
cost Of the whole work
The estimate was made irrespective Of
any land damages or assessments, and
Mr.. Walker said when questioned by the
mayor that the cost Of a culvert to carry
the water from Main street and the Pot
ash brook was included in the total
cost,
w. G. Reynolds said that General Man
ager G. G. Jones of the Central Vermont
had told him personally that he was in
favor of the river being changed and
that the G. v, would take for damages
Just what the land was worth for stone
shed building purposes. Mr.. Reynolds
also said that he had talked with nearly
all of the abutters and all that he had
seen were in favor of having road built
over the old river bed, so that the mer-
chants would have rear entrance to
their stores and would give them better
fer protection and do away with tho
practice Of having all of the goods that
20 in and out Of the stores carried across
the sidewalk on Main street.
President Sortwell asked if 1t were
possible for the council to determine Just
what part Of the expense the city would
paw, so that the abutters would then
know what they would have TO cont0.
butte He said that he considered that
the changing of the river would be a
benefit to the city in that it got rid Of
/ foul smelling river in the summer and
high water in the winter, and better fire
for the business blocks. He
said that he could not see any reason for
holding up the bill, for it was passed the
.ity was not then obliged to 20 ahead
With the work unless it saw fit.
As far as his railroad was concerned,
le said that something definite in regard
% the matter would have to be done at
,nce or the roads interest in the project
would cease The road has already held
lp the contracts for two steel bridges
lver that part Of the river which would
,e affected by the change, and if the
question was not settled before another
wo years, the bridges would be built.
Ie said that if road was built over
he river bed it could only be used locally
IS the only outlet would be between the
lilies and Gordon blocks, 1t could not
o through to Depot square without
rossing the railroad tracks
This ended the hearing and the council
hen went into executive session on the
uestion The council took no definite
ctiou last evening, and decided TO meet
he abutters again this evening at 1880
q the council chamber.
Other Business Of the Council.
Other than the hearing on the proposed
hauge Of the river Bed, there was little
usiness transacted by the city council at
he meeting last evening. The report Of
ne police department for the month Of
november was read and accepted. show
he that there were o total Of 30 arrests
iade during the month. Is Of them being
1r intoxication, three for breach of the
Continued on fourth page.