The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-01
Editor of The Reformer


At this time it is not my intention to
criticize, but to suggest.
During my time in BrattlebOro. some
20 years or more, / have observed the
gravel. stones and debris washed down
Canal and South Main streets into Main
street, the same being carted away or
replaced to be washed again and again
by the storms.
Now that the Dummerston quarry is
open. would ii not be well to show our
appreciation of this new project by order
ing enough granite blocks to pave from
the Main street bridge To the Abbott and
across South Main street to the HOl-
stein building? Labor il comparatively
cheap. and there are many men out of
employment, and ] believe that the gran
lite blocks would give rs better service
than cement. it would be- more accessible
for teams and automobiles in icy times,
and as 1t is customary here to dig the
streets up more or less il would be more
convenient than solid cement. If these
blocks were well laid, / believe we would
soon see Main street covered with the
same material j am inclined to think
that the man who would have to travel
the streets would offer no objections to
the noise and the loaded wagon that fills
UP the holes weekly in Main, street to be
torn up by the next automobile might be
used for some more permanent work.
Another suggestion: The approach to
the suspension bridge from Putney road
is perhaps the most unfinished piece of
road work to be found in the state of
Vermont. The old white fence that sep
arated the road from the river was used
for a retaining wall for the dirt and
stones which had been excavatPd from
the bank on the opposite side. This has
begun to Slide and the recent rains are
taking the bank and part of the road
rapidly into the river. There IL no fence
or obstruction to keep the automobiles
from going over the bank many feet in
to the river below. ! am told that the
town would not be held liable if an ac-
cident occurred there. but morally | be-
lieve fhey would. As. you leave the bridge
and approach the hin on the left the
blasting last spring was close To the
large wire rope. which must have been
weakened considerably. There are a lot
Of unsightly. rocks there, together with
timhPrs which had been used in the road
work. and If one was to meet car at
| this point it wonld be almost impossible
TO pass. This is p piece of road / have
occasion to travel over several times each
day. and I've heard more comments
about this place from automobile drivers
from Maine to California. If some OF
Brattleboro's beauty could be advertised
| half as much / am sure it would reach
| from coast to coast.
! ] have noted Mr.. CO0mbs's suggestion
and agree with him to some extent.
have Travelled the roads recently over
practically the entire length of Vermont
and am convinced that the roads in thi,
! end of the state. with few exceptions, are
| far inferior to those in the north end OF
the state. 1t is my opinion, Judging from
! the conditions and the way the roads are
| maintained. that the workmanship Wa:
done intelligently. and the roads have
| been kept an. .-.
| Here in the south we must build per
/ mament roads The superficial fOunta
| ton which we are in the habit of seeins
| done by our local road builders soon give!
/ way under the heavy trucks, and in q
/ short time they are fun of holes and th'
/ money expended is thrown away. 4 gont
| example of this from Elliot street to tn
! Dummerston line. We see the grave
truck nearly. every day. which By the wa,
must cost in the vicinity of $40 a day
4 sprinkling gravel over the holes. which
would remind one of n child shovelin'
| sand in and out of his sand box. i
amounts to nothing as far as any per
manent road il concerned. believe tn
split log used twice week would give
/ us better roads at one quarter the cost
| with enough gravel now and then to b.
found two or three days after it had beer
placed
In conclusion. LET us build our roads
so that they will compare with those o
onr neighbOrs. and let us take care o
them from year to year.
/ Yours truly,
..--~--....--. EDWARD r.. LYNCH.