Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-10-14
LOCAL LEGISLATORS SAW GOOD ROADS
Delightful and Profitable Automobile Trip to Massachusetts,
Dinner in Greenfield Followed BY Speaking Full Of Enthusiasm
for Improved Highways in Vermont

ject of highways comes up at the present
session OF the general assembly ma
jority of the Windham county members
will be in q position to act with greater
wisdom toward 1t by reason of good
roads tour't which they enjoyed Satur-
day under the auspices of the boards OF
trade of Bellows Falls and Brattleboro
The iunket was similar to those which
have been held in other counties in the
state and had no political significance,
being mart of a campaign of education in
the interest of the state at large. II
was arranged by f. II. Babbitt' l.. 3
HAYES and N G. williams representing
the board of trade in Bellows Falls, and
Secretary George E. Fox and Arthur p.
Simonds of the Brattleboro board. Both
senators and 10 of the % representatives
in the county participated in the tour
and with them went few guests,
officials of the two boards Of trade, news
paper men and chauneurs, making
total of 80 persons.
The trip was made by automobile, seven
cars being in line, three from Bellows
Falls and four from this town, and the
principal stop was made at Greenfield on
the return trip, where dinner was served
in the Mansion House, followed ny
speaking The conditions were very
favorable, the sky being clear and the
air being free from dust a large part of
the way as the result of rain during
the previous night The rain gathered IN
a few dip-holes, but not in suthcient
quantity to cause inconvenience. me
Bellows Falls cars arrived here soon
after o'clock, but it was 1910 when
evervbody was seated ready to start e.
D. Whitney was assigned a position at
the head of the column and the others
were instructed to keep in sight OF eacn
other which instructions were carried
out the cars running but a few rods
no n1a N n WhatplV
Mass, but on account of a peculiar
combination of circumstances the auto
mobiles became separated in North Hat
field and so much time was lost in md
ing each other that the return trip was
begun from that place. slight ac-
cident to the machines driven by Mr.
Whitney and F. II. Babbtt happened In
Greenfield, but nobody was hurt and the
pleasure of the day was not marred.
The representatives not able to go were
those from Brooklne, Guilford. Halifax
Jamaica, Marlboro, Newfane, Somerset.
Townshend, Nottingham and Windham.
The makeup of the party as 1t left this
town was as follows
Pilot car owned and driven by E. d.
Whitney of Brattleboro-Other occu-
pants, County Highway Commissioner
David T. Perry of Brattleboro, Senator
E. NJ. Butler of Jamaica, Representative
]. Gilbert Stafford of Brattleboro, Rep
resentative George e. Alderman of Yer
non.
Car owned and driven by Representa-
tive Fred H. Rabbit vice president of
the Bellows Falls board of trade
Other occupants Representative George
G. Wright of Westminster, Principal a.
E. futile of the Bellows Falls high
school, Vice President Charles e. Graf
fam of the Brattleboro board of trade.
Car owned by Charles r. Crosby of
Brattleboro and driven by Leslie C. Hud-
son-Other occupants Representative ].
r. Miller of Putney, c. A. Miller OF
Westmoreland. N. Y, as guest, Arthur
P. Simonds chairman of the entertain
ment committee of the Brattleboro board
of trade, Walter A. Gilbert, representing
The Vermont Phoenix,
Car owned by Gen. n. G. Williams of
Bellows Falls and driven by II. R. Reed
Other occupants, Senator Edwin P.
Adams of Marlboro Gen. N. G. Williams,
w. c. Smith of Bellows Falls as guest.
Car owned by George II. Rabbit OF
Bellows Falls and driven by John Hayes
Other occupants, Representative Nal
Bemis of Athens, Representative A. NJ.
Convey of Grafton, George H. Babbitt,
w. F. Manning, representing the Bel
lows Falls Times
Car owned and driven by President
Dennison Cowles of the BrattlebOro
board of trade-Other occupants Repre-
sentative Don o. Butterfield of Whining
T.
WardsbOro, Representative Ray e. Ly-
man of Stratton, Representative B. C.
Baldwin of Dummerston.
Car owned by Frank B. Putnam of
Brattleboro and driven by A. A. Jones
Other occupants, Representative O. f.
Hill of Dover, Representative NJ. ].
Howard of Londonderry, Harry C. Shaw,
representing the Brattieboro Reformer.
On account of road work in progress
in Hinsdale the cars did not go through
that town as planned but kept on the
Vermont side of the river until Massa-
chusetts was reached. They went
through Vernon street, past the White
River Chair company's factory, and the
first stop was made south of the Hunt
farm, where County Commissioner
Perry had transformed the highway by
covering the soft fine sand with gravel.
The occupants did not leave the cars,
but noted the good condition of the grav-
el road. The party continued past the
Connecticut rive dam and power house,
which most of the legislators never had
seen, and the changes in the topography
of the country by reason of building
the dam were pointed out to them.
A stop was made at South Vernon to
take Representative George E. Alderman
into one of the cars after which six
cars went on, leaving f. II. Rabbit to
doctor his spark plugs. They crossed
the handsome Schell bridge into North
field, Mass, reaching the Main street
of that village just before II o'clock.
The roads were fairly good until after
leaving Mortified street. For the next
few miles they were soft and in need of
repair, and about this time the dust be-
gan to fly a little, the previous nights
rainfall apparently not having been as
heavy in that locality as in Brattleboro
and adjacent territory
At Mortified Farms the party crossed
the railroad track to the west to follow
the river road and soon afterwards F.
II. Babbitt, who had been left at South
Vernon, overlook the main party MIL
aers Falls was reached at 1130, and be-
tween that town and Greenfield the
highways were in excellent condition as
rule, and gave the chauffeurs an OPP
portunity to let out a few links in order
to make up a little of the time lost in
getting started and incidentally to show
the solons how smooth hard roads IA
cilitate travel. Turner's Falls was reach
ed at 11.45 and Greenfield at 11.55 and
stop of five minutes was made in the
latter town.
Inasmuch as the Bellows Falls cars
making the entire trip would cover about
90 miles more than the Brattleboro cars
Gen. Williams decided not to go beyond
Greenfield. Some of his passengers re-
manned with him and his other passen-
gers changed places with some in other