Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-07-26
CONTRACT AWARDED
FOR CEMENT WALKS
81 Cents Square Yard Bid by
J.C. Connors Of Schenectady
BE Begun Next Week-Sub. GRADING
viii Be done by the Town.


J. c. Connors of Schenectady, n. Y.
was awarded the contract this week to
build the new cement sidewalks author
lied at the annual town meeting in
March. The committee consisting of c.
y. Harris, j. L. Stockwell and j. e.
Mellen, received nine bids Mr.. Connors
has been in town this week and Yester-
day filed his bond of $1,000 with the
committee. The contract calls for ap
proximatey six miles of new walks and
Mr.. Connors's bid was at the rate of
81 cents a square yard, not including
the sub grading. The town will do the
sub grading, Selectman j. E. Mellen be-
ing in charge.
Mr.. Connors will begin work at once.
He expects to have 35 Italians in town
Monday to begin operations. He has
contracted with Holden & Martin to
build a shack for them to live in at
Elm Corners, as the first work will be
done in Esteyville, and it is probable
that shortly after the work gets under
way 30 Italians will be employed. At the
time of the town meeting, when $40, 900
was appropriated for the new sidewalks,
1t was estimated that the cost per square
yard, including the sub grading would
be about $1.25 and as 1850 feet of three
foot walk and 6s65 feet of four foot
walk were called for in the estimate
the cost would have been, at that price,
$16,52O. The committee cannot estimate
the cost of the proposed improvements
as the cost of the sub grading cannot
be obtained at the present time There
are many old sidewalks in town badly
In need of repair and it is probable that
several of these will be improved at the
time the new walks are being laid.
The contract requires that the con-
tractor shall use one part of cement to
two parts of sand for the top dressing,
which is about the proportion which
David T. Perry used in laying the GEM
ent walk in front of the town hall
building. This will make a better grade
of walk than is found in most places.
The New York state cement walks con-
sist of one part cement to two and one
helf parts sand. Below the top dressing
the proportion will be about one part
cement to about seven parts fine stone
or gravel. and the walks will be four
inches thick.
Mr.. Connors is a man of experience
in cement walk building, and he gives
assurance that his work will be first
class and that the people of Brattle-
boro will have sidewalks in which they
can take pride. He will furnish some
help for doing the sub grading, being
in better n0sition- for securing the
help than theXsslectmen are. and the
town will pay them by the dayI Enough
men will be kept at that work so that
the sub grading will be we'll in advance
of the sidewalk builders, and it is Mr.
Connors's intention to put on enough
men so that the job will be completed
this year. The work is so scattered
however. that some of 1t may have to
go over until next season. The contract
is so worded that if the work does not
progress satisfactorily the selectmen
may intervene. but no trouble on that
score is anticipated
The resolution adopted in the town
meeting, providing for bond issue of
rot to exceed $4,000, also provided that
walks laid by, virtue of this appropria-
ton should be within the limits of the
highways and "at points and places
wehere there is now neither cement nor
tar walk" They will be laid principally
along the routes and courses named in
the Brattleboro newspapers Feb 16. 1912.
and fSutting owners may have walks of
the same material built to their houses
at the price paid the contractor. so far
as the cement part is concerned.
1t is apparent that the day of tar
sidewalks in Brattleboro is past. It is
probable that whatever new walks are
built in this town will be built of cement
and that when the tar walks are worn
out they will be replaced with cement
Cement walks can be repaired at little
trouble or expense. but in repairing the
tar walks tar must be melted and much
bother is involved.