The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-25
City Wants to Learn More About
Title to Common"
IT WAS DECIDED LAST NIGHT
Council, Sitting as a Committee of the
Whole, Engaged in Long and Ear
nest Discussion of the Gospel
Village Property.

In their weekly get together last even
ing the city fathers got so close that Il
looked for a time as if an iron bai
would be necessary to pry them apars
1t was all over the question of acquir.
ing the Gospel Village common" sc
| that the school commissioners wo,ll6
feel justified in going ahead with a pro.
ject to beautify the land in front OF
the Lincoln school. The discussion wal
the most earnest the council member
have INDUCED in for several moons, but
while earnest, it was also conducted ir
friendly fashion by two sides.
One side, headed by Mayor Thurston,
demanded that the Congregational
church, which proposed to sell the "com.
mon," give "as good a title as they've
got" in return for 81 ,00o which was the
sum asked, while on the other side,
! Alderman Patterson insisted that 90
| year lease ending with the purchase I'M
der Satisfactory deed" was all the city
could ask and all the church could give.
| The majority of the council, or commit
tee of the whole, as it really was, seemed
to be in favor of the former PROPOSE
ton, dismissng at once any suggestion
of taking quit-claim deed and demand
ing Warranty uetu, vi one ds BuOu w
the church holds
This matter of acquiring tho 'com
mon.' three acres. more or less. j.
as old as the city, and successive
councils have tried to ,i,rn.u.n
themselves from the tnnglc ami h,
what they thought was right but il
to no avail. The basis on wIin.h
present city council is. working j.
vote of city meeting, authorizing
purchase at price not to exceed Sl.Ado
provided good legal titlc'' is given
In the discussion, the ccntury.ald
(l05 years, to be exact record wa.
brought out, deed showing where Na
than Carpenter conveyed to the meet
ng-house proprietorsh the three acres
about the meeting. house, subject to the
restriction that the land should ever i
used as a Common" while decd ~
1890 was produced. showing where ~
Congregational society" conveyed to tS
Congregational church all its estr'
holdings in Barre, which, by the VIZ
made no mention whatever of the Go
pei Village Common" The latter res
elation raised the question of the pre-,
ent Congregational church's ownershi2
in the land, the opinion being advanced
by someone that it did not have any
title to the property.
Opinion OF former City Attorney Car
yer was read. advising against the ae-
ceptance OF a quit-claim deed and DE-
claring that he would not sanction II
and another by the same declaring that
the city could lease the property for
short term of years. perhaps not more
than fifteen years. The opinion of the
present city attorney, f. j. Scott. has
not been sought as yet. but it is likely
to be sought before the discussion is end
ed. Alderman Patterson being so minded,
For two hours and half the council
wrestled with the proposition, and the
upshot of the discussion was that tho
committee of the whole notify the
business committee of the church that it
will be prepared to meet them ut the
latter's convenience and that the busi
ness committee be asked to present evil
dences of their title to the property,
Board of Aldermen Met Also.
Prior to the meeting OF the committee
of the whole last evening, the aldermen
held regular meeting, at which small
routine matters were taken up. Usual
weekly warrants were paid. including
S34S4l for the street department. slim
for the water department. s7637 for the
fire department and $7l.5o for the police
department.
The license committee recommending
against granting n restaurant license TO
T. Gabelloni the board accepted the re-
port. as, also, it did the report of the
street committee against allowing the
claim of Mrs. Isabella D. Smith for dam
age done to her property on Elm street
by reason of the Easter flood.
Unfavorable report was presented by
the water committee on the request for
rity water to be extended from Jones
Bros plant to the city line, north. the
length of the proposed extension being
|, 100 feet, the cost $500. and the an
lual income at present S73. Alderman
Dawson protested that il was not doing
light by the granite plant of Dunghi &
)ssola. but the board accepted the report
Building reports were granted as fol-
ows: A. Brignola to build barn on
Farwell street; A. c. Adams to build
IN addition to dwelling, 2l2 South Main
street; Mrs. Pauline Ceresola to build
piazza on house at 81 Berlin street.
William F. Smith was granted permis-
ion to move henhouse on Patterson
treet. and w. L. Richardson was given
similar right to move a small building
,ack on Hill street.
The Barre railroad. through Supt.
Stebbins, reported that there would he
10 further delay in moving the old
shepard house on Prospect street in ths
ear of the city hall, provided the coun-
il didn't grant further extension OF time
o the contractor, A. B. Lane
T. Letourneau's lunchroom license was
transferred to F. I. Church. and Mr..
'hurch's lunchcart license to L. G. Hun
oon. John Cleary got pool table IL
ense transfer from 37l to 369 North
lain street On motion of Alderman
lawson. the street committee was au-
horized to investigate the stream near
lr. Coghan's property in the fourth
rard. to sec whose duty it is to clear
he street OF an obstruction; and the
ommttee Of the whole. on request %
alderman Ward, viii investigate prop.
sition to widen the east end Of Ayers
trect now two and a half rods to thr,.c
DDS, to prepare for probable hpibliug
p Of that section. The committee rf
he whole set the time for the iuvrsti
i :.