USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1906-1908 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
天神
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/annualreportoft1906unse_0
Town of PLYMOUTH
Report of the Town Officers for the year 1906
1820.
SSACHU
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE
TOWN OF PLYMOUTH
FOR THE
Year Ending December 3 I
1906
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
1620.
PLYMOUTH, MASS.
SSA
O
L
.....
PLYMOUTH THE MEMORIAL PRESS I907.
INDEX.
Abstract of Records
7
Police Department 105
Assessor's Report
49
Public Library Report 86
Auditors' Report
48
School Department 111
Board of Health
100
Selectmen's Report
13
Cemetery Supt.'s Report 83
Town Clerk's Report 54
Fire Department
78
Town Officers
3
Forester's Report
93
Treasurer's Report
31
Inspector of Animals Report
85
Tree Warden's Report 97
List of Jurors
153
Warrant for Annual Town
Overseers of the Poor Report 51
Meeting 147
Park Commissioners' Report 90 Water Department 159
1
145
TOWN OFFICERS.
Selectmen-Frederick D. Bartlett, Charles C. Doten, Dexter H. Craig, George W. Bradford, Charles W. Eaton.
Town Clerk-Edward L. Burgess.
Town Treasurer-Edward L. Burgess.
Auditor-Frank D. Bartlett.
Collector of Taxes-Herbert W. Bartlett.
Clerk of Selectmen-Herbert W. Bartlett.
Assessors-John C. Cave, chosen 1905, for three years; George Harlow, chosen 1906, for three years; James C. Bates, chosen 1904, for three years.
Overseers of the Poor-William T. Eldridge, chosen 1905, for three years; Herbert W. Bartlett, chosen 1906, for three years; Charles A. Strong, chosen 1904, for three years.
Water Commissioners-Walter A. H. Jones and John W. Churchill, chosen 1906, for three years; Horace P. Bailey and Charles T. Holmes, chosen 1905, for three years; John H. Damon, chosen 1904, for three years.
School Committee-Eugene P. Rowell and J. Holbrook Shaw, chosen 1906, for three years; Elizabeth Thurber and
-4-
Joseph T. Collingwood, chosen 1905, for three years; Frank H. Perkins and Increase Robinson chosen 1904, for three years.
Burial Hill Committed-Selectmen.
Agawam Fishery Committee-Frank Harlow, Alfred Holmes, Harrison O. Barnes.
Park Commissioners-Thomas R. Watson, chosen 1904, for three years; George R. Briggs, chosen 1906, for three years; Walter H. Sears, chosen 1905, for three years.
Surveyors and Measurers of Lumber-Edward B. At- wood, Cornelius C. Holmes.
Sealer of Weights and Measures-William T. Eldridge. Beach Committee-Selectmen.
Superintendent of Strects -- Stillman R. Sampson.
Field Drivers and Fence Viervers-Hosea C. Bartlett, Charles H. Raymond, Lewis F. Smith.
Superintendent of Water Works-Arthur E. Blackmer. Collector of Water Rates-N. Reeves Jackson.
Pound Keeper-Hosea C. Bartlett.
Committee on Inland Fisheries-Edgar D. Hill. Lewis W. Edson, William C. Hathaway.
Harbor Master-Ellis Whiting Harlow.
Board of Registration-C. H. Sherman, appointed in place of C. H. Holmes, appointed in 1904, for three years;
-5- 1
Herbert W. Clark, appointed 1905, for three years; Nathan- iel G. Lanman, appointed in place of Alfred S. Burns, ap- pointed in place of Frederick D. Bartlett, appointed 1904, for three years; Edward L. Burgess.
Superintendent of Oak Grove and Vine Hills Cemeteries, and Burial Hill-Edward F. Stranger.
Sexton-Winslow S. Holmes.
Superintendent of Almshouse-Obed C. Pratt.
Board of Health-Harry B. Davis, chosen 1906, for three years; Percy Lothrop, chosen 1904, for three years; Free- man Manter, chosen 1905, for three years.
Board of Engineers-Ephraim D. Bartlett, Isaac L. Hedge, John E. Sullivan, James S. Kierstead and Alton D. Edes.
Superintendent of Chilionville Cemetery-Chas. Rogers. Superintendent of Manomet Cemetery-Geo. A. Manter.
Superintendent of Cedarville Cemetery-Charles E. Kim- ball.
Constables-Michael Casey, Samuel Ferguson, Benjamin F. Goddard, Edward Manter, Freeman Manter, Augustine J. Hogan and William H. Geodecke.
Chief of Police-Benjamin F. Goddard.
Committee on Sewerage-Selectmen.
Tree Warden-George R. Briggs. Forester-George R. Briggs.
-6-
List of Deputy Forest Fire Wards, 1905-Henry O. Whiting; Nehemiah L. Savery, Nathaniel T. Clark, Elk- anah Finney, Gustavus G. Sampson, Frank L. St. George, as- sistant forester; LeBaron R. Barker, D. Edson Raymond, Albert M. Haskell, George H. Blanchard, Andrew J. Ca- hoon, Henry L. Cahoon, Wm. F. Doten, Zenas E. Lang- ford, Ziba R. Ellis, John T. Pierce, William C. Collingwood, Ernest L. Sampson, Benjamin F. Raymond, John H. Marshall, Abbott A. Raymond, Walter H. Brown, Charles E. Maker, Joseph L. Manter, George H. Pierce, John F. Raymond.
ABSTRACT OF RECORDS OF 1906.
MARCH 24.
Voted, That the following names be stricken from the list of Jurors : Charles E. Ames, William Armstrong, John A. Beever, Charles B. Beytes, Edgar N. Broadbent, George E. Chase, Charles G. Churchill, Frederick C. Clark, Alpheus K. Harmon, Allen D. Mckay, Thomas M. Perkins and Charles J. Stegmaier.
Voted, That the list of jurors revised as above be accept- ed.
Voted, That the Town authorize the Treasurer under the direction of the Selectmen to borrow money in anticipation of taxes, and for disbursement under the law relating to State Aid and Military Aid, and to defray the expenses of the Town after January I, 1907.
Frederick D. Bartlett moved that the sum of fifty-five hundred dollars be appropriated for the Watch and Police.
James B. Collingwood moved to amend the above motion by reducing the amount to forty-five hundred dollars, and the motion was carried.
On motion of Isaac M. Jackson, Voted, That the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars be appropriated to pay the ex- penses of Memorial Day.
-8-
On motion of William Hedge, Voted, That the Dog Fund, amounting to one thousand four hundred twenty-four dollars and forty-one cents ($1,421.41), and the additional sum of seventy-five dollars fifty nine cents ($75.59) be ap- propriated for the use of the Public Library.
On motion of Frederick D. Bartlett, Voted, To 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 terms as they may deem ex- pedient for the interests of the Town.
On motion of George R. Briggs, Voted, That the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750.00) be appropriated for the care and improvement of the public parks.
George R. Briggs moved that sum of one hundred and seventy-five dollars ($175.00) be appropriated for the care and improvement of Training Green.
Elkanah Finney moved to amend the above motion by ad- ding seventy-five dollars ($75.00), making the amount two hundred and fifty dollars ($250.00), and the motion was carried.
On motion of William S. Kyle, Voted, That the undrawn balance of the appropriation for heating and plumbing at the High School be transferred to the regular school ac- count.
On motion of Frederick D. Bartlett, Voted, That the un- drawn balance of four hundred sixty-seven and forty one- hundredths dollars ($467.40) on the Newfield street sewer, be transferred to the regular sewer account.
On motion of Ephraim D. Bartlett, Voted, That the un- drawn balance of thirty-one and nineteen one-hundredths
-9-
dollars on the Central Engine House be transferred to the regular Fire Department account.
On motion of Frederick D. Bartlett, Voted, That the Town accept and allow the layout of Towns street, from Stafford street to South street, as laid out by the Selectmen and reported to the Town.
On motion of Isaac M. Jackson, Voted, That the subject matter of this article be referred to a committee of three, to be appointed by the Moderator, to consider the whole ques- tion of the auditing of the accounts of the Town, with in- structions to report at the adjournment of this meeting, or at the next meeting of the Town.
On motion of William T. Davis, Voted, That the Select- men be authorized to build in the Town House a commodi- ous brick safe for the protection and preservation of the town records and archives; and that they be further author- ized, if they they think it advisable, to remove the safe in the Treasurer's office, leaving a sufficient support for the safe on the second story, and to arrange the future occupancy of the present rooms of the Treasurer and Selectmen in such a manner as they shall see fit, the cost of the whole to be charged to the contingent account.
Frederick D. Bartlett moved, that the following by-laws be adopted :
Section 1 .- Any person holding, occupying or interested in any lot in the public burial place of the Town, may de- posit with the Town Treasurer any sum of money, not ex- ceeding one thousand dollars, which sum so deposited, shall forever be held as a fund for the purpose of providing for the preservation and care of such lot and its appurtenances. The person making such deposit shall at the same time des-
ignate in writing the name of the cemetery in which the lot to be cared for is located, the number and specific loca- tion of the same, and the name of the person in whom the right or title thereof stands; and the Town Treasurer shall deliver to such depositor a receipt setting forth the same, and the purpose of said deposit.
Section 2 .- The income from each deposit, already made, or to be hereafter made, shall be expended under the direc- tion of the Selectmen in providing for the preservation and care of the lot designated with such deposit, or the appurte- nances thereto belonging, as provided in section I.
Section 3 .- A separate account shall be kept with each deposit thus. made, all labor or material being charged to each account, and the interest on each account being credited as received, semi-annually, from the Town Treasurer.
Section 4 .- All deposits shall be invested by the Town Treasurer under the direction of the Selectmen.
William W. Brewster moved that this article be indefi- nately postponed, and the motion was carried.
John W. Churchill moved that a committee of seven, of whom the Moderator shall be one, be appointed by the Mod- erator to consider the question of a meter system for water, including water rates, and if in their investigations the com- mittee consider it necessary, to consider also the question of an additional supply of water.
Charles H. Raymond moved that this article be indefi- nately postponed, and the motion was carried.
On motion of William W. Brewster, Voted, To authorize the Selectmen to declare, from time to time, a close season
-II-
for shell fish in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 282, of the Acts of 1904.
On motion of William W. Brewster, Voted, That the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) be appropriated for the cultivation, propagation and protection of shell fish.
On motion of William W. Brewster, Voted, That the town request the Selectmen to observe the following rules in granting all future license, under Chapter 195 of the Acts of 1870:
No license shall be given to any inhabitant covering ground which is already well-stocked, or seeded or for a larger area than one acre. Every license shall be given upon the condition that the licensee shall, under the direction of the Selectmen, mark the boundaries of his grant by posts or other suitable monuments, and the clams taken shall not be disposed of out of the limits of the Town, except to be used for bait, and the license shall not be assignable except with the consent of the Board of Selectmen.
The Selectmen shall require of each licensee satisfactory security that he will, at the expiration of the term of his grant, leave the ground well-stocked with clams.
On motion of Edward L. Burgess, Voted, That the Col- lector of Taxes be authorized to receive the taxes for the. ensuing year at such places as he shall designate on or before the fifteenth day of October, that interest be charged on all taxes remaining unpaid on the said fifteenth day ot 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 collected forthwith by
-12-
legal process, and the Collector is hereby authorized to col- lect at once by legal process all taxes of previous years out- standing.
Voted, That the sum of one hundred thirty-seven thou- sand six hundred seventeen and 67-100 ($137,617.67) dollars be raised and assessed upon the polls and estates ot 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 the Selectmen.
Report of the Selectmen for the year ending December 3Ist, 1906.
Last year's report called attention to the unsatisfactory accommodations at the Town House for the departments having offices there, and to the inadequacy of the vaults for the safe and orderly keeping of the Town Records, both of which had been apparent for a long time to the occupants of the Town House, and those citizens having business there.
At the Town Meeting, March 24th, 1906, on motion of William T. Davis, it was voted "That the Selectmen be au- thorized to build in the Town House a commodious brick safe for the protection of the Town records and archives, and that they be further authorized if they think it advisable to remove the safe in the Treasurer's office, leaving a sufficient support for the safe on the second story, and to arrange the future occupancy of the present rooms of the Treasurer and Selectmen in such a manner as they shall see fit, the cost of the whole to be charged to the contingent account.
It was found by your Board that a safe or vault of suf- ficient size could not be built in the Town House without encroaching too much on the already limited room therein, and after full consideration it was decided to build it outside, between the Town House and the Bradford house, occupied by the Water and School departments, opening from the Selectmen's room. A vault seven by twelve feet inside, on a
-14-
concrete foundation extending to the level of the basement floor, has therefore been built. The construction is a Port- land cement concrete wall one foot thick and an eight-inch brick wall inside, with a two-inch air space between. The roof is of concrete and tinned, and the outer walls are cov- ered with metal clapboards. The inner walls are of white enamelled brick, and the ceiling is plastered on expanded · metal lathing; the floor being concrete.
The fittings, consisting of shelving, document files, card in- dex drawers, pigeon holes, etc. are of metal, and allow of convenient and systematic arrangement of the contents of the vault. There is also a small safe in the vault.
In rearranging the occupancy of the rooms of the Treas- urer and Selectmen your Board found that it would be more practical and far preferable to remove the vault in the sec- ond story as well as the one in the Treasurer's room, which was therefore done, and a good sized, fire proof safe bought for the use of the Assessors, who had formerly used the sec- ond story vault. As rearranged, the Treasurer now occu- pies with the Collector of water rates the whole of the south- westerly side of the lower floor of the Town House, the new vault opening out of this room. A small private office is partitioned off in one corner of the room. The Tax Col- lector's office is now in the front part of the northeasterly side of the lower story, and back of his office, and made possi- ble by the removal of the two old vaults, is the Selectmen's room. The removal of the old stairs allowed making a very good room in the easterly corner of the second story, which has been utilized by the Assessors for their working quarters. and they also have a small office adjoining, part of their old room. The larger part of the Assessor's old room is now occupied by the Board of Health and Sealer of Weights and Measures.
A toilet room has been installed on each floor.
There is no change in the old caucus room. The total
-15-
cost of the work is $4,898.47, as itemized below, and the result is convenient and comfortable offices for the occupants of the Town House, and those having business there, and a vault where the Town records are safe from fire and easily accessible to those consulting them. The new offices and vault should supply the needs of the Town in that direction for ten to twenty years.
VAULT.
George W. Bradford, mason work, $813 61
H. P. Bailey & Sons, tinning roof. 29 81
Peleg S. Burgess, carpenter work, 56 25
H. D. Leland, electric lights,
13 40
Edward B. Atwood, lumber, 42 32
Art Metal Construction Co., fittings.
310 00
$1.265 39
CHANGES IN TOWN HOUSE.
Joseph Barnes, carpenter work, $1,520 03
Lothrop A. Bradford, mason work. 328 20
John E. Jordan, plumbing, gas piping and furnace work, 412 56
Caleb R. Raymond, painting and paper hanging, 330 77
Diebold Safe & Lock Co., safe for Assessors, 185 00
D. H. Craig, carting safe from depot and plac- ing in Town House, 25 00
Freight on safe, 3 77
Arthur B. Curtis, vault door and small safe, 150 00
J. Williams Beal, architect 100 00
-16-
Jas. B. Collingwood & Sons, furniture and linoleum, 85 40 Plymouth Electric light Co., wiring and fixtures, 188 84 William N. Snow, furniture and linoleum, 146 25 B. O. Strong & Son, curtains,
19 40
Geo. H. Magee repairing furniture,
29 35
John W. Herrick, sorting and arranging books and papers, 19 25
Carting rubbish from Town House (Town teams) 54 94
Winslow S. Holmes, extra janitor work, 28 39
Thos. J. Kennedy, help for janitor, 2 10
Bradford Joint Co., machinist labor, 3 83
$3,633 08
There was some unexpected expense in making the Town House changes, caused by the almost worthless condition of the clapboards and some of the window frames on the south- easterly side of the building and some broken and worn out furnace parts. The cost of these items, probably about $200, is included in the "Town House changes," although they would have been necessary if no changes had been made. There were 12,000 to 15,000 good bricks recovered from the old vaults, worth $75 to the Town. Some of them have been used for sewer man-holes and they are as good as new for that purpose.
ROADS AND BRIDGES.
In the fall of 1905 the stone crusher was moved from Manomet where it had lain idle for several years and located on the Town lot on South street, near which location there was a large accumulation of stone taken from the gravel pit owed by Augustus T. Caswell where the Town had taken out road material. A contract was made with Mr. Caswell for the stone and also with Zoeth Clark for the stone at his
-17-
gravel pit off Alden street. It was planned to crush in the spring of 1906 the first lot of stone and move the crusher to the Alden street pit in season to crush at least enough stone there to redress Court street from Park avenue to Lothrop street. The crusher was run for a number of weeks, but it was found that the rush of regular work which comes in the road department in the spring and the limited capacity and inconvenient arrangement of the bins would not permit of operating it to the best advantage. It was therefore decided to postopone the redressing of Court street another season until the material could be obtained from the Alden street pit, and the crusher was stopped until there was a slack time in the road department work. This latter came in the fall when the crusher was again operated for several weeks, be- ing then taken to the Alden street pit. At this location the bins have been remodelled and enlarged and the whole plant put in such condition as to allow its being operated far more economically than heretofore. About 2,300 tons of stone were crushed, of which there are 1,200 tons on hand now.
That part of the Jordan Road from Terry's corner north- erly to near the Hayden mill and in two or three places be- tween the mill and Chiltonville post office went to pieces so badly last spring that extensive repairs were necessary, the expense being $672.82 exclusive of the 650 tons of crushed stone. The long haul from South street contributed large- ly to the expense. This road shows such signs of wear in many other places as to make it evident that further repairs will be necessary during the next few years.
Hamilton street has been graded, gravelled, gutters paved and sidewalks built at a cost of $750.
Union street from Water street to Bradford, has been macadamized, converting what was frequently a slough hole into a good road at all times. The two bad' gutters across Water street, at the foundry corner and between there and Sandwich street have been done away with.
Plymouth 2
-18-
Vernon street, between Court and Allerton streets, has been gravelled. North Park avenue has been gravelled and the sidewalk graded and covered with gravel and crushed stone. The expense of this, about $140. is to be paid by the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co.
The Holmes Town Road has been relocated to a point just beyond the brook between Fresh Pond and the Manomet Cranberry Co. bog, and has been widened and the grade changed at some points. The South Pond Road has been widened and graded at the corner near the Manter place. The balance of the approximately 160 miles of road cared for by the Town has been kept in repair to the extent of the appropriation. One team horse has been purchased for $250 to replace one that it was necessary to kill, and a two seated democrat wagon has been bought at an expense of $85 and the old wagon.
The bridge over Red Brook has been rebuilt, the expense being divided between our Town and Wareham.
The breaking of the Plymouth Mills dam and consequent flood Sept. 24 washed away some of the stone bounds on Newfields street between Summer street and the bridge over Town Brook. The street at this point is of varying width with several angles in the lines, and it seemed an opportune time to remedy those defects. An alteration to a uniform width of forty feet in a straight line from Summer street to the bridge has therefore been made by the Selectmen and will be brought before the Town for acceptance at the meet- ing March 23. 1907.
The expenditures in the road department have been, $22,928 21
Appropriation for 1906 was, $19,500 00
Reimbursements have been, 3,001 88
$22,501 88
Overdrawn,
$426 33
-19-
Of this overdraft there is $140.19 due from the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co., for work on Park avenue, reducing it to $286.14. The overdraft is regretted by the Board, as close watch of the appropriation throughout the season so as not to exceed it led them to believe that they were keeping with- in bounds. One great difficulty in keeping tabs on the road appropriation is the custom which has obtained with some of letting their bills against the Town run for a whole year before presenting them, a custom which should be discon- tinued immediately. As an offset to the overdraft there are 1,200 tons crushed stone on hand, worth from $1.600 to $1,800 and the improvements to the crusher plant, costing four or five hundred dollars.
We recommend an appropriation of $20,000 for the com- ing year, and $426.33 to meet the overdraft.
NEW ROADS.
Town street has been graded, gravelled and sidewalks built at a cost of $801.04, which includes $150 for a piece of land purchased to take care of the surface water from the street.
Murray street, altered by the Selectmen in 1902 and ac- cepted by the Town, has been worked to its altered width of 35 feet, a sidewalk with paved gutter being built on the southerly side and a concrete retaining wall across the end of the American Woolen Co., weave shed. The cost was $616.82.
Summer street and Mill Lane :- June 29th, 1903, the Se- lectmen petitioned the County Commissioners to relocate these two streets, which has been done under decree dated July 27, 1906. The land damages awarded aggregate $2,- 700, of which $2,100 was for the Hall property, so-called,
-- 20-
between Summer street and Mill Lane. To ensure the land damage being as low as possible the Hall property was pur- chased by a number of citizens in Dec. 1905 at a cost of $2 .- 000. This with the accrued interest and expenses, less rents collected, amounted to $2,061.90, which sum has been paid by the Town Treasurer. This item, which was not provided for in the appropriation for New Roads. accounts for prac- tically all of the overdraft.
Plans for the improvement and widening of Summer street between the head of Mill Lane and the foot of the street are now being prepared.
Russell street was relocated by the County Commissioners in 1905 and the work on this street has consisted of laying a concrete curb from the upper end of the Registry of Deeds lot to Court street. The sidewalk in front of the Registry lot was laid by the County. The balance of the sidewalk to Court street is to be built by the Town as soon as the matter of removal of the large tree near the foot of the street is de- cided by the Tree Warden.
In widening Billington street, the material being used in filling on Oak street, there has been expended $191.13. The expenditures on New Roads have been, $3.745 71 The undrawn balance of 1905 was, $38 75 Appropriation. 1,500 00
$1.538 75
Overdrawn. $2.206 96
We recommend an appropriation of $5.000 for the com- ing year and $2,206.96 to balance the overdraft.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.