The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-05-27
Special Town Meeting.

special town meeting held at the
opera house, Tuesday afternoon, was
considerably disproportionate 70 the
Importance Of the business transact
ed, only about fifty participating in
the meeting. The warrant calling
the meeting, which appeared in full
in our last issue, called for the tran
saction Of business on three matters.
the proposed survey of the Kenuebec
river from Norridgewock to the eddy,
TO ascertain the nature and extent of
the undeveloped water-power, the
macadamiziug of Court street, and
the extension of the South Side Gem
etery by obtaining land for that pur-
pose from A. X. Butler. Affirmative
action was taken on all these propo-
sitions.
The meeting was called to order at
2.15 by Town Clerk c. NJ. Lambert.
L. L. Walton was chosen moderator.
Discussion OF the water power
question was started by the motion
of E. N. Merrill, esq, that the town
vote to appropriate the sum of six
hundred dollars to defray the ex-
penses of a survey of the Kennebec
river from the Great Eddy to Bomba-
zee Rips, and report showing the
amount of waterpower which could
be developed at Skowhegan and the
cost of the development construction.
The motion was seconded by Herbert
L. SWEET.
In response to an inquiry by h. F.
Parker, chairman of the board OF
selectmen, as to the legal right of the
town to raise money for such purpose,
Mr.. Merrill gave it as his opinion that
from a strictly legal standpoint the
town would have no such right, but
that the town had already in numer-
Gus instances, such as the appr0pria
lions for Company E Band and for
the Grand Army, raised sums not
strictly justifiable under authority of
law and that such action on the part
of towns was very frequent and rare
ly questioned. Capital could not be
induced to develop power, said Mr..
Merrill, until the capabilities of the
power could be properly ascertained
and presented to the men likely to
invest. No individual can go ahead
and do it, and it was deemed best to
ask the town to provide money for
the purpose.
In reply to an inquiry by Mr.. James
Harmon as to what the importance of
the matter was, and the object of call
ing meeting for such purpose, Mr..
Merrill replied that it was we'll
known fact to every citizen of the
town who has given the matter any
thought whatever that there is from
10000 to 10000 horse power running
to waste down the river at SkoWhe-
gan which could be utilized by manu-
featuring industries, which would
bring people into town as laborers,
increase the taxable wealth of the
town, add to the value OF all property
in town, and materially increase our
prosperity. We cannot interest out
side capitalists in such a proposition
until we can give them something
definite i'll the way of estimates to
work Oh, and the only practical way
to accomplish that result is by sur
vey.
Mr.. James d. Emerson objected to
a consideration of the matter when SO
few voters were present, especially Of
the farmers. Mr.. II. l.. SWEET ex-
planned that Mr.. Humphrey, who had
been spoken OF as the engineer avail
able for the purpose at the Board of
Trade meeting, would have to be
notified Immediately if his services
were needed, and Mr.. Emerson with
drew his objection. The meeting
then passed the motion of Mr.. Mer
rill.
Mr.. e. E. Greenwood moved that
the money be expended by commit
tee appointed by the moderator. Mr..
E. F. Merrill thought that in view of
the limited amount of money involved
the selectmen ought to be capable of
attending to the matter in connection
with their ordinary duties, and moved
that they expend the money, with
authority to employ such engineers
as they saw fit. This motion was
seconded by H. l.. SWEET.
Mr. Greenwood then spoke at some
length on the question, and particu-
/ larly with reference to the selection
of an engineer. "This is matter
which we hope will be for the benefit
of Skowhegan and for its citizens,o
he said, 81 have been citizen OF
Skowhegan for fourteen years, and
have been very much interested in
this same matter of water-pOwer de-
velopment. / have talked in season
and out of season to great many Of
our business men, and uged that
there be something done towards
making Investigations. | have made
some Investigations on my own ac-
count in regard to the possibilities
of water-power development. have
made careful records of the stages of
the river from time to time ever since
| have been in town. | also am
member OF the Board of Trade, and |
think that ! was the first one that
suggested this to that body at the
first meeting of the Board, after its
recent re organization. 1t seemed to
meet with approval, and at that time
was referred to a committee consist
ing Of II. l.. SWEET, c. A. Ross and j.
w. Blunt. The next thing that |
heard was when | had been absent for
about a week and returned and found
that there had been special meeting