USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1875 > Part 1
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16.7.1
TWENTY-THIRD
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THE
TOWN OF SWAMPSCOTT,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 1875.
LYNN : THOS. P. NICHOLS, PRINTER, No. 24 MARKET STREET. 1875.
1
ת
TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
AUDITING COMMITTEE
OF THE
TOWN OF SWAMPSCOTT,
FOR THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 1875.
LYNN : THOS. P. NICHOLS, PRINTER. No. 24 MARKET STREET. 1875.
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens of Swampscott :
The Committee appointed to examine the accounts in the vari- ous departments of the town have attended to that duty, and herewith respectfully present their Annual Report. Our labors have been greatly facilitated by the careful manner in which each department has been numbered and arranged by itself in the "' Ready Reference File."
E. E. BOYNTON,
D. W. FULLER,
Auditing
F. O. ELLIS,
Committee.
The Assessors' valuation of the town, May 1, 1874, is as follows :
Real estate . $2,028,875 00
Personal estate
457,260 00
Total $2,486,135 00
State Tax
2,760 00
County Tax
1,900 75
Town Tax .
23,914 56
Rate of taxation
$1.10 on $100
Number of polls
612
Total tax on polls
1,224 00
Number of dwelling-houses .
447
Acres of land .
1537
Horses
195
Cows
101
Sheep
15
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
STATEMENT OF TOWN DEBT.
E. Proctor .
$600 00
E. Knowles 250 00
W. Small . 500 00
Coffin & Boyce 3,000 00
C. F. Coffin
28,000 00
D. Newhall (estate)
500 00
M. Wilson .
1,200 00
Blaney & Phillips
1,000 00
H. Martin, Jr.
1,000 00
J. T. Hooper 874 80
J. Smith 300 00
Provident Institution for Savings 4,500 00
First Congregational Society 1,218 00
Lynn Five Cents Savings Institution 2,500 00
P. A. Chase . 6,000 00
Outstanding orders 272 85
Total
$51,715 65
The balance of uncollected taxes is as follows :
J. Harding, 1872 $119 38
J. Harding, 1873 2,511 45
Wm. Seger, 1874
5,781 72
Total tax uncollected $8,412 55
Due on State Aid $616 00
Cash in Treasury 1,307 33
Value of public property . 38,200 00
$40.123 33
$48,535 88-
Total amount of bills paid during the year, Selectmen's Department . $19,930 10
5
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Receipts and Expenditures.
SELECTMEN'S DEPARTMENT.
. Appropriation $2,000 00
EXPENDITURES.
C. F. Bessom (est.,) printing Assessors' Report . $91 80
printing Auditor's Report . 70 90
printing tax bills . 16 75
Thomas Breare, plan book 5 00
Salem Observer, printing . 2 00
George F. King, envelopes
1 25
F. W. Atkins, copying
5 00
D. G. Frazer, distributing Reports . 6 50
D. P. Stimpson, stamps, box rent, deeds, etc. 11 84
Town of Marblehead, tax on gravel pit . 7 59
W. H. Coates, copy of record . 2 00
Chas. A. Hammond, surveying, etc. 113 00
Chas. A. Hammond, surveying boundary line 18 00
S. R. Rogers & Son, surveying, 1873 .
39 50
Newhall & Harmon, legal services . 71 50
Mary S. Belcher, damage to furniture 100 25
James Hartshorn, tax refunded
17 20
James Hanley, lease of land
50 00
Geo. H. Holden, sundries 23 99
S. C. Pitman, labor on Cherry Street . 257 00
S. C. Pitman, grading New Ocean Street
128 00
S. C. Pitman, labor on Redington St. and Court . 50 17
John Chapman, repairing
2 60
Wm. Seger, stationery, stamps and copying .
35 00
Amount carried forward, $1,126 84
4
6
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward, $1,126 84
Benjamin Potter, services as Selectman 150 00
J. S. Higgins, services as Selectman 75 00
Allen Rowe, services as Selectman 75 00
Wm. Seger, services as Assessor 95 00
Geo. Towns, services as Assessor 35 00
James A. Knowlton, Assessor, 1873
35 00
Thos. E. Stone, services as Assessor, 1873
35 00
Wm. Seger, Collector and Treasurer 350 00
Benj. Potter, services as Secretary . 75 00
Geo. H. Holden, services as Town Clerk 75 00
Geo. H. Holden, recording births and deaths . 34 65
E. E. Boynton, Auditing Committee and extra labor, copying, etc., 1873 20 00
F. O. Ellis, Auditing Committee, 1873 . 10 00
Frank M. Alley, return of deaths 2 40
Tewksbury & Guilford, examining Methodist Church spire . 25 00
-$2,218 89
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$7,000 00
From State Fund ·
238 27
Rent of hall in Pine Street school-house 75 00
-- $7,313 27
EXPENDITURES.
G. C. Fisher, services as teacher $1,062 34
E. J. Hadley 449 99
C. M. Colcord 261 62
M. E. Larkin
429 06
Sarah Palmer
449 99
F. F. Mott . 449 99
P. M. Williams
164 64
Amount carried forward,
$3,267 63
7
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward,
$3,267 63
E. F. Adams .
375 56
Louise Boynton
18 60
Carrie Roberts
102 32
Abbie Mott
223 24
M. E. Seger
46 50
Etta Heyborn
167 43
Delia P. Beers
309 74
L. Drury
42 82
Samuel W. Clark 102 89
H. W. Fisher, teaching music 30 00
L. Drury, services as Committee 75 00
L. Hayford, services as Committee . 60 00
Ivory Emmons, services as Committee 50 00
L. Delano, janitor at Grammar School
192 60
Geo. Thomas, janitor at Grammar School .
23 00
E. S. Martin, janitor at Grammar School . 152 75 James Bryant, janitor at Pine St. School 100 00 J. H. Hayes, janitor at Farms School . 30 50
Mrs. Casey, janitor at Farms School .
26 00
Betsey Galeucia, janitor at Beach School B. McCarthy, janitor at Essex St. School .
14 50
21 00
R. V. Bessom, janitor at Essex St. School . Ivory Emmons, labor and stock at Pine St. school-house
156 80
do. at Grammar school-house .
86 07
do. at Essex St. school-house . 85 60
do. at Farms school-house . . 31 87
do. at Pine St. school-house . 22 31
do. . sundries .
20 48
S. Armstrong, grading Pine Street lot 125 00
S. Armstrong, building wall, Pine St. lot 150 00
James E. Manning, whitewashing, etc. 100 00
Fellows & Co., painting and graining 137 00
Daniel Lee, repairs 26 34
Joseph L. Ross, desks and chairs
66 00
Choate & Rowe, wood and coal
388 00
Daniel Rowe, sawing and splitting wood
5 00
Amount carried forward,
$6,892 55
60 00
8
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward, $6,892 55
D. E. Lombard, sawing and splitting wood . 3 25
J. L. Hammett, maps, globes and stationery 145 07
W. B. Chase, books, etc. . 57 18
Thos. P. Nichols, printing School Report. .
70 25
T. O. Philbrick, repairs, stoves and pipe . .
23 50
Benj Potter. 900 picks and teaming 19 60
A. E. Mudge, glazing
10 00
L. S. Carter & Co., shades 9 72
L. M. Emerton & Co., repairing lightning rods 9 00
S. N. Breed & Co., lumber 8 76
L. Hayford, stationery, etc. . 6 00
H. M. Norton, labor and stock . 6 00
L. Drary, bells, etc. . 8 76
W. H. Collins, glazing . 5 00
P. Cullen, ash-barrel, etc. 3 55
C. A. Morris, glazing 1 25
C. F. Oliver, tuning organ 2 00
-$7,281 44
ESSEX STREET SCHOOL-HOUSE
Balance of appropriation $550 00
EXPENDITURE.
S. C. Pitman, building wall and grading grounds . $175 00
TOWN LIBRARY.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation $200 00
Received for books loaned
364 20
$564 20
9
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
EXPENDITURES.
Estes & Lauriat, for books
$282 68
N. E. Agency, magazines
18 65
D. P. Stimpson, magazines 3 33
H W. Jones, book .
1 23
Binney & Stimpson, paper 14 65
C. F. Bessom (estate), printing 10 00
W. F. Norcross, stationery
3 85
Breare & Son, binding books .
37 10
Curtis Merritt, services as Librarian, etc. . 177 90
A. F. Nesbett, care of Library 22 24
$571 63
HIGHWAYS. .
Appropriation . $3.500 00
Appropriated for sidewalks 500 00
Appropriated for fences 500 00
-- $4,500 00
EXPENDITURES.
Samuel C. Pitman, teams and labor . $3,131 62
teams and labor 28 00
clearing snow 72 00
P. Cullen, blacksmithing
48 83
L. O. Keefe, blasting
10 26
Daniel Myers, blasting
7 56
B. B. Smith, repairing snow-plow
6 80
Chas. B. Smith. repairing snow-plow 4 00
H. Hall & Co., shovels, etc.
S. C. Pitman, teams and labor, sidewalks 572 12
S. G. Brett, concrete gutters 50 00
S. Flint, drain pipe . 19 44
S. C. Pitman, teams and labor on fences
98 25
4 30
Amount carried forward, $4,053 18
2
10
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward, $4,053 18
P. M. Neal, fencing 75 14
Potter & Gilbert; posts 36 15
J. H. Bradford, labor . 31 49
E. B. Phillips, 45 cedar posts 22 50
E. B. Phillips, 20 gallons oil . 12 00
Gilbert Delano, labor and stock 16 31
P. Cullen, blacksmithing 14 44
L. O. Keefe, drilling 12 25
W. H. Collins, paint 6 95
B. Potter, teaming 4 00
-$4,284 41
CEMETERY.
Appropriation . $100 00
Receipts for lots sold 125 00
Balance of appropriation, 1873 500 00
$725 00
EXPENDITURES.
J. L. Brown, labor . $171 25
W. H. Low, new gate 241 00
T. Hyde, building wall 174 50
C. A. Hammoud, surveying
48 00
Wm. Hayden, tomb door
56 00
S. C. Pitman, trees 32 50
J. F. Story, wall damage
51 00
W. H. Collins, paint, etc.
34 70
J. H. Crosman, service as Undertaker 27 00
C. A. Morris, painting gates 10 00
B. Potter, posts, etc. 11 01
Longley & Mudgett, posts 6 90
Isaac Myrick, locks . 1 30
John S. Higgins, services 25 00
$890 16
11
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.
Appropriation
$600 00
EXPENDITURES.
Taunton Lunatic Hospital, for James Bishop . $200 10 Worcester Lunatic Hospital, Margaret Welch . 207 59 Overseers Poor, Boston, aid to Ellen Burroughs 72 00 J. B. Newcomb, groceries to T. Peabody, 1873 5 00
Philip Short, funeral expenses of George Went- worth's child, 1870 . 8 00
Choate & Rowe, fuel 59 55
Geo. Melzard, labor on body found on beach . 3 00
J. H. Crosman, burial of three infants and A. C. Pinkham's child 20 00
E. C. & J. Litch, groceries to Mrs. W. C. Pierce 2 00
City of Lynn, lodgings for tramps . 2 50
City of Lynn, aid to Mrs. Wm. C. Pierce 10 00
Mrs. Watts, nursing Mrs Woodbury 14 00
G. H. Holden, groceries to Mrs. Travers (State pauper) 8 18
Z. Small, services as Overseer 18 00
J. A. Knowlton, services as Overseer 15 00
D. F. Proctor, services as Overseer 5 00
D. F. Proctor, car fares for tramps
80
$650 72
TOWN HOUSE.
Received for rent of Town Hall . $148 00
EXPENDITURES.
Choate & Rowe, coal and wood . $31 25
Hanford & Phillips, painting flag-staff 29 00
John Binney, lantern 17 50
C. A. Morris, lettering
9 50
Amount carried forward, $87 25
.
12
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward, $87 25
P. Cullen, lantern fixture 10 00
M. R. Twiney, cleaning 6 12
Ivory Emmons, labor
4 00
Lee & Ford, oil, etc.
3 15
May & Withey, grate, etc. . 3 74
John S. Leavitt, cleaning, etc. 14 00
Wm. B. Hardy, janitor, etc. 7 82
A. F. Nesbett, janitor, etc. .
59 39
$195 47
STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
Appropriation . $2,250 00
Balance from Essex Street appropriation . . 1,280 00
--
$3,530 00
EXPENDITURES.
S. C. Pitman, contract on Rockland Street . $1,200 00 S. C. Pitman, labor, etc., on Rockland Street . 131 25
S. C. Pitman, labor, etc., on Rock Avenue . 51 50
Robert Harris, contract on Rock Avenue . . 1,000 00
S. B. Mudge, balance of contract, Essex St. . 950 25
S. R. Rogers & Son, surveying Essex St. 34 50
Eben B. Phillips, gravel, 1872 200 00
-$3,567 50
STREET LAMPS.
Appropriation
$200 00
EXPENDITURES.
Walworth Manufacturing Co., oil, etc $37 38
John Binney, burners . 9 00
C. A. Morris, glazing .
2 30
Otis Ingalls (estate), matches
2 10
Geo. W. Harris, care of lamps 156 00
$206 78
13
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Received for rent of Engine Hall . $50 00
EXPENDITURE.
A. F. Nesbett, care of engine, etc.
$28 24
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
EXPENDITURES.
W. B. Chase, services . 10 00
Thomas Hadley, services 27 25
C. F. Bessom (estate), printing 2 50
$39 75
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Appropriation
$200 00
EXPENDITURES.
T. Hadley, services as Constable
$25 00-
Geo. Farrington, services as Constable 25 00
T. Hadley, police service 117 00
T. Hadley, services as witness (boat case)
59 80
Joseph Stanley, police service
2 00
$228 80
STATE AID.
Received from the State $550 00
EXPENDITURES.
A. M. Widger $48 00
B. Milan
48 00
Amount carried forward, $96 00
14
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
Amount brought forward. $96 00
I. F. Chute
48 00
D. Delano
48 00
H. Johnson
48 00
C. H. Fairbanks 48 00
J. W. Glass 72 00
J. Umber
48 00
J. C. Stimpson
120 00
E. Winslow
48 00
Torrey Peabody
40 00
$616 00
MEMORIAL DAY.
Appropriation
$100 00
EXPENDITURE.
Paid Post 118, G. A. R. $100 00
15
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
RECAPITULATION.
Appropriations and Receipts.
Expenditures.
Selectmen's Department
$2,000 00
$2,218 89
School Department .
7,313 27
7,281 34
Essex Street School House
550 00
175 00
Highways
4,500 00
4,284 41
Cemetery .
725 00
890 16
Town House
148 00
195 47
Street Improvements
3,530 00
3,567 50
Police Department
200 00
228 80
Town Library .
564 20
571 63
Overseers of the Poor
600 00
650 72
Fire Department .
50 00
28 24
Health Department
39 75
Memorial Day
100 00
100 00
State Aid .
550 00
616 00
State Tax .
2,500 00
2,760 00
County Tax
1,800 00
1,900 75
Interest
4,000 00
5,131 71
Corporation Tax .
1,655 27
Dog Fund
172 79
National Bank Tax
2,291 72
$33,450 25
$30,847 15
Street Lamps
200 00
206 78
16
REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE.
SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Town House and lot . $12,000 00
Grammar School House and lot 8,000 00
Beach School House and lot 2,500 00
Pine Street School House and lot 7,000 00
Farm School House and lot
2,500 00
Essex Street School House and lot
2,500 00
* Engine House, engine, hose, etc.
1,200 00
Hearse and house
500 00
Gravel pits .
2,000 00
-- $38,200 00
17
REPORT OF COLLECTORS.
Town of Swampscott in account with John Stanley, Collector.
Dr.
Cr. 1874.
1874. By amount committed . $101 14
To am't taxes collected . $65 74
abated 35 40
$101 14 $101 14
Town of Swampscott in acc't with Joseph Harding, Collector.
Dr.
Cr ..
1875.
1875.
To am't collected, '72, $31 80 By balance committed,
uncollected, '72, 119 38 collected, 1873, 3,876 40
1872 $151 18
1873 . 6,414 45
abated, 1873 26 60 uncollected, '73, 2,511 45
$6,565 63
$6,565 63
Swampscott, Feb. 27, 1875.
Town of Swampscott in account with Wm. Seger, Collector.
Dr.
Cr. 1874.
1874. By am't committed, $28,575 00
To amount collected, $21.903 71
discount, . 609 72 abated, . . 279 85 uncollected, 5,781 72
$28,575 00
$28,575 00
WILLIAM SEGER, COLLECTOR.
3
18
REPORT OF TREASURER.
TOWN OF SWAMPSCOTT IN ACCOUNT WITH
1874.
DR.
To cash paid Selectmen's orders, 1874 . $19,506 99
Selectmen's orders, 1873 . 423 11
Overseer's orders, 1874 . 558 42
note National Hide and Leather Bank
26,000 00
note John Stanley
1,000 00
note John Proctor 400 00
note C. E. Morrison, town loan 4,000 00
note City Bank, Lynn, town loan 2,500 00
note City Bank. Lynn, town loan 3,000 00
note Thos. Stanley 1,000 00
note Thos. Stanley, guardian . 500 00
note Thos. Stanley, guardian
500 00
note Albert J. Higgins
500 00
note Waldo Thompson, trustee
1,000 00
Interest on Notes
5,131 71
State Tax 2,760 00
County Tax 1,900 75
State Aid .
616 00
Balance in Treasury 3,137 38
$74,434 36
Swampscott, Feb. 27, 1875.
19 *
REPORT OF TREASURER.
WILLIAM SEGER, TREASURER.
1874.
CR.
By balance cash in Treasury $1,307 33
rent of Town Hall . 148 00
rent of Palmer Hall 75 00
rent of Engine Hall
50 00
cash from Library .
364 20
cash from Cemetery
125 00
cash from State Treasurer, State Aid .
550 00
cash from State Treasurer, Corporation Tax 1,655 27
cash from State Treasurer, National Bank Tax . 2,291 72
cash from State Treasurer, Mass. School Fund . 238 27
cash from Lynn City Bank, temporary loan
2,500 00
cash from C. E. Morrison, temporary loan 4,000 00
cash from Lynn City Bank, temporary loan 3,000 00
cash from Dog Tax 172 79
cash from H. M. Norton, land rent 55 00
cash from P. A. Chase, note
6,000 00
cash from Chas. F. Coffin, note 26,000 00
cash refunded by L. Drury 8 05
cash from J. Harding, taxes 1873
3,876 40
cash from J. Harding, taxes 1872 31 80
cash from J. Stanley, taxes 1871 .
65 74
cash from Wm. Seger, 1874 .
21,903 71
cash from interest on taxes, 1874
16 08
$74,434 36
WILLIAM SEGER, TREASURER.
REPORT OF SURVEYOR OF HIGHWAYS.
The Surveyor of Highways respectfully submits the following report for the past year, - monthly statements of labor and teams having been (as the year previous) rendered to the Selectmen.
The number of days' labor in gravel pits and on the roads was 777, at $2.00 $1,554 00
Number of horse-carts, with drivers, at $3.50 1,567 12
Personal services for the year, 92 days, at $3.00 276 00
SIDEWALKS AND GUTTERS.
Number of days' labor 189, at $2.00 . 378 00
Number of horses, carts and drivers, 55₴, at $3.50 194 25
FENCING DANGEROUS PLACES.
Number of days' labor 40, at $2.00 . 80 00
Bills for lumber, posts, blacksmith work, etc. . 249 59
$4,298 96
Loads of gravel hauled on roads and sidewalks . 4.792
Number from gutters 84
Total
4,876 _-
SAMUEL C. PITMAN.
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
The Selectmen beg leave to submit the following report to the citizens for their consideration and action at the coming annual meeting.
DEBT.
We believe the whole debt of the town has been placed at a rate of interest at and below seven per cent. per annum ; and in conformity with the vote of the town at the last annual meeting, we hope that an appropriation will be made to pay some portion, if not a large one, of our indebtedness.
TOWN HALL.
It seems to be desired by some of the citizens to have the Town Hall enlarged, but we cannot under- stand that any enlargement is needed for any legiti- mate purpose, and as there is no revenue to be derived from the letting, we should not recommend it ; but would suggest that the matter be fully con- sidered at this time, as the roof leaks, the foundation is insecure, and the inside of the hall itself needs to be cleansed and decorated, if it is to be used or let
22
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
for any purpose other than town meetings, and the coming season would be a favorable time to put the whole house in good condition. And we would also call attention to the need of more safe room for the security of the records against destruction by fire.
THE WAY TO THE BEACH.
The report laying out a way to the beach, opposite the old tavern, on being presented last spring, was amended before its adoption, as follows : " That the Selectmen be instructed to lay out said way as origin- ally established by the town of Lynn, April 3, 1820, and recorded on page 10 of the Record of Streets and Ways."
Now if " originally established " means anything, we conclude that it means laying out, and if laid out in 1820, why lay it out again ? But we decide that the way was never laid out, neither " originally " or otherwise, and the record on page 10 referred to reads as follows :
"To see if the town will open a road that leads to Blaney's Beach, so called, near John Heath's dwelling-house, agreeable to a petition -" .
Town Meeting, April 3, 1820. " Voted, That the petition rela- tive to opening a road at Swampscott be referred to a committee, at the expense of the petitioners.
Voted, That Robert Mansfield, Micajah Newhall and John L. Mansfield be this committee "
23
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
Town Meeting and Report, May 1, 1820: "The committee to whom was referred the business relative to the Swampscott road, beg leave to report, that they have attended to that duty, and are decidedly of the opinion that the town has a right to remove the obstructions, so that a free passage may be had to the Beach in the old road.
ROBERT MANSFIELD, JOHN L. JOHNSON, Committee."
MICAJAH NEWHALL,
" Voted, To accept the report, provided that Daniel Fuller relin- quish all his right and title to a two-rod road leading to the Beach. Provided, also, that the town will remove the obstructions if the holders of the buildings refuse to do the same.
Said Fuller was present and agreed to the same.
Attest : SAMUEL HALLOWELL, Town Clerk."
Now the objections we find to this laying out is that it was illegal and utterly void, for the following reasons :
First. The petition should have been referred to and acted upon by the Selectmen before the meeting.
Second. It was referred to a committee instead of the Selectmen, to make a report.
Third. It was to be done at the expense of the petitioners.
Fourth. That as a report on laying out a way it. amounts to nothing, as it does not locate or describe any way at all, but simply asserts that the " town had a right to remove certain obstructions, so that a free passage may be had to the beach in the old road."
21
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
And finally, their report is no report at all, but simply an opinion, which is not worth a straw.
And in view of all the circumstances heretofore attending the attempts to lay out a way in this local- ity, we cannot think that any other laying out would improve the one submitted at the last annual meeting, and we hope the report made at that time will be adopted intact, as any attempt to remove the adjoin- ing buildings will be attended with an expense en- tirely inadequate to the public benefits to be realized. And we arrive at this conclusion after a review of the whole matter, and for this other reason : That the only sure way to maintain a town way or highway is to have them definitely and accurately located and described, and then there is no difficulty in the au- thorities maintaining them. But if, on the contrary, we have only such an opinion as we find on page 10, the best of Selectmen would hesitate about removing obstructions of fifty-five years' standing on the author- ity of such an opinion as that.
And we wish to impress upon the citizens the importance of having the way secured at once, as encroachments are liable to be made upon it at any time, and there is no legal defence against it until it is properly adopted by the town.
THE CLAIMS OF JOHN P. PALMER.
Mr. Palmer, under date of Aug. 20, 1874, through Messrs. Ives & Lincoln, made a demand on the Select-
25
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
men for the payment of about fifteen hundred dollars, which he claims the town owes him for recruiting service, and money paid out during the war and not refunded.
We find, by the Treasurer's Report for 1865, that there was returned to the town from the State Treas- urer the sum of one hundred and thirty dollars as premium for recruits, which sum, if due Mr. Palmer, should have been paid him by the Selectmen of that year (Mr. Palmer being then, and for several years after, Chairman of the Board,) and we do not know of any obstacle in the way of his receiving the one hundred and thirty dollars, but the fact that the late Henry Thing, his predecessor, claimed that the money belonged to him (Thing).
In the year 1867 Mr. Thing claimed of the Select- men the one hundred and thirty dollars, and was told by them that an order would be drawn for the amount when he and Mr. Palmer could agree as to its divis- ion, which they could never do, so far as we can learn, and we think it is fair to assume that as Mr. Palmer has never paid himself, that the money did not belong to him, or that he was afraid of the action of Mr. Thing if he did so.
The eleven hundred dollars claimed as money paid and not refunded we had not heard of, as a claim made by Mr. Palmer prior to the receipt of the letter of Aug. 20, except at the meeting of citizens, May 7, 1872, when, being requested to account for a charity
4
26
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
fund entrusted to his keeping, he excused his delay by saying that the town or some of the citizens owed him money spent during the war, and that he felt justi- fied in taking the one to make good the other ; and in the fullness of his soul, and the plenitude of his pat- riotism, he ended his harangue by exclaiming, in his most tragic manner, " Who filled your quota, and got twenty-two men more than you wanted ?" Which inter- rogatory nobody answered, but some of us, who paid thirty dollars to keep out of the draft, and are now called upon to pay fifteen hundred more, would like to know how much those extra twenty-two men cost, and who paid the bounty. And as nineteen of the last twenty-two deserted before getting to the capital, as shown by the record, we don't feel that this Fus- tian hero should be rewarded beyond his ability to help himself in the past.
But as most of our voters are more or less familiar with this whole matter, we wish mainly to have it understood that this suit, if pressed upon us, we have to settle or to contest, and the Selectmen should be instructed at the annual meeting.
Respectfully submitted.
BENJ. POTTER, JOHN S. HIGGINS, Selectmen. ALLEN ROWE,
Report of Trustees of Town Library.
FELLOW CITIZENS :
In accordance with the vote passed at the annual March meeting of 1874, the Board of Selectmen appointed three Trustees who were to take general supervision of the Library. This step had been in contemplation for some months, and was deemed necessary in order to relieve the Selectmen of a part of their burden, and to lighten the duties and respon- sibilities of the Librarian. It was also required of them at the close of the year to present a report of their doings, giving such information relating to the . condition and future prospects of the Library as might seem desirable. The year having closed, our report is now respectfully presented in as condensed a form as circumstances will allow.
THE NEW ROOM.
The great change from the little seven-by-nine room to the ample accommodations of a commodious and well-lighted apartment could not fail to give gen- eral satisfaction. No recent outlay of the town's money has been more cheerfully acquiesced in than this. When the shelves, which are now neatly
.
28
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF TOWN LIBRARY.
arranged on two sides of the room are filled, they can be gradually extended along the two remaining sides ; and no enlargement of the room will probably be needed for many years to come.
NEW BOOKS.
Another duty devolving upon the Trustees was the examination and purchase of books. The appropri- ation of two hundred dollars being all required for the current expenses of the year, the only available funds for investment in new books came from the weekly receipts for books loaned. In this way two hundred and twenty-three volumes have been added during the year.
In selecting books, an effort has been made to secure interesting, instructive, and, as far as possible, illus- trated works by the best authors. Works of pure fiction found little favor with your Committee, inas- much as there were already too many of this class in the Library. Novels had been bought because they were called for more than other books ; consequently, they brought in more dimes. But the Town Library is surely not intended to be a money-making institu- tion. A far higher mission is accorded to it,-even to be a co-worker with the schools in elevating the standard of morality and refining the taste of the com- munity. When imagination outruns reason, and the - former grows strong at the expense of the latter, dis- aster and shipwreck are sure to follow.
29
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF TOWN LIBRARY.
STATISTICS.
From the Librarian's statement we gather the following :
Number of books in Library, February, 1874 2020
Number of new books bought during 1874 . 223
Number of books lost during 1874 . 6
Number of books in Library, February, 1875 2237
State and Government documents, February, 1875 138
Magazines and pamphlets, February, 1875 .
160
Books loaned during the year
6054
Amount received for book fees
$364 20
DONATIONS.
From United States Government 7
From H. W. Jones 3
From E. E. Boynton
6
From H. Crosman
1
REVISED REGULATIONS.
Books are taken from the Library under the fol- lowing Regulations, which were adopted early in the year :
1. The Library will be open to the public for the delivery of books every Saturday during the year, from half-past 4 to 9 o'clock, P.M.
2. Persons taking books from the Library are re- quired to return them within two weeks.
3. The terms for taking books are as follows : Five cents per week if not retained over two weeks ; ten cents for each succeeding week.
30
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF TOWN LIBRARY.
4. Do not turn down leaves, or make marks on the books, or deface them in any way.
5. Persons losing books must replace, or pay for, a new copy of the same.
6. All books must be returned to the Library on or before the second Saturday in December.
These rules are printed on a slip of paper, with a column for "register." and one for " date of delivery," and pasted inside the cover of each and every vol- ume. At the bottom a gentle hint is given in these words : " Donations of books, magazines or pam- phlets thankfully received." It has been a matter. of surprise that so few have availed themselves of this opportunity for doing good. The empty shelves and bare walls would look much better filled with Stand- ard Works, Books of Reference, &c. We need more books of history, biography, science and art, travels by land and sea, among the mountains and across the prairies. We would urge this matter upon the atten- tion of the citizens of Swampscott, and those who visit us in summer. Is it too much to ask, that each adult person shall contribute one book, large or small, every year ? Let no one wait till he can send a dozen volumes ; send one good book, and you will “ cast bread upon the waters."
31
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF TOWN LIBRARY.
APPROPRIATIONS.
Hitherto the annual appropriation has barely suf- ficed to pay the Librarian and Janitor for their ser- vices, making it necessary to pay for oil, fuel, book- binding, etc., out of the weekly receipts, and so far retarding the growth of the Library. This should not be so. Here we are building up an institution to be transmitted, we trust, to future generations ; - an educational institution no less than our schools, which we very properly cherish and liberally endow. Very few of either sex leave school without a taste for reading ; and while they acquire a business education by mingling with the world and " roughing it," a good library and reading-room, in connection with conver- sation, letter-writing, etc., will become their teachers, and continue the education begun in the primary school, on through life. Regarding the Library, then, as a school, and the books as silent teachers, while your Committee pledge themselves to strive only for the highest interests of their fellow-citizens, may we not confidently look for a much larger " appropriation " for the coming year ? It is not our intention to increase the current expenses, but, if possible, to diminish them ; as, in the division of labor, it is our opinion that one hundred and fifty dollars per annum should pay for the services of a competent librarian, especially, if books are delivered but once a week.
32
REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF TOWN LIBRARY.
On town-meeting day you will be asked to be liberal towards your library. At the same time, we have some reason to expect generous donations from pri- vate individuals during the coming year ; and when a Memorial Hall shall be erected on some eligible site overlooking the sea, we will respectfully ask for one large room to be fitted up expressly for our Library, and another adjoining for a Reading Room.
E. E. BOYNTON, D. W. FULLER, TRUSTEES. F. O. ELLIS.
Swampscott, Feb. 27, 1875.
Baldwin Collection Does Not Circulate
SWAMPSCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1996 00132 2975
A
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