The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-15
GOOD ROAD MOVE
AS RESULT OF
BANQUET
Given by James 3. Wilbur OF
Manchester
AN ORGANIZATION FORMED
Gathering of Road Men and Other Cit
liens Earnestly In Favor OF
Prompt Action

The movement in favor OF better
roads and a better development OF
county interests took decided step
forward Thursday as the result OF a
dinner given by James B. Wilbur OF
Manchester at the Putnam House.
The gathering resulted in the forma-
ton OF an organization which is in
tended to take leading part in coun-
ty progress not only on the road issue
but in other lines of public welfare.
Mr.. Wilbur was the host and all
the arrangements for the gathering
were made under his direction. The
guests included the selectmen and
road commissioners of the II towns OF
Bennington county county officials
newspaper men, personal friends OF
Mr. Wilbur, and a few other guests
The party was limited to 10 as that
was all that could be accommodated
in the dining room.
The officers of the newly formed or
ganization are as follows:
President, Alexander j. Cooper
Bennington.
Vice president, Edward C. Orvis
Manchester.
Secretary, Edward L. Bates, Ben
nington.
Treasurer, William H. Roberts, MAI
chester
Directors: William Jones, Airing
ton; James c. Colgate, Alexander J
Cooper, Clarence l.. Holden, Bennine
ton; George M. Wall, Dorset; Jane
B. Wilbur, Frank c. Archibald, WI
liam H. Roberts, Manchester; Everett
Il. Potter, Pownal; A. B. Clark, Read!
boro; Myron f. Roberts. Rupert
George Robinson, James B. Wilbur
Jr, Salisbury; George j. Bono
Searsburg; Arthur j. Dewey, Woo
ford.
The dinner was one Of the best eve
served at the Putnam House. The Il
bles were decorated with carnatior
and other flowers from Mr.. Wilbur
greenhouse at Manchester. tn
dinner began at 1880 and 1t was pa
4 O'Clock when the coffee and cigal
were served and the deck cleared Il
,, the real business of the day.
Frank Il. Howe acted as toastma
J ter and introduced Mr.. Wilbur, Il
!, host, who spoke as follows:
ITO be called a good neighbor
, about as distinguished a title as al
of us should desire and more this
most of us deserve. II is for Il
purpose Of getting acquainted and
coming in the fullest sense good neig
bors that you have been asked
meet here today.
Located as Bennington county is
the southwestern corner Of Vernon
J adjoining the great states of New 70
and Massachusetts, II should be d
banner county Of Vermont, as It is d
i main gateway through which most
a the tourists enter the state.
u II is to make II the banner coun
that ] propose to you the formati
7, OF an organization to be chartered
thought best, and to be known as {
5, Bennington County Vermont Impro,
b ment association, unless some bett
name can be suggested, with a pre-
dent secretary and treasurer, with
| Office that will be open every busine
! day to the citizens OF this county. wi
a board OF directors made up OF I
leading men from all parts of I
county. That board to form into co
4 mittees to promote:
4 LIST. Good roads.
4 End. Better marketing facilities
the agricultural products and II
! stock of the county.
Srd Encourage agriculture. esp,
II tally among the boys.
II 4th. To interest local committe
4 OF the several towns in bulldl
4 creameries
! 9th. To help organize local 1
A provement societies that will clean
I and paint up many sections that ri
Il the entire county a run down and
II lapidated appearance.
Let me call your attention to [
3 first work We should undertake.
4 has been truly said that roadways q
4 at once the agents and index of [
Il culture to which a commonwealth n
4 attained, and all those who are cons
Y crate of our future, desire to see eve
4 hindrance TO the development of O
4 rural population removed. in ord
n that the folk may be induced to
n tain that hold upon the soil which h
h been for ages the basis OF tn
n strength.
4 The first step TO attain this end
10 improve the condition NJ our nj,