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Annual Report of Attleboro Town Officer 8681
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REPORTS
OF THE
TOWN FFICERS
OF THE
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH
For the Year Ending December 31,
1897.
EBOR
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OF
· TOWN
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INCO
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ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS. : THE ATTLEBORO PRESS, COR. UNION AND BAILEY STS. 1898.
ATTLEBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY a31654001304010b
REPORTS
OF THE
TOWN FFICERS
OF THE
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH
For the Year Ending December 31,
1897.
LEBOR
OF
TOWN
I MASS
NCOR
1694
F
ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS. : THE ATTLEBORO PRESS, COR. UNION AND BAILEY STS. 1898.
52-1550 Gift Estate of H.R. Don't.
TOWN OFFICERS. 1897=98.
SELECTMEN :
EVERETT S. HORTON. ABIJAH T. WALES. WILLIAM N. GOFF.
TOWN CLERK AND TREASURER : JOHN T. BATES.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR :
WILLIAM H. GOFF. ELIJAH R. READ.
GEORGE B. FITTZ. .
ASSESSORS OF TAXES :
WILLIAM H. GOFF. JOSEPH O. MOWRY. ALONZO N. BROWNELL.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES : JOSEPH O. MOWRY.
COMMISSIONERS OF THE SINKING FUND :
CHARLES E. BLISS. FRANK I. BABCOCK. EVERETT S. HORTON.
4
TOWN OFFICERS.
WATER COMMISSIONERS : GEORGE A. DEAN. LUCIUS Z. CARPENTER. WILLIAM M. STONE.
WATER REGISTRAR AND SUPERINTENDENT : WILLIAM J. LUTHER.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS : EVERETT S. HORTON.
PARK COMMISSIONERS : EVERETT S. CAPRON. WILLIAM J. LUTHER. GEORGE T. HOLMES.
ENGINEERS OF FIRE DEPARTMENT : HIRAM R. PACKARD, Chief. ORLANDO W. HAWKINS, JAMES HOWARTH, Assistants.
BOARD OF HEALTH :
CHARLES S. HOLDEN. CHARLES E. BLISS. GEORGE K. ROBERTS.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE :
CHARLES E. BLISS, Chairman. HARRY P. KENT, Secretary.
EVERETT S. CAPRON. MISS LENORA P. BEERS.
JOHN M. KNOWLES. MRS. LAURA V. G. MACKIE ··
CHARLES H. WHEELER. WILLIAM H. GARNER. BENJAMIN P. KING.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS : JOSEPH O. TIFFANY.
5
TOWN OFFICERS.
TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY : EVERETT S. HORTON, Chairman. CHARLES S. HOLDEN, Secretary.
LOUIS J. LAMB, . MISS HELEN W. METCALF.
MRS. ALICE M. WALES. MISS ELIZABETH J. WILMARTH.
MARK E. ROWE, CHARLES H. WHEELER. ALEXANDER F. WALCH.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS :
JOHN T. BATES. GEORGE F. BICKNELL.
HENRY A. STREETER. HENRY A. ENBOM.
AUDITORS : ORVILLE P. RICHARDSON. BENJAMIN F. LINDSEY. CHARLES H. WHEELER.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND INSPECTOR OF OIL: LYMAN M. STANLEY.
INSPECTOR OF CATTLE, MILK AND PROVISIONS : GEORGE MACKIE.
CONSTABLES :
SETH R. BRIGGS. HORATIO BRIGGS. WALTER C. DIX. FRED E. GOFF.
GEORGE F. IDE. JOHN H. NERNEY. ELIJAH R. READ. CHARLES E. RILEY.
WILLIAM SPINNEY.
NIGHT PATROL :
ISAIAH M. INMAN. WILLIAM W. ADAMS.
6
TOWN OFFICERS.
FENCE VIEWERS :
. LYMAN M. STANLEY. EVERETT S. CAPRON. ISAAC ALGER.
SURVEYORS OF WOOD AND BARK.
GEORGE L. ADAMS.
CHARLES A. STURDY.
LUCIUS Z. CARPENTER.
HENRY W. GALLAGHER.
SHEPARD W. CARPENTER. WILLIAM N. GOFF.
JAMES W. GIFFORD. GEORGE A. MONROE.
CHARLES HOPKINS.
WILLIAM A. VICKERY.
FIRE POLICE.
SETH R. BRIGGS. FRED E. GOFF.
DEXTER E. NEWELL. G. IRVING SIMPSON THOMAS F. GILROY.
POUND KEEPER. FRANK E. LUTHER.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SELECTMEN
OF THE
Town of Attleborough,
MASS.
INTRODUCTORY.
To the People of Attleborough :
As we enter upon this the fourth year of the third century of our existence as a town, we consider it a duty as well as a privilege to present our annual report of the business transacted during the year just closed and to give an account of our stewardship while acting as your ser- vants, to whom you have entrusted certain responsibilities and on whom you have conferred certain prerogatives and powers, also to offer such suggestions and make such rec- ommendations as we may deem fitting and proper for your consideration, with the hope and expectation that they will receive proper consideration at your hands, untram- meled by the prejudices engendered by the passions of ma- licious personalities which too often are allowed to enter into the conclusions of town meeting action.
In a town of our importance there must necessarily exist an honest diversity of opinion on many questions of town policy, and the fair and unprejudiced opinion of every citizen, if it gives evidence of careful consideration, prompted by a desire to advance the public weal, whether relating to the business methods of the town, viewed sim- ply from a business standpoint, or to the social or moral affairs of our people, should be respected and have due weight in the determination of any problem of town man- agement ; but mere criticism animated by personal preju- dice, when expressed from the mouth of thoughtless ignor- ance and founded only on malicious perversity, or present-
ANNUAL REPORT.
ed to the public dribbling from the slimy pen of a scurril- ous public press should be allowed to "pass by as the idle wind which we respect not."
The year just closed has been marked by encourag- ing evidences of business improvement, and our manufact- uring interests have already experienced a touch of the rising tide of prosperity which within the past few months has been manifested among the varied manufacturing and . commercial interests of our entire country.
A gradual gain has been made in the population of our town, notwithstanding the general depressed condition of the business of the country during the past few years, and our material development within the radius of our business centre; as developed in the opening of new street and the erection of new dwellings has shown a marked in- crease during the year just closed.
We know of no reason why Attleborough is not in as good condition to take advantage of the coming revival of business industry as any of the towns of the commonwealth.
The educational, social and moral condition of our people continue to maintain the high standard which has in the past characterized our town and given it a name and reputation of which every citizen should be proud.
Highways and Bridges.
The care for and general management of our high- ways demands a larger expenditure from year to year, un- til a higher standard is attained in the character of our road construction.
The present number of miles of highway within our town limits, and the continual addition of new streets called for
II
ANNUAL REPORT.
by the development of our territory, which must not be unheeded, our increase in population, business and wealth, together with the general demand in nearly all sections of the country for improvement on all the avenues of travel, clearly demonstrate the fact that if we are to keep pace with the progressive ideas which now prevail, our annual expenditure in this department, even when disbursed in accordance with one's best judgment, under existing con- ditions must be large.
The management of our Highway Department is per- plexing in its nature, by reason of existing conditions, and quite often hampered by developments which could not be foreseen, which sometimes detract from the satisfactory re- sults anticipate.i.
With the amount of money appropriated from year to year in this department, there must necessarily be many localities where the highways do not receive the attention and care which is desirable.
It has been our aim during the year just closed, to make advances on several lines of the work of this depart- ment, and in submitting this report of our work, we feel confident the candid and unbiased citizen, after a consid- eration of its extent. and the conditions under which it has been executed, will not fail to arrive at the conclusion that a general permanent improvement has been made in the condition or our highways.
Immediately after the organization of our board, we took into consideration the appointment of a Superintend- ent of Streets, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes.
The compensation of this official has been in the past $500 per year, and the position is one which demands a lot
1 2
ANNUAL REPORT
of time, care and business energy, aided by a careful study of the conditions under which the duties are to be per- formed. After a thoughtful survey of the subject, our chairman, Major E. S. Horton, was prevailed upon to ac- cept the duties and responsibilities of the position without compensation.
His report of the management of the affairs of that de- partment is herewith appended.
Report of the Superintendent of Streets.
During the year just closed, a larger proportion of our Highway Appropriation has been expended outside of our business center than has been the ordinary custom, and a larger amount of labor performed, resulting in more per- manent improvement on our highways and streets than in any one year of our history.
The system of the preceding year regarding the division of the work on our highways, was adopted for the past year, and each of the three divisions of highway territory was placed in charge of a Division Superintendent, under whose direction all labor should be performed.
The South Division comprised that portion of territo- ry lying north of Seekonk and Pawtucket line, as far west as County street and including that street as far north as Thacher street, thence extending easterly to Rehoboth line. Mr. H. A Smith was placed in charge of the South Division.
13
ANNUAL REPORT.
The West Division comprised that portion ot territory lying north and east of Rhode Island State line, west of County street to its intersection with Thacher street, and covering all the territory west of this point to Cumberland line and North Attleboro line, as far north as the Deanville road. Mr. A. S. Barney was placed in charge of this the West Division.
The North Division comprised all the remaining por- tion of our highway territory, and was placed under the direction of Mr. C. S. Cummings.
By reason of the necessary equipments recently fur- nished by the town, we are prepared to do more and better work in this department than formerly, as we are enabled to take advantage of preparing the material and holding it, in anticipation of the demand, and the facilities for moving it with greater rapidity to the desired location.
At our Stone Crusher plant on Pine street, we have ample room for depositing thousands of tons of crude stone, which is delivered there by people who reside in the rural sections adjoining our village, and at the price paid by the town of 40 cents per ton, it is delivered there at all seasons of the year, whenever parties can deliver it most conveniently, and under this arrangement there seems to be no difficulty in providing a sufficient quantity of stone at all times.
The Platform Scales which were purchased last year are conveniently located, so that they may be manipulated in the engine house, and the engineer, who has been duly appointed weigher, attends to the weighing, makes and returns a record of all stone received from the several parties who deliver it.
The Stone Crusher, which was purchased last year of the Farrel Machine Co., of Ansonia, Conn., has given
I4
ANNUAL REPORT.
good satisfaction, although such a piece of machinery with its attachments, must in the performance of its work be subjected to severe and constant wear in many of its parts, and consequently require quite an expenditure each year for repairs
The estimated expense for repairs of the Crusher and Engine machinery during the past year is about $400, and when carefully attended to and fed, the Crusher is capable of masticating about :00 tons of crude stone in ten hours.
Aside from the Stone Crusher, Engine and their be- longings, the town is now equipped in the Highway De- partment service with four Carts, eight Snow Plows, two Road Machines or Scrapers, three Water Carts, a Roller and Sewer Wagon, and aside from the horses of the Fire Department, (which are available for highway service un- der certain conditions) there are three horses used exclu- sively for service in this department. During the past year there has been a force of seven men who have had constant employment, and in the west and south divisions employment has been furnished for eight or ten men and four or five teams during about three months of the year.
The southerly portion of County street has received a larger expenditure during the past year than has been made there during any one year since the opening of that highway to public travel.
Early in the year the abutments of a stone culvert over a small stream near the crossing of the Seven Mile River, were found to be defective, and on further examina- tion the entire stone covering was found to be in an unsafe condition. The highway west of the bridge had long been allowed to remain in an unwarranted condition also ; con- sequently it seemed imperative that quite an expenditure be made there, and Mr. Smith the division superintendent
15
ANNUAL REPORT.
was ordered to make such repairs as were necessary in that locality.
The bridge abutments were inade secure and were ex- tended some 12 feet, then the highway for several hundred feet west of the bridge was straightened and filled, thereby making a permanent improvement there which for many years has been needed. Mr. James O. Read who resides near the bridge furnished stone for the extension of the abutments of the bridge, and about 600 loads of material for the construction of the roadway where it was straight- ened, and Mr. Joseph Armell furnished the covering stone for the bridge, each of them making no demand for compensation.
In the early part of March we were called upon to make extended repairs on what is known as Peter's Hill on Coun- ty street, between the town farm and the Read and Ide neighborhood. For a number of years only a meagre ex- penditure of money had been made on this hill, not because the roadway was in good condition, but because it could be carried along from year to year and kept passable without doing any permanent work there, and it was evident to every one who considered the situation, that the entire hill road- way on both slopes should be reconstructed, but to perform such a work would require a larger expenditure than could be spared from the appropriation.
A complaint was made to us in March that a danger- ous place existed in the roadway on the south slope of this hill, and that a loaded team had foundered there, causing the death of a horse and considerable damage to a wagon. On investigation it was deemed necessary to fill and drain the roadway on both north and south slopes of the hill for a distance of nearly a mile, and as the material of which the road was made (the natural soil of the locality) was a
16
ANNUAL REPORT.
cloggy marl, which was regarded as unfit for road material, we were obliged to make a long haul of the material used on the south slope, thereby making the work more than ordinarily expensive. Hundreds of loads of stone were buried in the muddy roadway (of which Mr. George F. Ide furnished 165 loads without compensa- tion) and filling almost the entire length of both slopes of the hill to a depth of from six to twelve inches, was carted on and properly graded and drained. We feel confident that a permanent improvement has been made on that section of County street, which will be ap- preciated, and that very little expenditure will be necessa- ry there for several years to come.
In other sections of 'the South Division considerable work has been accomplished. In the vicinity of Brigg's Corner, near Rehoboth line; on Thurber street, South Main street and Locust street, and in these several sections the Hebron Mfg. Co., E. V. Carpenter and Henry Lord have furnished gravel for road construction without compensation.
In the South Division during the past year 5606 loads of road material have been moved, 2079 loads of gravel were bought, 185 loads of stone and 2502 loads of other material were taken from the roadside, and 840 loads of gravel were contributed.
The total amount expended in the South Division during the year, $1395.60.
In the West Division under the direction of Mr. Barney, more than 5000 loads of road material has been moved, and on Turner street, west from Washington street to the R. I. line, a very perceptible improvement has been made, and in some sections of this line of highway no ex-
17
ANNUAL REPORT.
penditure has been made before for about twenty years.
On the section in front of the Turner Street School House something over 500 loads of material have been utilized in the building up and draining of that thoroughfare.
Walnut Grove Hill, near Attleboro City, has been quite thoroughly repaired, and six or seven hundred loads of material have been judiciously expended in the work
Washington street, between the crossing of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. and the Old Barrows Tavern, has been for several years in an undesirable condition, and aware of this fact, we had hoped that ere this some move would be made by the State Highway Commission on that section of our highways, and thereby relieving the town from any extended repairs there. Consequently we have tried to meet only the necessities there, and make the roadway safe for public travel, without the expense of a thorough reconstruction.
On the 23rd of May, 1895, a petition was forwarded to the Hig way Commission, asking them to accept as a State Highway, that section of road known as the Boston and Providence Turnpike, running from Pawtucket line to the Old Barrow's place, and continuing through Attleboro City to its connection with Washington street again near the Old Dunster house, (so called, ) but by some manage- ment which seems somewhat mysterious to us, our petition has been allowed to remain dormant, although an effort was made last year to revive it. With our experience of the past three years it is now our opinion that for a period of years at least we are not liable to receive any action by the Commission which would be favorable to the interests of Attleboro in this connection.
18
ANNUAL REPORT.
During the past year more than 100o loads of material have been judiciously distributed there to fill defective places, which has served to keep the roadway reasonably passable. Good material for road construction is not to be obtained in that immediate vicinity, consequently the thorough work demanded there will require quite a large , expenditure.
In the comparitively new settlement on what is know11 as "St. Jean Baptiste Plat," in the extreme southwesterly part of the town, there are 110 "town ways," although there are thirty-six families. The surface of the land there is diversified with deep ravines and winding wagon tracks, but there is nothing worthy of the name of street or road in the entire community.
The houses are located on lots sold by proprietors from diagrams of the location, and no regard has been manifested concerning the avenues of connection from one portion to another. After visiting that neighborhood we realized the liability of the town there in case of an acci- dent incurred by reason of a defective public way, and felt compelled to make something of an expenditure in some places. A general construction of streets seems demanded through that whole section1.
O11 a section of what is known as the Lonsdale road, and Brown street, near the new location of the Old Turn- pike School House, there has been quite an improvement inade by grading and filling, so that at present that road- way is in fair condition.
The road leading from the "Read and Ide neighbor- hood" to "Attleboro City," and the road leading from County street to West street, have been subjected to necessary repairs which called for a considerable expenditure.
19
ANNUAL REPORT.
Minor repairs have also been made during the year in all sections of the West Division, and $1478 has been expended there.
The North Division comprises the entire village of At- tleboro, and has within its limits more miles of highway outside of the village than either of the other divisions, and if the entire appropriation for our highways was judiciously expended within its limits there would still be many sections of highway where the character of the road- way could not at present be kept up to the standard now popularly demanded.
In this division during the past year, as in the south and west, the whole highway system was thoroughly ex- amined at the commencement of the year, all the loose stones raked off and carted away preliminary to the general work of filling and construction.
The teams and men employed in this division, under the direction of Mr. Cummings, were early in the season engaged in the work of carting a large amount of ashes or cinders from Dodgeville and Farmers Mills for the con. struction of sidewalks which was utilized on South Main, Pine, Park, Pleasant, Emory, Holman, Falmouth and Mowry streets.
In a number of localities in the extreme easterly por- tion of this division, considerable work was done in the na- ture of general repairs, such as clearing gutters, repairing railing guards, and in the village, clearing catch basins and the usual spring cleaning of the Common and more public places in our village centre.
About the 20th of April, work was commenced on the north section of Pleasant street, beginning at Norton town line, and extending as far south as Richardson avenue.
20
ANNUAL REPORT.
This section of highway has for several years been in very bad condition, and advantage was taken of an op- portunity to obtain good material for the work in sufficient quantities and conveniently located free of cost. The work there was performed almost entirely with town teams, and the entire section was filled to a depth of about eight. inches, and properly drained. Stone and gravel were carted on to the amount of 2695 loads, and properly graded. We feel confident the work was so thoroughly performed there that no great expenditure will be required on this section of road for many years to come.
In the latter part of May there was quite an extensive piece of roadway repaired on Park street, west of Bishop street, where 925 loads of material were expended, and be- fore the 20th of June, more than 100 loads of "hardpan" were carted from the hill on Maple street, where this. material is deposited, to the hills on County street, causing a great improvement on that roadway. Between the mid- dle of June and the middle of July, the work performed was chiefly on Maple and Carpenter streets and Railroad avenue.
Work was then commenced on Foley street, which was connected with the work on Pleasant street as the material used there was taken from Pleasant street when that street was excavated for the foundation of the macadamising there, and a sufficient amount of material was taken from Pleasant street to fill and reconstruct Foley street its entire length, also to fill and grade Angell, Forest and Horton streets, and Starkey avenue. Ten hun- dred and twenty-five loads of road material were taken from Pleasant street before the foundation was laid for the construction of the macadam road there. The work on
21
ANNUAL REPORT.
Pleasant street was commenced at the crossing of the Taunton railroad track, and continued to Forest street.
The work of permanent improvement was commenced there by cutting the roadbed between the gutters on this section of roadway to a depth of about 13 inches, and into this cut was carted about 372 tons of large stone, which were packed and rolled with a 13 ton roller until a firm and even foundation was made, then the several grades of crushed stone were carted on and each layer properly rolled until the proper height was attained, and then finished with a top dressing and rolled again, until the whole material was firmly pressed together, thereby constructing a roadway similar to macadamı.
This section of Pleasant street has been in the past during certain seasons of the year in a condition to merit criticism. Perhaps no section of street in our village has provoked more complaint among people who have been ob- liged to ride or transport merchandise over it, and for a term of years the superintendent of streets has been per- plexed to know what to do there, but each year the sur- face of mud has been carted off which has been replaced with the best gravel to be obtained, and the next spring, when the frost was coming out of the ground, the roadway was in a terrible condition ! A perfect quagmire !
We feel confident the work performed on Pleasant street during the past year will relieve that street from the condemnation which it has been receiving in the past.
After completing the work on Pleasant street, Park street received a coating of stone after grading, and was then properly rolled, giving the section between Pine and Sturdy street a good surface, which we think will be quite serviceable.
22
ANNUAL REPORT.
After laying the drain on Carpenter street, the surface was in such a condition as to demand considerable work there to make it even passable, on account of the sandy foundation of that locality. Therefore, we concluded to commence the reconstruction of Carpenter street from Parker street to South Main. The surface was properly graded, but only one layer of stone was carted on to a depth of about four inches, which has been partly rolled. The work on this street should be completed in the spring.
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