The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-22
THE CROSS STATE ROAD
Meeting of Committees Held Wednes.
day at Wilmington.

force due to illness much valuable
matter has been omitted from the pa
per the past few days. One of these
important matters was the meeting
at Wilmington Wednesday of the
Board of Trade committees from Ben.
nington. Brattleboro, Wilmington and
Bellows Falls to further the plan for
the Improvement of the highway be-
tween Bennington and Brattleboro.
The following is from the Brattleboro
Reformer account of the meeting
The meeting in Wilmington of men
from Brattleboro, Bennington, Will
mington, Marlboro and Woodford
who are determined that better
highway shall be provided across the
state between Bennington and Brat
tleboro gave vent to lot of enthus.
iasm and convinced everyone present
that his determination was backed
by that of every other man who was
there and by many others in southern
Vermont whose representatives they
were.
The meeting of the general com
mittee. composed OF m9n from the
several towns mentioned, created
such enthusiasm that the suggestion
was made by Frank f. Howe of Ben
ningon that the committee remain
until evening and help OUT at meet
ing of Wilmington men. This was
done and when the Brattleboro con
tingent left for home at 8 o'clock il
was evident that the town of VIII
mington purposed to do its share
across the state.
II was the sense of the general
meeting that the best way to accom-
plish the end was for each delegation
to work for special appropriation
in the respective towns. 1t was voted
to appoint an executive committee
from the different towns and tE. l..
Bates of Bennington was Gected
chairman. He appointed the follow
ing committee:
Frank e. Howe OF Bennington. Il.
r. Adams of Marlboro, ID. NJ. Gleason
of Woodford, Horton ID. Walkeri OF
Brattleboro, I. Il. O'Brien OF Bellows
Falls. Andrew Davis of Searsbufg
and NJ, Il. Lyman of Wilmington.
This committee is expected TO be the
effective means of developing pro-
gress. 1t IS the ways and means
committee that will work out the best
way to further the general plan
Those present yesterday as dele.
gates from the several towns were
Judge t. f, O'Brien of Bellows Falls,
Judge +. l.. Bates. President w. H.
Nichols of the Bennington board OF
trade. Frank l.. Howe and r. ID.
Moore OF Bennington: w e. Snow of
Marlboro; DR.. l.. 7 Page, c B Kel,
land, secretary of the Wilmington
board of trade, NJ E. Lyman, B. N.
Leonard, Roy Courtemarche. Floyd
S. Crafts and Selectman A. d. Howe
of Wilmington: County Highway Com
missioner David r. Perry, Road Com
missioner Warren l.. Walker, Select
man w. e. Stellman, John b. Manley,
Kenneth +. Mosher, President Horton
d. Walker and Secretary Carl S. Hop
kins of the Brattleboro board of trade
OF Brattleboro.
Those who spoke included Mr..
Howe, President Walker Judge
O'Brien. Commissioner Perry, DR..
Page and President Nichols. Mr..
Walker in his talk gave the recently
published figures Of the cost of the
building of the famous Mohawk Trail
over the Hoosac mountains as $400,-
600. He urged, as did others who
spoke, that 1t is time to capitalize the
natural picture gallery of Vermont.
Thousands come to the state every
summer and fall, drawn by it's beauty
and grandeur, and thousands more
would come and remain longer and
travel farther if the roads permitted
comfortable travel by modern means.
The best investment all admitted, is
good roads.
Speaking of the ways and means
for a better highway between Brattle-
horo and Bennington Mr.. Walker said
he had never been able to extract a
promise from State Highway Commits
sioner Stoddard l.. Bates, but he had
extracted an intimation that il Brat
tleboro and Bennington would build
to their town lines the kind of road
they would like to have across the
mountain, he would see to it that the
intermediate towns were helped to
keep up the standard ''if they want
to-" This expression he interpreted
to mean If these towns express the de-
sire by voting money in town meet
ings for state work
Every one of those who spoke
echoed the sentiments of Mr.. Walker
and there followed general discus
sion of ways and means, resulting
finally in the appointment of the ex-
ecutive committee There was con
siderable discussion over a name, one
or two objeeting to the proposition
of Ethan Allen Trail" as a borrowed
name so far astral" is concerned.
Other names suggested were Ethan
Allen View" and Green Mountain
Post Road
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