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974.48 A88 Res
AR
OF ATTLEE
PUBLIC L
GH MASS.
INCORPORA
FD 1885
Date
Nº 10836
ATTLEBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY a 316540013041015
1
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE
OFFICERS
OF THE
SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
OF THE
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS.,
For the Year Ending Dec. 31, 1893.
AT TLEBOF
OF
OF
ONI . TOWN
....
...
MASS . 176
OF
R
PROVIDENCE : J. A. & R A. REID, PRINTERS 1894.
1.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/reportsoftownoff1893attl
TOWN OFFICERS 1893-1894.
10836
SELECTMEN.
GEORGE A. ADAMS, BYRON R. HILL, DANIEL H. SMITH.
TOWN CLERK AND TREASURER.
JOHN T. BATES.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.
SAMUEL P. LATHROP, GEORGE B. FITTZ, ELIJAH R. READ.
ASSESSORS.
JOHN THACHER, BYRON R. HILL, SHEPARD W. CARPENTER.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES. SAMUEL M. HOLMAN.
COMMISSIONERS OF THE SINKING FUND.
SAMUEL P. LATHROP, FRANK I. BABCOCK, EVERETT S. HORTON.
Attleboro Public Library Joseph L. Sweet Memorial Attleboro, Mass.
1
TOWN OFFICERS.
WATER COMMISSIONERS.
GEORGE A. DEAN, LUCIUS Z. CARPENTER, WILLIAM M. STONE.
WATER REGISTRAR AND SUPERINTENDENT. WILLIAM J. LUTHER.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
WILLIAM J. LUTHER.
ENGINEERS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Chief, HIRAM R. PACKARD. Assistants, GEO. A. SWEENEY and THOMAS K. GAY.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
J. W. BATTERSHALL, M. D., C. S. HOLDEN, M. D., EDWIN E. HALE, M. D.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
J. L. SWEET,
MRS. L. V. G MACKIE,
J. O. TIFFANY,
Miss L. E. BRIGGS.
B. R. HILL, W. E. HAYWARD,
A. R. CROSBY, CHAS. H. WHEELER, LOUIS J. LAMB.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
J. O. TIFFANY.
5
TOWN OFFICERS.
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY.
EVERETT S. HORTON, MARK E. ROWE,
ALBERT W. STURDY,
CAROLINE S. HOLDEN,
JOSEPH L. SWEET, ABIGAIL S. GOULD,
CHARLES S. HOLDEN, HELEN W. METCALF, CLARENCE L. WATSON.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS. JOHN T. BATES, Ex- Officio.
HENRY A. STREETER, JOHN W. CODY, HARRY E. CARPENTER.
AUDITORS.
EDWARD A. SWEENEY, W. L. ELLIOT,
FRED G. MASON.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND INSPECTOR OF OIL.
LYMAN M. STANLEY.
INSPECTOR OF MILK AND PROVISIONS.
T. L. SWIFT.
CONSTABLES.
ELIJAH R. READ, GEORGE F. IDE,
WILLIAM E. DUNHAM,
FRED H. CLARK, ~
SETH R. BRIGGS, F. E. GOFF,
CHAS. E. RILEY,
W. H. SMITH. V
W. H. WHITTAKER.
FENCE VIEWERS. LYMAN M. STANLEY, PHILIP BRADY.
6
TOWN OFFICERS.
. MEASURERS OF WOOD AND BARK.
L. Z. CARPENTER, G. A. MUNROE,
S. M. HOLMAN,
S. W. CARPENTER,
N. L. BILLINGS, W. A. VICKERY,
C. H. STURDY. H. W. GALLAGHER,
CHAS. HOPKINS.
FIRE POLICE.
SETH R. BRIGGS,
DEXTER E. NEWELL,
FRED E. GOFF, JOHN H. NERNEY,
THOMAS F. GILROY.
KEEPER OF LOCK-UP.
L. W. STRONG.
POUND KEEPER.
FRANK E. LUTHER.
1
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
To the Inhabitants of Attleborough :
In submitting the annual report for the year ending December 31, 1893, we extend to the inhabitants of the town our congratu- lations upon arriving at the two hundreth anniversary of the incorporation of the town.
On the nineteenth day of October, 1694, by an Act of the Gen- eral Court of Massachusetts, the town of Attleborough was incorporated.
The territory of the town then included its present limits, North Attleborough, a part of the town of Wrentham and Cumberland, R. I. ; a vast wilderness, comprising as it has been said less than ninety inhabitants. The early history of the growth and develop- ment of of the town, while both instructive and interesting, is not perhaps distinctively different from that of other New England towns.
The boundaries of the town have at different times been mate- rially changed, resulting in the loss of large tracts of land, and in seriously diminishing the population and valuation of the town. February 18, 1830, a part of the town was annexed to the town of Wrentham, and on June 14, 1887, nearly one-half of the town's territory, population and valuation was incorporated as the town of North Attleborough. Notwithstanding these inroads upon her wealth and population, Attleborough can safely be ranked to-day as among the ten largest towns in the Common- wealth, a fact indicative of extraordinary growth and develop- ment, disclosing the absolute necessity of careful thought and consideration for the common weal.
The exigencies of the several departments of the town require in the aggregate a large appropriation.
The laws of the Commonwealth require towns to keep and
8
ANNUAL REPORT.
maintain its highways in a reasonable and safe condition for public travel, while the actual necessities of our business centres and thickly populated portions of the town require even more than this, viz: That the highways shall be constructed and main- tained to meet the excessive travel and convenience of the public, with proper sidewalks and well lighted streets. The high school must be maintained ten months and the public schools six months in the year. The poor and indigent inhabitants of the town must be annually cared for, and the unfortunate soldiers of the late war, by special law, is a duty of equal importance. The public library should be supported, and having within the last year pur- chased the franchise and property of the Fire District, the main- tenance of the Fire and Water departments becomes an added duty of the town. In considering the necessary appropriations for these several departments it should be remembered that they are independent of each other, and the majority of them subject to no general supervision, save that which is given by the inhabi- tants in town meeting assembled.
HIGHWAYS.
Under the provisions of Chapter 423, section 25, of the acts of 1893, the selectmen of towns in which road commissioners are not chosen, are required to appoint a superintendent of streets and determine the compensation for his services. such superin- tendent, under the direction of the selectmen, has full charge of all repairs and labor required of towns upon streets, ways, bridges and sidewalks, and the care and preservation of shade trees ; and also, in towns where no other provision is made, full charge of all repairs required of town upon sewers and drains and in relation to such matters he has the same powers and is subject to the same duties, liabilities and penalties which are im- posed upon surveyors of highways and road commissioners.
At the annual town meeting it having been determined to make permanent improvements upon some of the highways, and to ex- pend the appropriation for the repairs of the highways upon some systematic method, the Selectmen decided that it required for the position of Superintendent of Streets, to accomplish the desired
9
ANNUAL REPORT.
work, a man specially fitted therefor, and accordingly they appointed William J. Luther, C. E., Superintendent of Streets. Mr. Luther's report is herewith submitted. It is, in our opinion, an able, full and complete document clearly setting forth the manner in which the several appropriations have been expended. the present condition of the highways and bridges, and advanced views for systematic work on the same. We sincerely trust that this report may receive a careful perusal and consideration by the voters of the town.
It is a matter of common knowledge that the highways of this town, as a whole, are not in a satisfactory condition, nor can they be as long as the policy which has prevailed in years past is continued. In the first place the annual appropriations for high- ways and bridges, though nominally made for a certain sum, are seriously diminished by the action of the town in diverting a con- siderable part of the appropriation to some special use, such as the payment of an overdraft of the previous year, or the completion of certain work which actually demands a special appropriation. If the repairs of the highways and bridges demand an appropri- ation and expenditure on the same of $5,000, it is useless to make that appropriation and then curtail it by amendments, so that only $3,500 of the appropriation are available. Again the con- stant change in the supervision of the highways, and the unsys- tematic manner adopted in the repairs of the same, has resulted in little else than a series of patch work, oftentimes without re- gard to grades, adding to instead of taking material from the road beds, and frequently paying little or no attention to the character of the material used. It follows therefore that to secure satisfac- tory results necessary appropriations must be made and intelligent and practical methods used in the expenditure of these appropri- ations. Under the annual appropriation which has usually ob- tained for the general repair of highways and bridges, it must, on account of the extent of territory and the amount of work actually necessary, be several years before the roads can be put in a desir- able condition. It is an open question whether it would not be good economy for the town to create a debt for the specific pur- pose of at once (as far as practicable) repairing the highways, to meet the demands of the travelling public and the development of the town.
10
ANNUAL REPORT.
PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION.
It was understood by the action of the town at its last annual meeting in relation to permanent construction, that the appropri- ation therefore was to be expended on some highway, in or con- tiguous to the business centre of the town, and in selecting the street best fitted for this work, it was necessary to consider its condition in relation to being well curbed, sewered and the least liable to be dug up for the repair of water, sewer and gas pipes. After careful consideration, Bank street was selected, since it had a curbed sidewalk the entire length on one side, and nearly all the abuttors were connected with the sewer. Before entering upon the work, the Attleboro Gas Light Co. was required to per- manently repair its pipes, and we were informed that no appre- hension need be entertained of trouble from the water mains in said street. The street was macadamized from the Attleboro Branch Railroad to Park street and a full description of the work and expense of construction is given in the Superintendent's re- port. It is receiving a very thorough test under the present con- stant thawing and freezing, and we are confident that it will prove in the spring to have been thoroughly and properly constructed.
The expediency of at present continuing work on permanent construction on the highways in the business centre of the town is one which demands careful consideration. It is evident that work of this character should not be done on highways the road beds of which are liable to frequent disturbance, either in change of grade or for laying and repairing water, gas and sewer pipes. No sewer system as yet has been adopted by the town, and much of the cement lined water pipe will in the near future (as we are informed) of necessity be replaced with iron pipe.
Again, the question of abolishing the grade railroad crossing remains unsettled, and until finally determined it would, in our opinion, be very unwise to at present continue the work of per- manent construction upon such highways as may be affected thereby. County street, which needs repairing, can be excepted as not coming under the last named objection, but it is not pro-
11
ANNUAL REPORT.
vided with a sewer beyond the bridge at the Ten Mile river. Therefore, for the reasons above seth forth, we cannot recom- mend the continuance of permanent construction on streets in the immediate centre of the town. In considering the matter of rec- ommendations we are necessarily not a little influenced by the fact that the tax rate is, and for some years to come will be, ex- cessive. We approve of the recommendation made in the Super- intendent's report for highways and bridges, viz : $5,000 and $1,000 additional for the repair of Mechanic Street bridge, as necessary and economical. We are inclined to believe that satis- factory results will not be attained in this department until the town owns and makes use of a steam roller of proper dimensions, not only in permanent construction but also in general highway repairs. The advisability of buying a steam roller the present year we leave for the determination of the town.
SIDEWALKS.
The town cannot afford to halt in its annual work upon the sidewalks The Superintendent has fully reported the work of the past year in this direction and we earnestly recommend an appropriation therefore of $2,000, to be mainly expended under the betterment act.
RAILROAD CROSSINGS.
As we have intimated, the question of the abolition of the grade railroad crossings enters very materially into the question as to the best method to be adopted and pursued in the construction and maintenance of our highways. More than this. It is a mat- ter more vitally affecting and overshadowing the prosperity of this town, than anything which perhaps, this town within its history has ever considered and determined.
At a special town meeting held a year ago, a committee of representative men was chosen to guard and protect the town's interest in this matter. We are unable to submit a report from that committee as we are informed that they have nothing addi- tional to report beyond what has already been given to the town.
12
ANNUAL REPORT.
At the risk of being charged with officiousness, we sincerely believe it our duty to warn the inhabitants of the town of the impending danger in this direction, and to urge them to imme- diate action.
Beyond question, in the manner prescribed and under the laws enacted by the Legislature of this Commonwealth, the grade crossings in this vicinity will sooner or later be abolished. It is in the method to be adopted that the town is vitally interested. It seems that a relocation of the railroad will not now be enter- tained by the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Corporation, therefore either the crossings must be closed and travel diverted, or the grades of the street and railroad separated. In either event the town and her inhabitants must suffer irreparable damage. The law amply provides for a mutual agreement between the select- men and the directors of a railroad corporation, for the abolish- ing of railroad crossings and it is a matter of regret that a mutual understanding cannot be arrived at which would be acceptable to all parties concerned.
There are two propositions which present themselves, to which this town should never accede, viz., the closing of the highway and diverting travel ; and the separation of grades without chang- ing the grade of railroad. The policy (we are informed) which has almost universally obtained throughout the state is the raising of the railroad grade and the lowering of the highway. In this manner the least damage and expense will be caused in this town and crossings can be made at necessary and desirable points.
For several years the north part of the town, lying east and west of the railroad, has been without direct and easy communi- cation, to the serious injury of a large number of the inhabitants and to the actual damage of the town in preventing a develop- ment of property in this section. No relief can wisely be afforded in this direction until the main question at issue is solved. We have every reason to believe that the railroad corporation intends to at its own pleasure, solve this question by the adoption of one or both of the propositions named, and ere this the protection of the Legislature against this injustice should have been asked. Under the present law three commissioners may be appointed on the petition of the selectmen of a town or the directors of a rail-
13
ANNUAL REPORT.
road corporation to the Superior Court, for the abolishing of a grade crossing and their decision in the premises after cofirmation of the same by the court is final. The damages and expenses are apportioned as follows : to the Commonwealth 25%, town 10% and the railroad 65%. These expenses are paid under the provis- ions of Chapter 283, Acts of 1893 which are as follows : " The court shall appoint an auditor, who shall be a disinterested per- son not an inhabitant of the city or town in which the crossing is situated, to whom shall from time to time be submitted all accounts of expense, whether incurred by the railroads, city, town, commission or auditor, who shall audit the same and make report thereon to the court; which auditing when accepted by the court shall be final. The compensation of the auditor shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of law relative to the compensation of auditors appointed by the Superior Court in civil cases. Said court shall from time to time issue its decrees for payment on the part of the railroad corporation, not exceeding the amount apportioned to it by said auditor, and for the payment on the part of the Commonwealth, not exceeding the amounts apportioned to the Commonwealth and to the city or town; and such city or town shall repay to the Commonwealth the amount apportioned to the city or town by said auditor, in such annual payments as the auditor of the Commonwealth may designate ; and the amount of the payment designated for the year, with interest thereon at the rate of four per cent. per annum from the date of the acceptance of the report of the auditor, in the case of the first payment, and for one year, in the case of each of the other payments, shall be included by the treasurer and receiver general in, and made a part of, the sum charged to such city or town, and be assessed upon it in the apportionment and assessment of its annual state tax ; and said treasurer shall in each year notify such city or town of the amount of such assessment, which amount shall be paid by the city or town into the treasury of the Commonwealth at the time required for the payment and as a part of its state tax."
Under the law as originally passed in 1890, Chap. 428. Sec. 4, a change of the grade of the railroad could only be made on the consent of the Directors, but by the Acts of 1892, Chap 312,
14
ANNUAL REPORT.
the consent of the railroad commissioners was wisely substituted. Unfortunately the very heart of Attleborough and her future pros- perity is involved in this question and its vital importance must be our apology for thus calling it at length to your attention.
HEBRONVILLE CROSSING.
At the very beginning of our official duties we found the aboli- tion of the grade crossing an established fact. On petition of the Directors of the Old Colony Railroad Co., Geo. W. Wiggin, Augustus P. Martin and Charles A. Allen were by the Superior Court appointed a commission to determine this question. They decided " that alteration in the Hebronville crossing at South Main street and the Old Colony Railroad in the town of Attle- borough, the discontinuance of such crossing and the construction of a new way in substitution therefore are necessary for the secur- ity and convenience of the public." They further decided that as a substitute for said crossing a new way be located, and set forth the boundaries of the same and manner of construction. This report, with its plan and specifications furnished, as we are informed, by the railroad authorities, determined "that all of South Main street, which lies within the location of the railroad, except such part thereof as is necessary for the construction of an overhead bridge for foot travel, as hereinafter provided, is hereby discontinued and the street so far as it lies within the location of the railroad, shall continue to be a footway only upon and over the bridge thus constructed. Said foot bridge shall be con- · structed of iron or steel over the tracks of the railroad, and shall be eight feet in width and eighteen feet in the clear above the tracks of the railroad." The substituted way was required to be constructed as follows, to wit : " It shall be graded to a width of forty feet at the grade line thereof, as above specified, and shall be finished with a dressing of gravel of eight inches in depth. It shall have a crown in the centre of eight inches and shall be suit- ably fenced at all points where the grade of the way is two or more feet above the level of the adjacent land. Suitable sidewalks, drains and culverts shall be constructed wherever necessary on said way."
15
ANNUAL REPORT.
For the substituted way land was taken of the following parties : Hebronville Church, Geo. A. Dean, Hebronville Manufacturing Co., Andrew J. Goff, William W. Read, and Hugh A. Smith.
The railroad company was required by said report to do all the work and furnish all the material. The commissioners con- clude their report as follows: "We decide that the Common- wealth shall pay twenty-five (25) per cent. of the whole cost of the alterations, including the cost of the hearing and the com. pensation of the Commissioners and Auditors for their services and their expenses, and all damages including those mentioned in Section 5 of Chapter 428 of the Acts of 1890, and as amended by Chapter 123 of the Acts of 1891 ; and the town of Attleborough ten (10) per cent. thereof."
We are left to infer that, as the law requires, the railroad company will pay sixty-five per cent. Thus it can be seen that about all we could accomplish in the interest of the town was to settle as economically as possible the land damages occa- sioned thereby, and to secure in the town's behalf what little of right or benefit the report of the Commissioners afforded. It will further be observed that the railroad company, in the construc- tion of the road were practically their own supervisors, and were to determine as they claimed the suitableness of their own work.
Although on account of the grade the town will be subject to more or less expense in repairing the road, yet as a whole the road has been well constructed and fenced, and is provided with a very substantial stone culvert and railroad bridge. Without action on the part of the town, under the law the road is now a legal highway. The claims of Andrew J. Goff, William W. Read and Hugh A. Smith have been adjusted. The suit of the Hebron Church is now pending in court, and can only be adjusted by litigation on account of legal questions involved It is believed that all the remaining claims will be amicably adjusted. Clarence H. Cooper, Esq., Assistant Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of Boston, has been appointed Auditor of Accounts, and has thus far allowed claims presented by the railroad of $37,300, and by the town of $2,000. The total expense to the town in this matter cannot now be given, but we do not think it will exceed $6,000.
16
ANNUAL REPORT.
SEWERS.
Of equal, if not of greater importance than the highway ques- tion, is that of a sewerage system for this town. The town can ill afford to longer continue the policy of considering only the needs of certain localities in this matter. Ample provisions are made under the law for the adoption of a sewerage system, or part of a system, and the work of completion may be annually provided for, progressing each year, until finally a perfect and efficient system shall have been constructed. The gravity of this question is so self-evident that it needs no extended comment at our hands. We earnestly recommend that this whole question of a sewer sys- tem be this year submitted to a competent and thoroughly effi- cient committee to report its consideration to a future town meeting.
At the last annual town meeting appropriations were made for the construction of sewers on Dean, Pearl and Dunham streets. After complying with the provisions of the law, the Selectmen voted to construct sewers on said streets, as follows : On Dean street eleven hundred and fifteen feet, extending from North Main street to a point nearly opposite the residence of Charles H. Wheeler.
On Pearl street, beginning at Union street and extending to a point one hundred feet east of Pine street.
On Dunham street, running from Union street one hundred and twenty-five feet, to a point opposite the estate of Daniel H. Smith.
One-half of the actual cost of construction in each case was assessed to the abutters, according to the frontage of their respective estates thereon.
The appropriations, cost of construction and assessment are as follows :
Appropriation.
Dean Street,
$1,400.00 600.00
Cost. $883.72 347.81
A · sessment. $441.86
Pearl Street,
173.91
Dunham Street,
92.50
46.25
17
ANNUAL REPORT.
STREET LIGHTING.
While the water and sewer systems of municipalities are per- haps the two most weighty questions for solution, yet at the same time, their consideration ought not to completely overshadow the necessities of the other town departments. We have already noted that systematic work and proper appropriations must be made to secure a satisfactory condition of our highways, and without question, in the near future the town must consider and in some manner provide for the lighting of our streets.
PUBLIC BUILDING.
Already the need of a public building, providing ample accom- modations for the different town departments, town meetings and possibly for an armory, exists. The Selectmen, Assessors and Collector of Taxes, to the annoyance of each board are occupying one room. The Collector of Taxes should have a safe and con- venient room for the transaction of the business of his department. These several offices, on account of their crowded condition and arrangement are a great deal of the time little else than public reception rooms, in which it is almost impossible to transact properly the town's business. The town is now paying for offices in the building owned by the Attleborough Saving and Loan Association the sum of eight hundred and seventy-five dollars for the accommodation of the following departments : Selectmen, Assessors, Town Clerk, Treasurer, Collector of Taxes, Water Commissioners, Registrar and Superintendent of Water Works, and the Public Library.
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