USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1884 > Part 12
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All of which is respectfully submitted.
JOHN HUSE, Inspector. Newburyport, February 24, 1885.
260
REPORT OF SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES,
REPORT OF THE SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
To The Honorable Mayor and City Council of Newburyport:
GENTLEMEN ·- There have been but few applications for testing and sealing weights and measures since my report under date of February, 1884, as that was the close of a canvass of the city, in which all persons known to be using weights and measures were visited, and all weights and measures were adjusted and sealed as required by the statutes of Massachusetts.
Weights and measures sealed from February 1884 to February 1885, are :
Public scales examined, 7 were correct, 2 repaired, 1 new scale. .10 Dormal 6 1 7
Common scales and balances corrected and sealed. 40
Weights adjusted. 41
-
MEASURES SEALED. 98
Measures tested and sealed .63
CHARCOAL SURVEYED.
The quantity of charcoal surveyed was 3193 bushels, 35 loads. 4 charcoal baskets condemned as too small and owner forbidden to use the same as legal baskets.
ANTHRACITE COAL.
The laws of the state forbid the sale of anthracite coal by the basket under a penalty of twenty dollars for each offence, except the basket is made to conform in every part to certain forms and measurements, and is required to be delivered to the purchaser from the same basket in which it is measured. The legal basket is found upon trial to be inconvenient to use, in both form and size, and for that reason has been rejected by the dealers. The inspector, therefore, has requested all coal to be sold by weight, as the differ- ent kinds of coal differ from 21 to 27 bushels in the ton.
All of which is respectfully submitted. JOHN HUSE, Sealer.
Newburyport, February 24, 1885.
REPORTS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY
AND THE
COMMITTEE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
1884.
263
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
To His Honor the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Newburyport:
GENTLEMEN :- The joint standing committee on public property for the year 1884 would respectfully present the following report in relation to the department under their charge :
The city council made an appropriation for this department for the current year of.
$7,500 00
Income from all sources credited .
1,509 60
$8,809 60
Monthly bills allowed and paid as follows :
January. $1,298 69
February.
460 46
March
419 08
April
679 48
May
560 96
June
1.053 11
July
1,877 57
August.
2,019 91
September
2,016 70
October
3,566 53
November
3,037 13
December.
2,868 63
19.858 25
Making an overdraft of
$11,048 65
The amount paid on bills contracted prior to Dec. 1, 1883, was $989.39, perhaps a larger sum than usual.
The following tabular statement is prepared to show the amount expended for the different departments :
Salaries paid city teamsters $2,837 50
Other expenses chargeable to city teams. 3,126 39
Fire department. 1,466 36
School department 1,397 66
264
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Poor department.
635 43
City Hall
669 49
Police Department. 275 46
No. 3 Engine House
163 20
Ward rooms
185 24
New vault, City Hall. 607 00
Public Library 74 00
Market Hall building repairs.
7,697 86
Incidentals. 722 66
$19,858 25
It will thus be seen that the city teams and expense attending them, with the wages of teamsters, amounting to $5,963.89, use up so much of the appropriation, leaving the meagre balance of $1,536.11 with the income of the department for all other depart- ments under the charge of this committee. No income whatever is derived from the labor performed by the city teams ; this commit- tee having little use for them and the departments using them se- curing all the advantage of their maintenance at no cost to their several departments, particularly the highway and fire departments. The addition of No. 3 Hose to the fire department necessitated the addition of another horse and driver with attending expense of cart, harness, etc.
No considerable amount has been expended on any of the public buildings, or for any other purpose without the action of the city council authorizing the same, and in every instance where the city council have authorized the committee on public property to act it has been with instructions to charge to account of the committee on public property, other departments being solely benefited. This is particularly the case in the matter of the so-called "swing har- nesses" ordered by the city council to be charged to public property, . being a patented article can only be secured at an exorbitant price ; useful only for fire department purposes and of no use to any other department. Also for the storage and care of No. 1 steamer and hose carriage with the horses attached, while- Market hall build- ing was being repaired and improved ; the amount paid was $350, a portion of which might have very properly been charged to another department. This feature is also observable in the payment of the Water Co. bills for the use of water in the various public buildings, all properly chargable to other departments except city hall build-
265
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
ing ; $534.40 being paid out of this appropriation, while only $104 properly belongs to it.
The amount expended for poor department includes cost of water in part, cost of new pair of runners and cost of a hay wagon $285.50, the balance $349.93 it was found necessary to expend in repairs to render the establishment habitable. The poor depart- ment gets a further credit from this appropriation in the sale of hay. They raise a good crop of hay, and it is good hay and the city horses require it ; the overseers of the poor claim the right to sell their surplus for the benefit of their department, a reasonable price is put upon it and the result is a transfer from this department to the poor department of $314.27 the current year.
The new fire-proof vault in the basement of the annex to City Hall building, built by order of the city council, has long been needed for the safe keeping of important books and documents here- tofore unprotected ; expense therefor $607.
The city council early in the season approved of plans and speci- fications for the remodelling of Market hall building for the use of fire and police departments, appropriating therefor $6,000 to be charged to appropriation of public property ; at the same time it was recommended that real estate on Pleasant street which would be vacated on the completion of the Market hall building, be sold, and the proceeds be applied to paying the cost of the improvement. Subsequently the city council ordered that steam heating apparatus be put into Market hall building at an expense of $1,000, also chargeable to public property account, leaving gas piping and fixtures and furnishing for occupation in no way provided for. Suffice it to say that the entire work has been completed, gas pipe and fixtures furnished, the various apartments for police court and fire deparment furnished, the whole at an expense of $7,697.86.
The city council failing to order the sale of the Pleasant street property, our income is so much reduced and our overdraft so much increased.
In conclusion your committee would say that they have been or- dered to expend a considerable sum of money, but they believe it has been wisely expended and a permanent· improvement made to the city property.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the committee,
THOMAS H. DAVIS, Chairman.
266
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FIRE DE- PARTMENT.
To The Honorable Mayor and the City Council of the City of Newburyport :
GENTLEMEN :- The joint standing committee on fire department for the year 1881, would present the following statement of the dis- position of the appropriation made for the department and the in- come thereto :
Appropriation for the year, which included $600 for the new No. 3 hose carriage. $9,600 00
Income from sale of condemned apparatus. 241 84
$9,841 84
The following statement of expenditures will show for what purposes the money has been expended :
For salaries
$4,664 95
Incidental supplies. 457 41
Horse hire, for moving apparatus
822 90
Repairs to apparatus
324 87
Care of hose.
55 65
Additions to apparatus.
85 00
Labor on reservoirs.
119 90
Expense of telephone.
35 00
New supply wagon.
172 00
Newburyport Water Co.
95 00
Cost of No. 3 hose carriage
619 40
Expense on telegraph fire alarm
366 90-7,818 98
Unexpended balance.
$2,022 86
It will be seen from the above schedule, that aside from salaries paid firemen, which sum is fixed by ordinance and can not be con- trolled by this committee, the amount paid for horse hire is the next largest item of expense, and so long as the committee are obliged to move their apparatus during the winter months, with the usual accumulation of snow and in the streets under the present system, the assistance of private teams must be had at whatever cost; al-
267
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
though the amount is large considering the limited number of times the department has been called out. this arrangement is probably the least expensive way of managing the matter.
During the year the committee contracted for a supply wagon, paid for from the proceeds of sale of condemned apparatus, which has tended to reduce the expense of supplying the steamers with fuel and water at time of fire to the minimum rate, costing now to supply the whole department what it formerly did a single steamer.
The expense called for by the telegraphic fire alarm chargeable to this committee includes care of apparatus and expense of chemi- cals, and the present year some expense in preparing locations for strikers, battery, etc., which will not hereafter appear. The an- nual expense now called for in the care of the apparatus is $250. If it prevents two or three false alarms during the year it will save more than that expense to the department, while the great advan- tage to the department of being directed to the location of a fire on the first alarm enables the department to move their apparatus in the right direction without loss of valuable time, the importance of which needs no further comment.
The amount of repairs called for on the apparatus for the year has been quite moderate, as will be seen by the above statement. Near the close of our official year, it was discovered that No. 3 steamer was in an unreliable condition ; so much so as to be deemed dangerous to run in any emergency, and by vote of the city council she was ordered to be put in first class condition by the addition of a new steel boiler and such other improvements as have been made to this class of engines since her original construction. The cost will be $1,200 and expense of freight. The repairs could not be completed in season to appear in the above statement. Your com- mittee feel that while they are obliged to leave the above legacy to their successors in office, they also have the satisfaction of leaving the department in good condition.
For the committee,
JOHN S. FROST, Chairman.
Newburyport, Dec. 31, 1884.
REPORTS
OF THE
COMMITTEES ON TRUST FUNDS,
AND THE
COMMITTEE ON LIGHTING STREETS,
AND
COMMITTEE ON BRIDGES AND CULVERTS.
271
REPORT ON FOLLANSBEE FUND.
REPORT OF THE TREASURER OF THE FOLLANSBEE FUND.
To His Honor the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Newburyport, Trustees of the Follansbee Fund:
GENTLEMEN :- As treasurer of the above named fund, I have the honor to submit the eleventh annual report, showing the condition of the fund, the amount of income therefrom the current year, and the manner in which said income has been disposed of, in accord- ance with the will of the donor :
Fund invested as follows :
$3,000 in City Railroad bonds at 7 per cent. $2,850 00
Deposit in Five Cent Savings bank 120 00
Institution for Savings . 30 00
$3,000 00
INCOME ACCOUNT.
Unexpended balance from year 1883. $ 44
Coupons due March 1, 1884. 105 00
Coupons due September 1, 1884 .. 105 00
Accrued interest on Five Cent Saving bank deposit.
5 45
Institution for Savings, &c .... 1 35
217 24
EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
Paid out on orders issued by the aldermen of the several wards, approved by the mayor, as per vouchers hereto annexed :
Amos Coffin, May, 1884. $100 00
Estate Amos Coffin, Dec., 1SS4. 116 68 216 68
Leaving unexpended balance to new account. 56
272
REPORT ON FOLLANSBEE FUND.
'The distribution of fuel to perons and families, by wards, is as follows :
Distributed in ward 1
$30 49
2 49 28
3. 13 34
66
4.
35 17
5.
: 65
66
6. 24 75
$216 6S
Amount of coal distributed, 43,150 pounds, (21 23-40 tons) ; pine wood, seven cords ; hard wood, three cords; the wood in nearly every instance being sawed and split, the recipients being either too poor or feeble to perform the work.
The total number of single orders issued 38, varying in amount from $1.75 to $8.75. Seventeen persons or families supplied but once, seven twice, one three times and one four times.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE H. STEVENS, Treasurer.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GREEN FUND.
To His Honor the Mayor and Board of Aldermen:
GENTLEMEN :- The standing committee of the board of alder- men on the Green fund, would report that said fund consists of a legacy of $2.000, left by the will of the late Miss Sarah A. Green to the city, to be held at 4 per cent interest, for the benefit of the Public Library. The city's note for $2,000 is in the custody of the city clerk, and the year's interest, amounting to $80 , has been paid over to the Public Library. For further information the committee refer to Public Library documents.
For the committee, STEPHEN PEABODY, Chairman.
273
REPORT ON ATKINSON SCHOOL FUND.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ATKIN- SON SCHOOL FUND.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Newburyport:
GENTLEMEN :- The standing committee of the board of aldermen on the Atkinson School fund, in the discharge of their duties have examined the annual statement furnished by the treasurer of the board of trustees of said fund and as required by the rules and orders of the board of aldermen, present the following statement relating to the investment of said fund, which they find is as follows :
20 shares Merchants' National Bank stock at par. $400 00
7 shares Ocean 66 300 00
10 acres of salt marsh in town of Salisbury.
3 cow rights in common pasture
Savings bank deposit. 1,382 74
It appears by the above statement that the savings bank deposit has increased over statement of the preceding year $64.12, showing that the expenditures for the year ending March, 1884, was that amount less than the income. This is a satisfactory condition and this line of policy can be continued until the income amounts to $1,000 annually, the amount limited by an act of incorporation.
It further appears that the school for which the fund was estab- lished was maintained in ward six 43 evenings, under the charge of Miss S. B. Chute as principal and Miss A. A. Somerby as assistant, at an expense of $96.38.
Your committee are satisfied that the fund is judiciously man . aged and the income thereof applied in accordance with the will of the donor and the act of legislature under which the board of trus- tees perform their duties.
ORRIN J. GURNEY, MELVILLE T. WADLIN, COMMITTEE. STEPHEN PEABODY.
Newburyport, December 31, 1884.
274
REPORT ON PUTNAM FUND.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUTNAM FUND.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Newburyport
GENTLEMEN :- The standing committee of the board of Alder- men on Putnam fund, in complying with rules of the board, touch- ing said fund, would respectfully report that the trustees of the Putnam fund failed to present any statement of the condition of the fund under their charge to the board of aldermen for the year 1884. It is fair to presume, however, that from the well-known character of the gentlemen composing said board of trustees, that the fund is intact, and from what can be larned from the statements presented in former years the fund is gradually increasing and im- proving. Satisfactory reasons exist to warrant the statement that the Putnam Free School exists and is in a flourishing condition ; the income of said fund is applied in accordance with the will of the donor, and many of the "youth" of our city and of the towns in our immediate vicinity are daily and hourly being benefited through this instrumentality, and we trust they will thereby the better be en- abled to fill their allotted places in this busy world of ours, wlien school days are over and other cares are put upon them.
ORRIN J. GURNEY. MELVILLE T. WADLIN, & COMMITTEE. STEPHEN PEABODY.
Newburyport, December 31, 1884.
275
REPORT ON LIGHTING STREETS.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIGHT- ING STREETS.
To the City Council:
GENTLEMEN :- The joint standing committee on lighting streets and public buildings respectfully submit the following report for the year ending December, 20, 1884 :
Appropriation for lighting .$6,500 00
Transferred from incidentals to balance. 549 32
$7,049 32
EXPENDITURES.
Paid Newburyport Gas Co. and Wheeler Reflector Co., for lighting streets $4,548 80
Paid Newburyport Gas Co. for lighting public buildings. . 2,245 75
Lanterns, post and frames 197 62
Care lanterns front of City Hall. 10 CO
Incidentals. 47 15
$7,049 32
The Newburyport Gas Co. had long enjoyed a lucrative mo- nopoly, but this year the committee took a new departure in award- ing the contract for lighting the streets by the use of kerosene lamps and reflectors to the Wheeler Reflector Co., of Boston, at 5 3-4 cents per night, the lamps to be kept burning until 2 o'clock a. m., thus making a yearly saving to the city of over $1,200. The efforts of the committee to retain the gas lights were thwarted by the unwillingness of the Gas Company to contract for their continu- ation. There have been many complaints of the street lights this year, not particularly exceptional, however. The committee think their unsatisfactory condition at the commencement of the new method of lighting was owing to a faulty management rather than to defects in the system. They are happy to say that of late there has been a marked improvement in the care of lamps and lanterns, and they are now giving much better satisfaction to the public. Although the time of lighting has been increased by at least 50 per cent, the actual cost has been less than last year.
The committee would call your attention to the rapid increase in
276
REPORT ON LIGHTING STREETS.
the consumption of gas in our public buildings. The cost of light- ing public buildings last year was $1,780 ; this year $2,245.75, an increase of $465.75, or over 26 per cent. The city pays the same for gas as private takers : $2.50 per 1000 cubic feet.
Eight additional street lanterns have been located during the past year, one each on the following streets : corner Marlborough and South Pond, Pine, Federal, Pike, Otis place, junction North Bridge and Merrimac, Merrimac and Moseley avenue. The whole number of street lanterns is 336.
The committee are happy to say that the state of things which gave our predecessors so much anxiety has been improved, and those who find it necessary to be out during the "wee, small hours of the night" can now wend their homeward way, cheered by pleas- ant lights, and no longer in danger of having agreeable reflections dissipated by suddenly colliding with posts and trees.
For the committee,
STEPHEN PEABODY, Chairman.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON BRIDGES AND CULVERTS.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Newburyport:
GENTLEMEN :- The committee on bridges and culverts respect- fully present the following report for the current municipal year :
Appropriation allowed by city council for bridges and culvert. $3,000 00 29 75 Income
$3,020. 75
277
REPORT ON BRIDGES AND CULVERTS.
Monthly payments allowed by committee on accounts :
January . .
$ 69 20
February
63 60
March
59 30
April
69 49
May.
159 88
June
69 00
July
474 55
August
S78 89
September
111 03
October
230 87
November
715 35
December
1,101 30 -- 4,002 46
Making an overdraft of
$972 71
The following tabular statement will show more particularly where the money was expended :
Salary draw tender Newburyport bridge. $600 00
Expense of repairs and supplies Newburyport bridge 625 52
Repairs and examination of Essex Merrimac (Chain) bridge. 599 20 Bridges on Artichoke river.
S5 04
Repairs on culverts and small bridges
507 77
Expense building new culverts. 1,584 46
$4,002 46
The considerable expense on Newburyport bridge, other than pay of draw tender, was occasioned by the necessity or renewing the planking in the roadway of the wooden portion of the bridge.
The Essex Merrimac bridge, the present year, called for an unusual expense. Fears have long been entertained that the anchor chains were not to be relied upon and that some day the whole structure would come down, entailing loss of property if not of human life. The structure had been so long built that the oldest inhabitant give no reliable information,and none was known to exist on record. The committee determined to satisfy themselves and the fears of the public by a thorough examination at whatever cost. The work was performed under the superintendence of Benjamin F. Stanley, and in the most thorough manner. Mr. Stanley has furnished a de- tailed report of the condition of the chains and their position under ground, which report has been placed upon the records of the com- mittee, the same showing conclusively that all fears of lack of strength in this the oldest chain bridge in the country were
278
REPORT ON BRIDGES AND CULVERTS.
entirely groundless. Expense, $119.70. The-balance of the ex- pense on Chain Bridge was the contract for shingling the towers to protect them from the weather ; cost $479.50.
The considerable expenditure by the committee on new culverts, arose from the action of the city council ordering the construction or continuation of the Green street landing culvert about 150 feet towards low water mark, made necessary by the filling in of the dock which eventually will be utilized by the city as a landing for all materials received by water communication. Cost of this ex- tension $571.20. The construction of a culvert from Ship street across Water street to the dock, 300 feet, at a cost of $3312.72. Also the construction.of a culvert from the railroad crossing on Purchase street, through Harrison street, across Water street to the sea wall. This has been a long sought improvement by such of our citizens . as are obliged to use this thoroughfare, and has been back and forth between the railroad corporation and the city council, like a shuttle- cock, for years. Doubtless the cause of the nuisance at this locality is the faulty construction of the railroad to carry off an unusual quantity of water that is likely to accumulate at this point at cer- tain seasons. The cost of the structure is not far from $800, and your committee trust it has been so planned and executed, that it will secure the desired relief and prove a wise expenditure of money.
Respectfully submitted for the committee,
GEORGE W. ADLE, Chairman.
REPORTS
OF THE
CITY CLERK,
AND
BOARD OF ASSESSORS.
281
REPORT OF CITY CLERK.
REPORT OF THE CITY CLERK.
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, March 10, 1885. To the City Council:
GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to submit the following report relating to births, marriages and deaths in the city of Newburyport for the year ending December 31, 1884 :
BIRTHS.
The number of children born alive during the year 1884, and re- corded in this office is 325, being 22 more than the preceding year, and 56 more than the deaths for the same time, not counting still births.
The number of births returned by physicians and midwives is 282, fifty more than the preceding year. Of this number 277 were returned by regular physicians, 5 by midwives, leaving 43 un- attended by physicians or professional midwives. The better show- ing can be accounted for from the fact that the Legislature very wisely allowed physicians a fee for making the returns, as it has certainly had a wonderful effect on some of the returns. Only two instances where parents returned facts relating to the birth of chil- dren during the year ; but this is hopeful ; it is so much a gain in interest over the preceding year.
Of the births, 165 were males and 160 females, all white with two exceptions, one mulatto and one Indian; there were four pairs of twins, two pairs being females, and two pairs being male and female ; four were returned as illegitimate, three being females and one male.
Births by months and quarters :
First Quarter.
Second Quarter. Third Quarter.
Fourth Quarter.
January. ... 32
April ... 22 July. ...... 24
October .... 31
February .. .22 May .... 20 August ..... 29
November. . 25
March ...... 26 -
June. .. 25
September .. 25
December .. 34
SO
- 77 78 90-325
282
REPORT OF CITY CLERK.
The nativities of parents of children born are as follows :
Father. 201
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