Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-08-27
TRACTOR TO RUN.
Permission Granted the Middle
bury Marble Co. Subject to
Conditions.

A very large number of citizens of
Middlebury gathered in the town hall
Monday evening pursuant to a call
issued by the selectmen of the town
and the trustees of the village to get
the sentiment of the people in regard to
granting petition of the Middlebury
Marble Co. to operate tractor engine
on the highway from their quarry east
of the farm of E. j. Mathews to the
freight station of the Rutland railroad.
The meeting was presided over by John
A. Fletcher, chairman of the board of
trustees. Attorney Ira H. LaFleur,
for the marble company, asked that
recess of a few minutes be taken to
allow the executive committee of the
Middlebury Board of Trade, which was
holding meeting to consider the mat
ter, to be present After a short recess
Mr.. LaFleur addressed the meeting in
clear and precise manner outlining the
plans of the company. He said the
company now had a working force of
twenty-one people and would increase
this force as the business warranted.
He said the company would give bond
to operate the tractor as the selectmen
and trustees should designate and would
stop the operation of the engine at any
time should it not meet with approval.
He further stated that the company
would operate the engine on certain
days or nights, as approved by the
officials, or would also send fagman
ahead to warn teams, if that was de-
sired Prof T. E. Boyce said he
thought it would be dangerous as it
would frighten horses and possibly be
the means of accidents, as the roadway
leading from the village limits is mar
row. Judge John E. Weeks, president
of the Board of Trade, said he had been
opposed to the granting of a permit
until he heard the conditions fully eX-
planned by Mr. LaFleur. He was
heartily in favor of giving any industry
fair trial and hoped Middlebury would
be benefited thereby.
Mr.. LaFleur then offered the follow
ing resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That it is the wish of the
citizens and voters of the town of Mid
dlebury expressed in meeting that the
selectmen of the said town and trustees
of the village of Middlebury issue a
provisional permit until April |, 1916 to
the Middlebury Marble Co. as prayed
for in their petition to said boards, upon
such terms and conditions as said boards
may deem best and most reasonable
The tractor in question weighs about
six tons and is of 25 horse power The
drive wheels are Is inches wide and
those of the trailer II to IA. There are
4 half-inch cleats on the driving wheels,
similar to those on moving machine.
1t is said that the time consumed in
making trip from the quarry to the
freight station and back will be about
three hours. The capacity of the trailer
is estimated at about fifteen tons.
At meeting held at the town clerk
Office Thursday evening the selectmen
of the town and trustees of the village
decided to grant the permit for the
Mlddlebury Marble Co. to operate
tractor engine from their quarry to the
freight station of the Rutland railroad.
The permit allows the company to oper-
ate the engine on Tuesdays, Wednes-
days, Thursdays and Fridays between
the hours of II a. m. and 7 p. m. The
company to provide fagman who
shall precede the engine not less than
10 feet nor more than so feet; also the
company to make good any damage to
the roadway. The trustees and select
men reserve the right to cancel the
permit at any time should the operation
of such engine not prove practical.
MRS. F. A. HUGHES INJURED.