The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-15

Henry w. PUTNAM VI o"h NSS'
Cal. formerly one of Bennington
leading citizens, has inaugurated
plans to give to this village one OF
the greatest benefactions, if not the
greatest, ever received by a city or
village in the state of Vermont.
If plans now under way are carried
out. and there is no reason why they
should not materialize, the water
system of the Bennington Water com
pany will after January l, 1913, be
the property of the village.
This system was installed at an eX-
pense of 100000 when labor and ma
terials, particularly labor, were much
lower in cost than at the present
time. The system could not be dup
Heated for a much larger sum and IL
is not at all extravagant to state that
the gift is worth half million dol
lars.
There are several conditions attach
- ed to the proposed gift. They can be
summarized as follows: Users OF
water for domestic purposes after the
gift has been completed are to pay
one-half the present rates.
A sinking fund is to be established
out of the annual income from water
rents for repairs.
The balance is to be used to build
and maintain a public hospital.
Mr.. Putnams proposal is explained
in the following letter to the village
board of trustees.
San Diego, Cal, Oct. 5th, 1912
To the President and Trustees of
The Village of Bennington, Vt.
Gentlemen:-
It has been my purpose TO some
time donate to the Village of Benning'
ton the water-works of the Benning-
ton Water Company; and as | now
hold substantially all the stock OF the
Company the present seems to be a
proper time to carry out my intention
and | therefore communicate it to the
Village through you, its officers.
Should the Village decide to accept
the same, under the terms herein sug
gested, ] propose to take up and can
cell all the bonds of the Water Com
pany, except $500, thereof al
amount held by various persons, ant
which cannot now be obtained, and
as 10 those, intend to provide fol
their payment as they become due
and to transfer and convey, clear Of
all encumbrances, to the Village by
proper conveyances from the Water
Company to it, the entire plant of the
Company for the uses and purposes
provided for in its charter, with the
provisos, that the inhabitants of the
Village of Bennington, and those out
side of that Village who use the
water of the system as 1t is now de
veloped, or as 1t may hereafter be ex
tended, shall have the same for al
household purposes, mot including
lawns), at one-half the rate which
they are now paying for it, and for al
other uses, including hydrants useC
by the Village for fire and cther pur
poses, the water rates TO be no lower
than the same now are< If however
the net income from the Water works
shall in the future so increase tina
the rates for these other uses of the
water can be lessened without inJur!
TO the growth and efficiency of the
hospital hereinafter referred to, they
may be reduced but not to less thar
one-half of what they now are.
From the annual gross proceeds o.
the plant after paying the current ex
penses of operating the same and or
binary repairs, (but not including the
expense of extensions and new ser
vices), a sum to be agreed upon a
the time of the conveyance is annual
ly to be put aside as a fund to be uset
by the Village for renewing the plant
or any part thereof when Tia the fu
: ture il may be required.
The balance of net proceeds of tn,
income to be appropriated and used t
establish, equip and maintain a pull
lie hospital to be located in the VII
lage of Bennington and owned by
and operated through its proper off
GERS, subject to- such legislation an,
visitation as the laws of the State @
Vermont may prescribe for like in
stitutions; and into which hospita
persons requiring hospital treatment
residing in the Village or Town o
Bennington or other towns in Bel
nington County, or residing else
where IL the hospital 4 of suficien
capacity, may be admitted and receiv
treatment at reasonable charges. an
the destitute free Of charge.
/ have thus outlined in genera
way my purpose, and should the vi
lage decide to accept the water-works
the details can be arranged with m
brother, Ebert II. Putnam and m
son, Henry w. Putnam. Jr., Of Ne
York City, as / am so far away
might not be convenient to do it wit
me.
II may require some legislation {
carry out the plan, and IL SO, | woul
suggest that it be produced at tn
present session Of the legislature an
at as early a date as convenient; f.
! would like to have the matter con