Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-18

desire which was manifested even before
the twenty years. contract with the Nor
way Water Company expired 10 1905
"A committee to investigate the light and
water situation had been chosen BY the
village corporation before that time, but
had never been able to present any def
mite plans. The agitation became more
pronounced in the early part of 1907,
doubtless partly due to the desire for q
municipal system, and partly to dissatis-
faction with the service then given by
the Norway Water Company. The for
tunes and misfortunes of the latter COM
pany in the course of a few months I'M
doubtedly helped the matter along.
Early in the season of 1907 a COM
mittee was appointed at special meet
ing of the South Paris Village Corpora
ton, for the special purpose of confer
ring with the Trustees of Hebron Acad-
envy relative to the matter of taking wa
ter from Halls Pond. This pond, lying
in the south part of the town of Paris at
a high elevation, is the most obvious
source of water supply for South Paris
village, but before that fact was prac-
tically realized by South Paris, a charter
had been granted Hebron to take water
from it. There is no denying the fact
that South Paris people have felt that
they allowed this to slip through their
fingers, but the ultimate outcome may be
for the general good.
1t was the feeling of many that there
was plenty of water in Halls Pond, not
only for Hebron, but for South Paris in
addition, and this view. of the matter
was presented to the Hebron trustees at
their annual meeting. They promised
to consider the question and communi-
cate later. Their communication when
it did come was in the form of declining
in very courteous terms to give their
consent.
However, mean while, without waiting
for Hebron's reply, the South Paris COM
mittee bad gone outside the strict pur-
pose for which it was chosen, and had
Investigated the sources of water supply
to be found in the valley of what is call
cd Stony Brook. On a tributary of that
brook, called Cooper Spring Brook, it
located place for dam to furnish
catch basin for the head of the system,
and made tentative location of press
ure reservoir near Hooper's Ledge,
some more than mile east of the vii
lage. Later, another site for dam was
located on Stony Brook, to use the water
of the larger stream If necessary.
In the fall of 1907 the village corpora
ton voted to build the dam on Cooper
Spring Brook, and piece of land was
purchased out of the farm of c. a. Colby,
and the dam was completed before
winter.
BY this time the village was pretty
we'll committed to the policy of NUM-
cipal water system, but no action was
possible until after the session of the
legislature in 1909. A bill to establish q
municipal water system for South Paris
was introduced in the legislature, and
favorably reported by the judiciary COM
mittee without bearing, there being no
opposition to it after certain changes
were made at the instance of the Nor
way Water Company. This act gave the
South Paris Village Corporation the
right to take the water OF Stony Brook
or any of its tributaries, and to take all
necessary land, and provided that 1t
should purchase the pipes Of the Norway
Water Company In the town of Paris If
that company desired to sell.
As soon as this act became law, in
July, ninety days after the adjournment
of the legislature, a meeting of the vii
lage corporation was called, and this
meeting was held on the 18th Of July,
when it was voted to establish a munich
pal water system, at a cost, as provided
In the act, not to exceed ten per cent of
the village valuation. Only two Of the
large number present voted against the
proposition. For certain informalities,
| it was necessary at q later meeting to
amend the action slightly, but this was
the meeting when the business was
really settled. As the action finally
stood, an issue of 4 per cent bonds to
the amount of SOS, 900 was authorized to
pay for the system.
The same committee, with one excep-
ton, which had been continued in ex-
istence for more than two years, was
chosen az the construction committee for
the works.
The committee which has had charge
Of the construction, Is composed of Geo.
r. Morton, A. e. Shurtleff, john j..
Emeley, John A. Scott, Charles W.
Bowker, w. B. Young and George A.
Briggs.
During the season of 1908, full surveys
and plans for the supply system had
been prepared by an engineer employed
by the committee, aud the contract for
the construction work was soon made.
The contractor was L. e. Soruton Of
Portsmouth, N. H., who began work
early In August. Mr.. Scruton ID an ex.
pert engineer, Of large experience in suoh
work. It is the opinion Of oil who have
u - L. -iAh kl... A., khia ~o.l that "A