Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-26

Liquor agency, deficiency ........ 1.oO0.0d
lOtdl .................... .S4V,vf4.o
The grand list at that time was some
81 5000 and a tax levy of s. cents was
made. The present grand list Of 1912 Is
$167. 5ss3S. on which $40 was levied. Out
grand list to-day Is six times greater
and the rate more than three times
that OF 1895.
The only water supply in 1865 waa
from a we'll, fed by springs near tho
residence Of F. H. Wells on Pearl street
Having capacity Of $50 hogsheads Of
water every "a hours, during drought
the Yield was about 30 hogshead per
day. A small engine at the lake forced
some 1000 hogsheads into the system
This acqueduct company was owned by
q corporation, who sold It to the city IN
1866 for $24.4o0.oo. we'll remember Of
paying fifty cents for a barrel Of water 4
delivered to my house Tor drinking pW-
poses. relying upon rain water for othel|
uses.
DR.. Samuel w. Thayer was health Of
ficer this year. and in his report til
the board Of cfvn authority he stated
that $50 persons depended upon water
drawn from tho lake in casks, 1,SS per-
sons depended entirely upon cistern|
water, liza persons depended upon cis-
terms and wells, s. upon springs. B up
on their neighbors. and 1000 receive theif|
water from the acqueduct company.
We had but one sewer, and that wal
through the ravine. 80 called, built,
roughly of stone. DR.. Thayer. in this
same report regarding the sewer con-
ditions, states that 3.62 persons throw
upon the surface Of the earth all the
filthy slop water and garbage Of the
house, 594 houses without drains OF any
kind, 30 drain into the streets. 43 into
the sewer. 50 into cesspools, SO into gar
dens, 81 into the south cove. The streets
throughout the city during wet weather.
were almost impossible, not street was
graded, curbed. or guttered Church
street presented the same grade as ma
uniformity in the establishment Of
buildings, some had one step, others two
or more. The front Of nearly all tha
stores had awnings mostly Of wood. some
thought quite decorative at that time.
In 1877 the board Of aldermen decided
that there should be some permanent
improvements and Church street was
selected as the starting point. A reso-
luton was adopted by the board to
grade. curb. gutter and flag Church
street. from the city hail to Pearl street.
and all awnings and cross signs were
ordered removed. At once more than
one-half of the real estate owners and
merchants made such a howl that the
mayor. lion. 10. D. Hatch. returned the
| resolution without his approval. At the
very next meeting the resolution was
passed almost unanimously notwith-
standing the mayors veto. This improve.
ment cost the city $2.953.Os, individuals
N6as.s2. Since that time we have been
more than liberal in our taxes for all
| tho improvements we see on every hand.
| In addition we have bonded ourselves
to the extent OF sSOo.0OO have voted
| for every issue Of bonds to date. and
am ready to vote for more, provided
necessity requires It. Future generations
should certainly share literally In all
our permanent improvements. Without
our ability to secure money at a very
low rate, our taxes would be a great
burden to the majority of our citizens.
and those OF us now living would not
from the funds received from bonds.
! There has never been to my knowledge.
any important Improvement suggested but
| that about three eighths OF our tax payers
havein, ariably acknowledgement. There
was a hard fight to get our water works.
so It was with sewers. the same with
street improvements, walks fire depart
ment, lighting department. even the
lighting of our City Hall Park. Now
the mayor is wrestling over the lAas
ordinance regulating traffic through our
streets. This is something he Is paid Ia
do. When the subject of new city hall
Is properly brought forward. It should be
on a broader basis than the one res
Gently considered. which resembles q
calico house in sunny Italy, rather than
a public editice,
Regarding the public wharf OF which
you speak. would say that the city has
paid out for legal advice twice the
money sufficient to construct one and
the matter Is still being fought out
like everything else. Don't shoot the
fiddler; he Is doing the best he can"
| WALTER S. VINCENT