The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-14

About the Highway Vandalism" Near
His House on fremont Street.


y II. Thurston, chairman Of the street
| committee. on my communication to
ithe city council relative to The breach
Of contract on the part OF the city with
the abairters on fremont street and the
malicious smashing Of my driveways hy
Bruce, i. ! am sorry to say, little else
than tissue OF lies
The report states in the first place.
that the city has kept all its agreements
with the abutters not In these exact
words, but exactly this in meaning
This Is tie number one. The portion Of
the street directly below my premises
which the city purchased from the Dodge
lot Is, as a part OF the street. chasm
seven rods long BIZ one rod wide and at
it, lower side four feet deep The city
agreed to ill, grade and put in order
this ehasm Tor public travel But a.
vet the city has not touched it. Pass
ers-hy can now see this defect IN the
street for themselves
The chairman further states that /
am occupying a large portion Of
fremont street for private uses This
L lie number two. | never have used.
and ] am not now using, one square
inch Of fremont street for any private
purposes whatever Probably the por
ton referred to is that which, when
the street was graded. was reserved for
a sidewalk along my premises It's grade
i little higher than the grade III THE
street. Just as the grade OF sidewalk
should be on the upper side Of the street
when the street II laid erosswise 50
sloping d hillside. All fhis was done
strictly under the direction Of Abram
Mann. who was chairman Of the street
committee when the street was graded.
Reserving this sidewalk. with its proper
grade higher than the street. saves The
expense to the city Of carting grading
from some other source when the side
walk should be called for.
The chairman oil the street committee
at that time had brains enough to Do
this good work for tile city; but the
chairman Of the street committee to-day
does not seem to have brains enough
even to understand. much less to appre
ciate the good work done before. X
makes one tired to feel obliged thus to
brush away the dirty stuff thrown IN
the fac 81 the public by city officer.
Thp chairman also states III his report
that | have row 81 trees on this re
served portion of the street. This is
lie number three. No tree now stands
ion the sidewalk and no tree ever has
stood on it. The trees referred To are
probably those which | set just above
the sidewalk ii my terrace on the line
between tic street and my premises, AK
years before the street was laid At
} h..f ~ ~ L.
two rods wide across his premises from
Park street to East street. The upper
line If that street was marked by four
stone posts | set this row Of trees
exactly in line with those posts. % that.
in case that street should ever be CON,
tinned across my premises, these trees
would be exactly on the line between the
street and my premises, jnst where they
should be.
But | now am informed that the pres
ent city engineer has run a new line
little above this row of trees. bringing
them littIc within the limits III the
ripper side o. The street. ii this new
line IS established. aud the city council
notifies me 20 remove NY trees. | shall
eherrfnliy obey bnt NOT until tie seven
rod chasm on the opposite side Of the
street i pnt in order fof public travel.
Az 10 my driveways, the chairman of
the committee is plessed to state that
they are good enough because a. heavy
a load as a team can pull from fremont
street 10 them can safely pass them
This is tie number fonr. and biz one.
The lower driveway is stopped BY a
fourfoet perpendicular wall. Just az
Bruce left it when he stole away my
grading The upper driveway Bruce
left 50 sideling that any team attempt
ing TO pass it, even a buggy with one
person Ia ID would b instantly upset
Before the smashing many load Of coal
weighing more than ten and a quarter
Was pulled from fremont street to my
dfirewavs, sometimes passing one, some
times the other. But now fancy such q
load starting from fremont street, With
Thufston on its top and Bruce for 4
teamster When BE comes To the first
driveway he butts up against that four
foot wall When be comes to the second
driveway and turns % pass II, the load
is instantly upset burying the two be-
meath the coal. food enough for von
your lie Is blaeker than the coal that
buries you,
AS ii to varnish over this tissue 81
lies, the chairman does state in his
report one truth, saying hat my drive
ways are mot ii iirst-class shape But
what does he state IN the next breath
Recommend the city council to repair ms
drivewaysg MOI On the contrary. he
recommends the city council 10 infict
injury upon injury by tearing out all
my shade trees on both streets. Great
Scott a big Chairman indeed set
these trees twelve years ago. IN their
development they now begin to Be use
ful as we'll as ornamental; but they
must 90 When fremont street was
laid, / gave one building lot facing East
street which / could have sold for 5000.
Two more lots facing Maple Grove street
/ gave which / could have sold for $500
each. The grading of the street across
Maple Grove street, and from Maple
Grove through the ravine, which Is
twenty-five feet deep at one point, to
Currier street, cost me, as my part, 5000 |
Thus $4,000 was. my voluntary assess
mcnt for the good Of the public. What /
do ] get now Ia return
A proposition by q city officer so to
use his Office as to iniure my property
as much as possibles Cast your pearls |
before this chairman. and. swine ike he |
turns and rends you
But what IS the matter with this |
chairmang Seven wears ago setting him t
self up TO run for mayor, ! ran against +
and beat him. He never has forgiven /
me. The next day he came out with /
an article in The Times calling on the +
board Of aldermen TO wreak vengeance +
upon the mayor-eect. Now this same +