USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1900-1902 > Part 1
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE TOWN OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF
PLYMOUTH
FOR YEAR ENDING DEC. 31
1 900
1620.
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PLYMOUTH THE MEMORIAL PRESS I90I
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
133
10-1700
145
TOWN OFFICERS.
SELECTMEN-Horace M. Saunders, D. H. Craig, Dr. E. D. Hill, H. O. Whiting, A. T. Harlow.
TOWN CLERK .- Edward L. Burgess.
TOWN TREASURER-Edward L. Burgess.
AUDITOR-Frank D. Bartlett.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES-Benjamin F. Ward.
CLERK OF SELECTMEN-Benjamin F. Ward.
ASSESSORS-George F. Weston, chosen 1899, for three years; Alonzo Warren, chosen 1898, for three years; George Harlow, chosen 1900, for three years.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR-Charles P. Hatch, chosen 1899, for three years; Benjamin F. Ward, chosen 1900, for three years; Charles A. Strong, chosen 1898, for three years.
WATER COMMISSIONERS-Everett F. Sherman and John W. Churchill, chosen 1900, for three years; Horace P. Bailey and George W. Bradford, chosen 1899, for three years; John H. Damon, chosen 1898, for three years.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE-William S. Kyle and J. Holbrook Shaw, chosen 1900, for three years; Elizabeth Thurber, chosen 1899, for three years; Arthur E. Lewis, chosen 1900, for two years; Frank H. Perkins, chosen 1900, for one year; Increase Robinson, appointed 1900, for one year.
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BURIAL HILL COMMITTEE-Selectmen.
AGAWAM FISHERY COMMITTEE-Martin V. B. Doug- lass, Frank Harlow, Harrison O. Barnes.
PARK COMMISSIONERS-Nathaniel Morton, chosen 1898, for three years; George R. Briggs, chosen 1900, for three years; Walter H. Sears, chosen 1899, for three years.
SURVEYORS AND MEASURERS OF LUMBER-Leavitt T. Robbins, Edward B. Atwood, Cornelius C. Holmes.
SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES-Christopher T. Harris.
BEACH COMMITTEE-Selectmen.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS-Stillman R. Sampson.
FIELD DRIVERS AND FENCE VIEWERS-Hosea C. Bartlett, Nathan B. Perry and J. F. Towns.
SUPERINTENDENT OF WATER WORKS-Richard W. Bag- nell.
COLLECTOR OF WATER RATES-N. Reeves Jackson.
POUND KEEPERS-Joseph F. Towns, Nathan B. Perry, Hosea C. Bartlett.
COMMITTEE ON INLAND FISHERIES-Thomas D. Shum- way, Charles B. Stoddard, Benjamin A. Hathaway.
HARBOR MASTER-Ellis Whiting Harlow.
BOARD OF REGISTRATION-C. H. Holmes, appointed 1900, for one year; J. C. Cave, appointed 1899, for three years; Nathaniel G. Lanman, appointed 1900, for three years; Edward L. Burgess.
SUPERINTENDENT OF OAK GROVE AND VINE HILLS CEM- ETERIES, AND BURIAL HILL-Edward F. Stranger.
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SEXTON-Ozen Bates.
SUPERINTENDENT OF ALMSHOUSE-Obed C. Pratt.
BOARD OF HEALTH-Frederick D. Bartlett, chosen 1900, for three years; Josiah Morton, chosen 1900, for two years; J. Holbrook Shaw, chosen 1900, for one year.
BOARD OF ENGINEERS-Horace P. Bailey, Daniel M. Bos- worth, Albert E. Davis, George E. Saunders, Frank H. Lan- man.
SUPERINTENDENT OF MANOMET CEMETERY-Sidney B. Blackmer.
SUPERINTENDENT OF CHILTONVILLE CEMETERY - Charles Rogers.
CONSTABLES-Michael Casey, Joshua A. Douglass, Joseph W. Hunting, Benjamin F. Snow, Edward Manter, Freeman Manter, Joseph T. Collingwood.
COMMITTEE ON FIRE IN THE WOODS-Samuel Bradford, Nehemiah L. Savery, Gustavus G. Sampson, Martin V. B. Douglass, Ziba R. Ellis, Joseph F. Towns, Nathaniel Mor- ton, William F. Doten, Frank B. Holmes, Nathaniel T. Clark, George R. Briggs, George H. Pierce, James M. Dow- sett, Herbert Morrissey, Charles Woodward, Isaac H. Val- ler, Alberto M. Haskill, Andrew J. Cahoon, Benjamin Whiting, Henry L. Cahoon, Frank L. St. George, Martin A. Douglass, Elnathan Finney, Zenas E. Langford.
CHIEF OF POLICE-Joseph T. Collingwood.
COMMITEE ON SEWERAGE-Selectmen.
ABSTRACT OF RECORDS OF 1900.
March 5. Voted, On motion of William W. Brewster that the Selectmen be authorized to dispose of the schoolhouses (now unused) at Darby, Indian Brook and the Gurnet, with their lots, if any, by sale or otherwise as they may deem to be for the interest to the town, and execute such papers, in the name of the town, as may be necessary to transfer the title thereto.
March 5. Voted, On motion of Nathaniel Morton, that the Water Commissioners are hereby au- thorized and directed to apply to the State Board of Health, to take such action as pro- vided under Section 510 of the Acts of the Legislature of 1897, and to prepare the neces- sary rules and regulations to insure the pro- tection and preservation of the purity of the water supply of this town.
March 5, Voted, On motion of William S. Kyle, that the Selectmen be and are hereby authorized to ex- pend from the Contingent fund, a sum not exceeding three hundred and fifty dollars, ($350) to defray the expenses incurred in op- posing a bill now before the Legislature. pro- viding for the transfer of the Registries of Deeds and of Probate to Brockton.
(Various amendments were made to the by- laws.)
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March 5. Voted, On motion of Charles S. Davis, that the by-laws revised as above be accepted.
March 5. Article nineteen being under consideration, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed; seventy-five voting in the affirmative, and twenty-seven in the negative, and the motion was declared adopted.
March 5. Article eighteen being under consideration, on motion of Charles S. Davis it was Voted, That the Selectmen be authorized and in- structed to report the plans and estimates for extension of the Sewer in the northerly part of the town, and report as early as possible.
March 5. Voted, That the names of Joseph Barnes and James E. Bartlett be stricken from the list of jurors.
Voted, That the jury list, revised as above, be ac- cepted.
March 5. Voted, That the town authorize the Treasurer, under the direction of the Selectmen, to bor- row money in anticipation of taxes, and for disbursement under the provisions of the law relating to State Aid and Military Aid, and to defray the expenses of the town after Jan- uary 1, 1901.
March 5. Voted, That the town appropriate the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, ($150) to pay the expenses of Decoration Day.
March 5. Voted, That the Dog Fund, amounting to nine hundred and forty-nine and 77-100 dollars, ($949.77), and the additional sum of three hundred and fifty and 23-100 dollars.
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($350.23) be appropriated for the use of the Public Library for the current year.
March 5. Voted, That the Town authorize the Selectmen to renew any note or notes heretofore author- ized, which are now due, or may become due the present year, for such time, and on such term as they may deem expedient for the in- terests of the town.
March 5. Voted, That the town authorize the Selectmen to bring, prosecute, compromise or defend any claims or suits within the Commonwealth in the name of the town, until otherwise ordered by the town.
March 5. Voted, That the sum of three hundred dollars ($300) be appropriated for Beach Park, one hundred and fifty-eight voting in the affirma- tive, and seven in the negative, and the appro- priation is adopted, more than two-thirds hav- ing voted in the affirmative.
March 5. Article fifteen being under consideration, on mo- tion of William T. Davis, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed.
March 5. Article eleven being under consideration, on motion of Samuel Bradford, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed; two hundred and twenty-two vot- ing in the affirmative, and thirty-nine in the negative.
March 5. Voted, That the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750) be appropriated for Parks: one hundred and thirty-six voting in the af- firmative, and twenty-seven in the negative.
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and the appropriation is adopted, more than two-thirds having voted in the affirmative.
March 5. Articles thirteen and fourteen, being under con- sideration, on motion of Charles S. Davis, Voted, that the subjcet matter of these arti- cles be indefinitely postponed.
March 5. Voted, That Burial Hill be placed under the care of the Superintendent of Oak Grove and Vine Hill cemeteries.
March 5. Voted, That all bills for work done on Oak Grove and Vine Hill cemeteries, and on Burial Hill, be approved by the Selectmen.
March 5. Article twenty-one being under consideration, on motion of Charles S. Davis, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed.
March 5. Article twenty-two being under consideration, on motion of Charles S. Davis, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed.
March 5. Article twenty-three being under consideration, on motion of Charles S. Davis, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be indefinitely postponed.
March 5. Voted, That the Collector of Taxes be author- ized to receive the taxes for the ensuing year at such places as he shall designate, on or be- fore the fifteenth day of October; that interest be charged on all taxes remaining unpaid on said fifteenth day of October, at the rate of six per cent. per annum, and such rate shall continue until otherwise ordered by the town, and all taxes and interest remaining unpaid on the first day of January following, shall be
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collected forthwith by legal process, and the Collector is hereby authorized to collect by legal process all taxes of previous years' out- standing.
March 5. Voted, That the Tax Collector be authorized to use all means for collecting taxes which a Town Treasurer, when appointed Collector, may. use.
March 5. On motion of Charles S. Davis, Voted, That the Selectmen be instructed to expend such sums of money on the paths, walks and neglected lots, on Burial Hill, as they think necessary, and charge the same to the Cemetery account.
March 5. Voted, That the sum of one hundred and six thousand three hundred and nine and 44-100 ($106,309.44) be raised and assessed upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the town of Plymouth, and upon the estates of non- residents, to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
June 19. On motion of Dr. E. D. Hill, Voted, That the Selectmen be authorized to regrade and maca- damize Sandwich street between Jabez Corner and the driveway of Eben D. Jordan at Chil- tonville.
June 19. Voted, That the Selectmen be authorized to bor- row the sum of ($9,000) nine thousand dol- lars, and to issue therefor the note or notes of the town, bearing interest at a rate not ex- ceeding four per cent. per annum, payable semi- annually. Said note or notes to be paid in ten years in equal annual payments of ($900) nine hundred each. The said note or notes to be signed by the Treasurer, and approved by a
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majority of the Selectmen. There were one hundred and forty voting in the affirmative, and four in the negative, and the motion was declared carried, more than two-thirds hav- ing voted in the affirmative.
June 19. On motion of Joseph Barnes, Voted, That the town appropriate the sum of ($500) five hundred dollars, to be expended in improve- ments on Burial Hill.
June 19. Voted, That the town appropriate the sum of ($800) eight hundred dollars for sidewalks.
June 19.
On motion of H. M. Saunders, Voted, That the Selectmen be, and are hereby authorized to convey to Anthony McNamara for such sum as they think proper, a strip of land twenty feet wide, running from Alden street, to land of Anthony McNamara and parellel with Michael Casey's line, said lot being a part of the Alden street schoolhouse lot.
June 19.
Voted, That the following by-laws be, and are hereby adopted. All dealers in, and keepers of shops for the purchase, sale, or barter of junk or old metals in this town, shall be licensed by the Selectmen. Every keeper of a shop for the purchase, sale or barter of junk, or old metals within this town, shall keep a book, in which shall be written, at the time of every purchase of any such article, the de- scription thereof, the name, age and residence of the party from whom, and the day and hour when such purchase was made, and such book shall at all times be open to the inspection of the Selectmen, or any person by them author- ized to make such inspection, and every keep-
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er of such shop shall put in some suitable and conspicuous place on his shop a sign having his name and occupation legibly inscribed thereon in large letters; such shop and all arti- cles of merchandise therein may at all times be examined by the Selectmen, or by any per- son by them authorized to make such exami- nation, and no article purchased or received shall be sold until a period of at least one week has elapsed from the date of its purchase or receipt.
No keeper of such shop shall directly or in- directly purchase or receive by way of barter, or exchange, any of the articles, aforesaid, of a minor, knowing, or having reason to believe him to be such.
June 19. Voted, That the sum of one hundred seven thous- sand six hundred nine and 44-100 dollars ($107,609.44) be raised and assessed upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the Town of Plymouth, and upon the estates of non-residents, to defray the expenses of the Town for the ensuing year.
REPORT OF SELECTMEN.
The Selectmen respectfully submit the following reports for the year ending December 31, 1900:
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
The roads of a town or city are certain tests of the degree of its civilization and prosperity. The condition of the roads influences to a great extent our relations with our neighboring towns. With good, hard roads from Carver, Wareham, Tremont and Sandwich, the increase of business and taxable property, along said roads, would in a very short time pay large dividends on the cost of construction and maintenance.
Early in the year Mr. Jordan suggested that the town build a macadam road from Jabez Corner to "The Forges," his place in Chiltonville, agreeing to pay $2,500 of the cost of building. At a special town meeting in June the town voted $9,000 for that purpose. The contract was awarded to the Massachusetts Broken Stone Co., of Boston, and under the direction of Mr. Pierce, of Plymouth. The road is nearly completed and open for travel. The county com- missioners assumed all land damages, and on petition from the selectmen defined bounds where necessary. They laid out a new road around Benson's Hill and abandoned the old way. This is a good road and we believe it will wear well
for many years, with very little cost for repairs. The Board hope that this is only the beginning of permanent good roads, and that the town will annually appropriate enough money to macadamize one mile, as is being done in many towns and cities in the State and county.
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In general, the streets in District No. I, that is, the town proper, are in comparatively good condition, but they require constant care and expense to keep them so. Good material for road building being scarce, and on account of the hilly nature of the country, the covering is being constantly washed away into the gutters and carted off. With a steam crusher and roller of our own, all our principally travelled streets could be permanently repaired at a very slight cost over our present system, besides the many advantages of having at all times good roads. Much needed and great improvements have been made on the Halfway Pond and Sandwich roads, and the roads in District No. 6, during the past year. Water street is in bad condition, and on account of the heavy traffic on that street the Board would recom- mend that the town appropriate a separate appropriation for macadamizing Water street from the foundry to the depot. Improvement on Main, Market and Sandwich streets, by the electric road changing the rough stone paving for mac- adam, is very marked, and it is proving very satisfactory. It was necessary for the company, in laying new rails from Hotel Pilgrim to the Samoset House, to open the streets. We feel that they have endeavored to comply with the wishes of the Board, and the town is to be congratulated in the thorough manner in which they have done their work and the improvement in the condition of the streets between the rails and switches.
STANDISH AVENUE.
There has already been expended on Standish avenue $12,- 590.97. There are many places where it has not been graded over twenty to thirty feet, and it has yet to be cov- ered the entire distance. We recommend an appropriation of $1,500 for Standish avenue.
The bridge over Eel River on River street is in bad con- dition and will have to be rebuilt very soon. We recom-
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mend an appropriation of $1,500 for the building of a stone arch bridge, to be built about twenty-five feet south of the present structure, thereby widening and straightening the road at that point.
SIDEWALKS:
The Board has given special attention to sidewalks, and are unanimously of the opinion that a larger appropriation is needed at our next meeting. Outside of the town side- walks should be built and repaired in many places. The past year there has been laid 8,403 feet of concrete on Mid- dle, Market and Bradford streets, and very extensive repairs on all the concrete sidewalks of the town. The Board feel that it will be more economical to lay brick sidewalks here- after through the business section of the town. If properly laid they last longer and need less repairs than concrete.
There have been laid the past year 758 feet of granite curb- ing on Summer, Court, Sandwich, Middle and Leyden streets, and 1,605 feet of block paving for curbing purposes on Summer, Court, Water, Bradford and Leyden streets and Willard Place. This is much less expensive and answers all purposes. The Board feel that it is but a waste of money to build sidewalks without some form of curbing. A new sidewalk was built from the Manomet road to White Horse Beach. It was covered with crushed stone, which is much appreciated by those who have occasion to use it. If we have a petition for another sidewalk, to extend from the State road to Manomet Point, we think this should be built. Six street crossings have been laid, two on Main street, one on Court, two on Sandwich, and one on Pleasant street. Two more are needed on Main street.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We recommend that the town buy a steam crusher and roller ; that all material be put on the roads before the first of
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May; that the town do its own street sprinkling, using the town horses for that purpose from May Ist to Oct. Ist. The town would be greatly benefitted by this system. Not only would it be a great convenience to the citizens and mer- chants, but also it would be a great saving to our streets.
There has been expended upon our roads and bridges the past year $15,546.90, outside of the $9,000 appropriated for the macadam road to Chiltonville.
We ask for an appropriation of $14,000 for the coming year, for streets ; $4,000 for sidewalks; $1,500 for new roads. With our largely increased summer population, with their automobiles and fine turnouts, there is a constantly increased demand for better roads, and it seems to your Board that in this direction the town should be liberal, as it will be the means of attracting still more to come and build and be per- manent taxpayers.
ROAD INDEX.
The Hon. William T. Davis, who was employed by the former board of selectmen to make a uniform index of the proceedings of the Town and County Commissioners in laying out streets, ways, highways and roads, has completed the work, at a cost of $132.
GUIDE BOARDS.
In accordance with the provisions of Chapter 53, Section 2, of the Public Statutes, the Board publish the following list of guide boards of the town :
One each at the junction of Summer and Billington streets, North Carver and West Pond roads, Wenham and Plympton roads, North Carver and Wenham roads, Dunham and South Meadow roads, South and Pleasant streets, Long Pond and Mast roads, Halfway Pond river, Halfway Pond and Wareham road, Long Pond road, near residence of F. A. Hatch, Long Pond road at Shaw place, Morton's Corner.
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Bramhall's store, Doten road, Warren avenue and Clifford street, Manomet and Rocky Hill road, Manomet and Taylor road, Manomet and Point road, Manomet and Indian Brook road, Sandwich and Island Pond road, Sandwich and Clark road, Long Pond and Jordan road, Russell Mills and Jordan road, Doten and State road, two on Beaver Dam road, two on Sandwich road, near Chamberlain place, three at Ellis- ville, and five at Cedarville.
VALUATION OF PROPERTY.
6 horses,
$750 00
2 2-horse carts,
275 00
3 I-horse carts,
150 00
I I-horse wagon,
35 00
I 2-horse wagon,
50 00
I democrat wagon,
65 00
I Concord buggy,
80 00
I stone drag,
25 00
I road machine,
225 00
I road roller,
300 00
Harnesses,
245 00
2 plows,
50 00
2 snow plows,
125 00
I sleigh,
15 00
Tools, 30 00
STREET LIGHTING.
The conditions in this department have been far from sat- isfactory during the past year. The distribution plant has been sadly out of repair, and complaints have been numerous, lights out being the report of frequent occurrence. Much of the trouble was no doubt caused by the necessity of chang- ing the wires from old poles to new ones on the line of the electric railway, but the work has been done in a thorough manner, as shown by the increased power of the lights in that section.
Plymouth 2
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There has been an- enclosed arc light placed at the foot of Spring Hill, as an experiment, and the Board are much pleased with the lighting power of the same, and believe that there should be quite a number of them through the center of the town, but the Light Co. are not ready at the preesnt time to furnish them. There are numerous calls for more lights, which will undoubtedly call for an increased expendi- ture in the near future.
SEWERS.
There have been laid during the past year 1,331 feet of sewer pipe, as follows : In Summer street, from Oak toward Billington, 383 ft. 8 in .; in Sever street, from Russell, 362 ft. 8 in .; in Russell street, 470 ft. 8 in .; in Franklin street, 116 ft. 6 in. Total expense on account of sewers, $1,321.55.
In accordance with a vote of the town passed March 5, 1900; the selectmen employed Mr. Walter H. Sears, who has made a survey and plan for sewer for the north end of the town, and reported as follows :
COPY.
PLYMOUTH, Aug. 10, 1900.
Mr. H. M. Saunders,
Chairman Board of Selectmen,
Plymouth,
Dear Sir :
At your request I have examined the location and made the necessary surveys for the proposed sewer in Court street, from the vicinity of Cold Spring, northerly, to the Kingston line, and beg leave to report as follows, with plan.
It appears that the Plymouth Cordage Co. has recently constructed a sewer from the vicinity of Spooner street, northerly, which practically provides for this section, and this part of Court street is therefore not considered in this report.
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There are two principal depressions or valleys across Court street in the section remaining under consideration : one near the crossing of the Plymouth & Middleboro railroad and the other near the residence of Mr. B. Hedge. For economy of construction these two valleys should be drained separately, each with its own outlet to the sea. The first, or southerly section, would include Court street from near No. 150, northerly, to the vicinity of and including Hall's Lane.
A part of Nelson street would be drained toward Court street, and a part from the low point in the street into the outlet sewer at a suitable point, in the low ground, between Court street and the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R.
The outlet to this section, beginning at Court street, near the P. & M. R. R., follows the low ground, and crossing under the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. reaches high water mark about 1,670 feet from Court street. Four hundred feet fur- ther would carry the sewage to an outlet near low water mark.
The second, or northerly section, would extend from near the road to Mr. Robbins' lumber yard, northerly, to the out- let, near the residence of Mr. Hedge, connecting with branch sewers in all side streets.
Standish avenue is not included in this present estimate, but it may be connected with the side streets, as sewers may be required, hereafter, from time to time.
The outlet to this section, beginning at Court street, on land of Mr. Hedge, would follow the low ground, as in the case of the southerly outlet, crossing under the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., and thence, on the northerly side of the pond, to the sea.
The length of this outlet would be about 2,050 feet to high water mark and thence about 400 feet to a desirable outlet near low water mark.
It will probably not be necessary to lay these outlet sewers
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at any greater depth than is sufficient to protect them from the action of frost, except at the railroad crossings, etc.
The estimate of cost submitted herewith, is based on using vitrified drain pipe for the principal sewers. The pipe be- low high water mark to the sea, should be cast iron.
The sizes of sewer pipes to be laid would be 8 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch and 15 inch. Manholes of ample size are pro- vided at all intersecting streets and approximately 350 feet apart in other sections where no streets require them.
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