USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Weston > History of the town of Weston, Massachusetts, 1630-1890 > Part 13
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HISTORY OF WESTON
town clerk and had been sworn as such, entered into the book of town record at the close of the meeting that "the proceedings of this meeting are irregular, informal, illegal, and do not form part of the Records of the Town of Weston."
At a town meeting held November 3, 1857, it was voted by the citizens assembled to establish a library, to be called the "Weston Town Library," for the use of the inhabitants thereof. They chose Isaac Fiske, Dr. Otis E. Hunt, and Rev. C. H. Top- liff a committee to prepare rules and regulations for the organi- zation and government of the library. This committee reported, December 21, 1857, "that the people of Weston, impressed with the necessity and importance of a public library, commenced a subscription in the several school districts for this purpose." The movement was initiated by a committee of twelve gentle- men and seven ladies, with the result of a subscription of about $500 in money and donation of books valued at about $70. It was voted to choose a library committee of six members by ballot, and Rev. C. H. Topliff, Otis E. Hunt, Charles Dunn, Nahum Smith, J. Q. Loring, and Isaac Coburn were chosen, with Marshall Jones as treasurer of the library.
In 1858 appears the first vote by district for representative to the General Court. George W. Warren, of Weston, had 74 votes, Nathan Barker 34, and Julius M. Smith, of Concord, 27.
In 1859 Mr. Charles Merriam donated $1,000 to be appropri- ated for the purchase of books for the town library. It was voted that this sum be securely invested, and no part of the principal be expended for the above purpose for a period of ten years. This money is still invested, and the interest alone de- voted to the purchase of books.
Voted that the thanks of the town be tendered to Marshall Jones for his long and faithful services as town treasurer. Mr. Horace Hews at the same meeting was chosen town treasurer, which office he held until 1889, when in consequence of failing health he felt obliged to resign the trust which he had held for thirty years. Mr. Hews's resignation was much regretted, and sympathy was expressed for him by all.
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
1860-1890.
At the town meeting of April 2, 1860, the committee appointed to report on the condition of the poorhouse deposed that,
with regard to the plan of "letting out" the poor to board with the one who would do it the cheapest, we can only say that the time has gone by when a course so advisedly opposed to every good principle can ever again be adopted. We have considered it a settled policy of the town to support their poor upon a farm of their own. We believe they should be provided with a warm and comfortable shelter, with whole- some food and proper raiment. We do not feel that it would be wise or politic for the town to exchange the present location for another one. We believe a building might be erected at an expense not exceed- ing $2,500. It has been said that the town is in debt and that much money has been expended during the last ten or fifteen years. If money has been expended, it has not been wasted or squandered, but has been wisely and judiciously expended, giving us an equivalent in our neat and commodious public buildings.
Voted that Edwin Hobbs, Horatio Hews, Isaac Coburn, . Alpheus Morse, and John W. Harrington be a committee to build the house on the town farm, for the best interest of the town, and that they be authorized to draw on the treasurer for the money. In November, 1861, this committee reported the build- ing as completed, 32 by 40 feet, with an "L" 14 by 34 feet, at a cost of $2,450. School appropriation, $1,629.28. Town debt, $3,700. Treasurer's salary, $25.
The list returned to the State of those inhabitants of the town of Weston subject to military duty in the year 1860 formed a roster of 161 men. The vote for the governor this year stood: John A. Andrew, 100 votes; Amos A. Lawrence, of Boston, 39; Benjamin F. Butler, 4. In the fall of the year 1860, when the clouds were thickening over us, but before any overt act had been committed
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HISTORY OF WESTON
by the slave States, a Home Guard was organized by Captain D. S. Lamson for the purpose of drill and general preparation for future contingencies. The men purchased their own arms, which were deposited in the town hall. About fifty young men joined the company, and were drilled in the manual of arms and street marching. This company never entered a regiment as a whole, but all its members enlisted in regiments as they were later formed by the Statc.
In June of the year 1861 Mr. Lamson was appointed major of the Sixteenth Regiment, which was then forming at Camp Cam- eron, North Cambridge. The mustering into the service of the United States for three years took place July 13, 1861. The vote for governor this year stood: John A. Andrew, 74 votes; Isaac Davis, 80. In the same year the town treasurer was chosen to be collector of taxes. Heretofore it had been the custom, from the earliest period of the town records, to put up the duty of collecting the taxes to the highest [?] bidder, and the sums awarded for this duty varied from one cent and five mills to one cent and six mills on a dollar. Isaac Fiske, Esq., who had died, bequeathed three hundred dollars for the town library.
At a town meeting, July 19, 1862, it was voted to pay a bounty of $100 to each man who should enlist in the army of the United States for the purpose of fighting the South, till the quota of seventeen required of the town should be furnished, the bounty payable on presentation of a certificate that the vol- unteer had been accepted and mustered into the service. In August this bounty was increased to $200 "to all who enlist within ten days for nine months." The town further voted to give to each man now or hereafter to enlist $10. Twenty-six young men enlisted, and the town voted to pay them the above bounty, although the number exceeded the quota of the town. It was also voted that the treasurer give a note to any of the volunteers for his bounty, payable on demand at six per cent. interest.
At a town meeting, September 27, 1862, the following reso- lution was carried :-
That, whereas we have learned that Ralph A. Jones, one of our volun- teers, has fallen in battle, and that others are known to be wounded, therefore Resolved, That the Rev. C. H. Topliff proceed to Maryland and
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
recover, if possible, the body of said Jones or any others that have since died, and attend to the wants of the wounded men suffering in any of the hospitals. Voted, That in case of the death of any volunteers of the town whose families are entitled to State aid the same shall be con- tinued to them.
At a town meeting, October 11, 1862, Rev. Mr. Topliff re- lated the incidents of his journey to Maryland. A committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the funeral of Ralph A. Jones. The following is the list of volunteers, in the service of the United States for three years, from the town of Weston :-
Daniel S. Lamson
Major
16th Regt. Infantry
William Henry Carter
Co. H
26th
Infantry
Ebenezer Tucker
M
1st
Cavalry
John E. Powers
H
16th 66 Infantry
Charles L. Field
Lieutenant
99th
New York
Lewis Jones
1st Cavalry 2d Battery Artillery 24th Regt. Infantry
Warren Stickney
Corporal Co. H
16th
66
Adoniram J. Smith
Co. G
22d
66
Thomas Palmer
" H
16th
66
Vermont
William G. Clark
Co. H
16th
Infantry
Frank W. Bigelow
Sergeant Co. G
13th
66
Henry H. Richardson
16th
66
David E. Cook
35th
"Sappers and Miners
John W. Drew
35th
Infantry
John L. Ayer
Co. I
35th
Lemuel Smith
66
35th
66
Charles Roberts
66
66
35th
66
Samuel Patch, Jr.
66
35th
66
66
Henry A. Tucker
66
66
35th
66
66
George T. Tucker
66
35th
66
Andrew Floyd
66
35th
Wm. C. Stimpson, Jr.
66
66
35th
Frederick A. Hews
66
35th
66
Joseph Smith
66
66
35th
66
George G. Cheney
66
66
35th
66
William Henzy
35th
66
Charles G. Fisher
66
66
35th
66
Ralph A. Jones
66
35th
66
-
Philip J. Meyer, Jr.
John Robinson
Co. H
Edward Banyea
-
5th
Thomas Fahey
-
9th
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HISTORY OF WESTON
Andrew C. Badger
Co. I
35th Regt. Infantry
Daniel H. Adams
66
35th
Jabez N. Smith
35th
James M. Fairfield
38th
66
66
Daniel Keyes
66
66
41st
66
Sefroy Britten
3d Rhode Island Battery
The following are nine months' men under the call of August 4, 1862 :-
Henry L. Brown
Co. I
44th Regt. Infantry
Charles E. Cutter
66
44th
George E. Rand
Albert Washburn
66
44th
66
66
Edward L. Cutter
66
44th
Marshall L. Hews
66
44th
44th
66
66
James A. Cooper
66
44th
66
Francis H. Poole
66
44th
Samuel H. Corliss
66
60
44th
George W. Rand
66
44th
George C. Floyd
66
44th
66
Isaac H. Carey
Herbert B. Richardson
66
66
44th
66
Wm. C. Roberts
66
44th
66
66
John Coughlin
66
66
44th
66
James M. Palmer
66
44th
George E. Hobbs
66
44th
George J. Morse
66
C
44th
Henry W. Day
66
H
44th
Abner J. Teel
66
66
43d
Saml. W. Johnson
66
66
43d
H. Illingsworth
Fuller Morton
H. A. Whittemore
66
43d
66
Walker W. Roberts
60
A
43d
66
Caleb W. Lincoln
F
6th
66
Ferdinand Dagsburg
16th
66
66
44th
66
Making a total of thirty-eight three years' men and twenty- nine nine months' men: Of the thirty-three men drafted at Con- cord, July 18, 1863, twenty-eight were exempted, one commuted, two found substitutes, and two entered the service, one of whom (Lucius A. Hill) was killed, May 10, 1864.
66
E
43d
43d
44th
Benj. A. Drake
44th
Edwin P. Upham
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
The following 16 men enlisted and constituted the quota of Weston under the call of the President, October 17, 1863 :-
Daniel J. Webber, 2d Mass. Cav'ry William Chandler, 2d Mass. Cav'ry
Henry W. Ober, 2d
John Vaughn, 59th Reg. Infan'y
Joy Chandler, 2d 66 Peter Richie, 2d Heavy Artill'y
Walter Webster, 2d 66 Nicholas Besson, 2d
66
John Conners, Heavy Artillery Michael Durfee, 2d
66
John S. Doane, 5th Mass. Batt'y Hugh J. Sharpe,
56th Reg. Infan'y
George Crosby,
5th Mass. Batt'y John O'Connell, 1st Cav'ry
John W. Stowell, 7th Reg. Infan'y
Mchl. Cavanaugh, 56th Reg. Infan'y
The enlistment under the additional call of 200,000 men, four- teen being Weston's quota, was as follows :-
James Welch, 59th Regt.
Arthur Martin, 3d Cavalry
Charles H. Burton, 59th
William Barry, 4th 66
John Lund, 59th
Charles A. Fitch, 5th
Joseph Faybien, 59th
John Robinson, 24th Regt.
Daniel Robinson, 56th 66
William H. Carter, 26th Regt.
William C. Roberts, 55th
William Carnes,* U.S. Navy.
James J. O'Conner, 4th Cavalry
The vote for governor stood: John A. Andrew, 78 votes; Charles Devens, Jr., 64. It was voted that "the Rev. Mr. Top- liff be a committee of one to bring home the bodies of any of our soldiers who have or may hereafter fall in battle and render any assistance necessary to our sick or wounded soldiers."
The town debt as reported by the treasurer was stated to be $20,072.82. In April, 1863, bonds were ordered for $10,000 of the town debt, payable in ten years from May 1, at five per cent. interest. The bonds were to have interest coupons attached, signed by the town treasurer, payable semi-annually each year. These bonds to be issued in sums of $100, $250, and $500 each. In 1863 John A. Andrew had the entire vote of the town for governor. At a town meeting, November, 1863, Nathan Hager, town clerk, having died on the 14th of that month, Horace Hews was chosen town clerk pro tem. Mr. Hager had been town clerk for twenty years. He had filled various other offices of trust, and the town was indebted to him for his judicious management of their affairs. It was voted that the resolution passed March 7, 1864,
* Died in Andersonville Prison in 1864.
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HISTORY OF WESTON
be transmitted to his family and entered on the records of the town.
Voted that a committee of six be appointed, one for each dis- trict, to assist the recruiting officer in filling the town quota of troops, and $3,200 was placed in their hands for that purpose. At a town meeting held on November 28, 1863, Horace Hews, clerk pro tem., declined to serve longer, and Benjamin F. Morrison was chosen clerk pro tem. The Selectmen appointed Dr. Otis E. Hunt clerk until another should be legally chosen.
At a town meeting held on March 7, 1864, George W. Cutting, Jr., was chosen clerk. Three hundred dollars was voted for hay scales, which were to be of the size called ten tons. In May the town voted $125 a man, if necessary, "to aid in filling any and all calls that the general government has made or shall make upon this town for soldiers for the year ending in March, 1865."
In 1864 the quota of Weston for three years' men was twelve, and they were all hired by the town.
The number of men furnished by Weston during the War of 1861-65 was a hundred and twenty-six. Of these eight were killed, three died of wounds, and one in prison. The names of the killed are as follows :-
Ralph A. Jones, killed at Antietam, September 17, 1862, 35th Regiment. James M. Fairfield, killed at Port Hudson, June 1, 1863, 38th Regiment. William Henzy, killed at Knoxville, November 20, 1863, 35th Regiment. Lucius A. Hill, killed at Laurel Hill, May 10, 1864, 22d Regiment. John Robinson, killed at Drury Bluffs, May 14, 1864, 24th Regiment. George T. Tucker, killed at Petersburg, July 4, 1864, 35th Regiment. William H. Carter, killed at Winchester, September 19, 1864, 26th Regiment.
William C. Stimpson, killed at Poplar Springs, September 20, 1864, 35th Regiment.
The following soldiers of Weston died of wounds in hospital :-
Frederick A. Hews, 35th Regiment; died in Washington, January 5, 1863.
Fuller Morton, 43d Regiment; died in Kingston, N.C., January 6, 1863.
Edmund L. Cutter, 44th Regiment; died in Newbern, N.C., April 31, 1863.
William Carnes, United States Navy; died in Andersonville, June 13, 1864.
THE CUTTING HOUSE, LEXINGTON STREET.
This is on the original Warren estate, where John Warren, Sr., settled soon after his arrival from England in 1631. For over a century and since the marriage of Cynthia Warren to the senior John Cutting it has been the home of the Cutting family.
THE OLD DR. WOODWARD HOUSE, CONCORD STREET.
Built by Rev. Mr. Woodward when pastor of the church at Weston, preceding Dr. Kendal. It was later owned by Dr. Bancroft, the town physician, and here Dr. George C. Shattuck, of Boston, studicd with Dr. Bancroft. It was bought by Augustus H. Fiske in 1848, and is still owned by his descendants.
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
The amount the town paid for bounties during the war was $9,025; the expenses attendant upon drafts were $3,524.90; a total of $12,549.90. To this total voted by the town must be added the money raised by voluntary subscription, amounting to $5,104.95, or a total of $17,654.85. To this amount must be added the sum paid for recovering the bodies of George T. Tucker, William H. Carter, and John Robinson, killed in battle ($416.03),-making a grand total of $18,070.88, which must be admitted as a very liberal and patriotic showing for a population of about 1,400. Nor is this all; for the town paid out for State aid the sum of $4,870.16 during the years from 1862 to 1868.
In October, 1864, a petition was addressed to Edwin Hobbs, Esq., justice of the peace for Middlesex County, as follows :--
Whereas the Methodist Episcopal Church Society in Weston, having for several years neglected to choose Trustees of the Society, and there being no clerk legally qualified to call a meeting, we, the undersigned members thereof, respectfully request you to issue a warrant, calling a meeting of the qualified voters of the Society agreeable to the provisions of the Revised Statutes.
The petition was signed by Franklin Childs, Amos Carter, Jr., Daniel Stearns, Abijah Gregory, and Abijah G. Jones. A warrant was issued accordingly, returnable November 7, 1864, and E. F. Childs was made clerk, and seven trustees were chosen.
In March, 1865, Mr. Charles Merriam, of Boston, addressed a letter to the Selectmen of Weston, enclosing bonds to the amount of one thousand dollars for the purpose of establishing a fund for the "silent poor of Weston," the interest of which sum shall be paid over to the "honest, temperate men and women who work hard and are prudent and economical and yet find it difficult to make both ends meet." Upon the reading of Mr. Merriam's letter, Mr. A. S. Fiske presented the following resolution :-
Resolved, That we tender to Mr. Charles Merriam, Esq., our sincere thanks for his munificent donation, presented to the inhabitants of the town.
Resolved, That we gratefully accept the trust, and that the fund shall be called the "Merriam Fund for the Benefit of the Silent Poor of Weston."
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HISTORY OF WESTON
The trustees of this fund were chosen by ballot; namely, Edwin Hobbs, George W. Dunn, C. H. Topliff, Benjamin F. Cutter, Increase Leadbetter, and Alonzo S. Fiske.
Samuel Patch, Jr., of Weston, a soldier of Company I, 35th Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry, having been promoted to the rank of lieutenant of that company, the citizens of Weston presented him with a sword and sash. His letter of acknowl- edgment for the gift, dated in camp before Petersburg, Va., December 29, 1864, was read and recorded.
At a town meeting November 7, 1865, the following resolutions were presented by Rev. C. H. Topliff :-
Resolved, That we have heard with sincere regret and sorrow of the accident by which the valuable life of Charles Merriam, Esq., formerly a citizen of this town, and a noble-hearted and liberal benefactor to it, was terminated. By his generous gift for the foundation of a public library, and also by a similar generous gift for the relief of the "silent poor" of Weston, he had enshrined himself in the hearts of the people, and secured grateful remembrance for his name in all future years.
Resolved, That the above be entered in the records of the town and a copy transmitted to the family.
It was voted as the sense of the town that a monument should be erected in commemoration of our fallen soldiers, and that a committee of five be appointed to inquire the probable cost of a suitable monument and report at the March meeting. At the April meeting the above committee's report was, in substance, as follows :-
The object of a monument is not that it may serve as a tombstone on which to record the names and deaths of our valiant soldiers who offered their lives upon the altar of their country. Its design is to honor the fallen by inspiring the souls of the living with their noble deeds and their un- selfish love of country. The necessity which at present exists, and in any event cannot long be delayed, of making some provision for the town library and the expediency of enlarging the town hall, our inability on account of our obligations incurred by the war to meet these outlays and build a monument also, have led us to the conclusion that a Memorial Hall will secure to us the additional room and conveniences needed, and will be the wisest plan for the town to adopt. These objects will be obtained by the addition of 20 or 25 feet to the westerly end of the town house. We find that the cost of the addition, which is put at $2,500, may be wholly provided for in the taxes of this year.
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
The report was accepted, and a committee of three chosen by ballot to carry out the recommendation of the above. Edwin Hobbs, Isaac Coburn, and Alonzo S. Fiske were duly elected.
The Library Committee reported that the number of books taken out from the library during the year was 5,207, and the number purchased and given was 93. The vote for governor in 1866 was 106 for Alexander H. Bullock, 15 for Sweetzer.
At a town meeting on March 4, 1867, the following resolution was voted: "Resolved, That the thanks of the town be presented to the Rev. C. H. Topliff for his long and faithful services in the various offices which he has held in town affairs, and that a copy of this vote be communicated to him."
The vote for governor in 1867 stood: Alexander H. Bullock, 149 votes; John Quincy Adams, 6 .*
In 1868 an enlargement of the cemetery of the town was deemed necessary, and the committee chosen by the town, which consisted of Edwin Hobbs and Isaac Coburn, reported in favor of purchasing, for the sum of $900, the land west of the present cemetery, being about one and one-third acres, belonging to Mr. Charles Jones. Objections were made by the owners of property on the street to this selection, and a minority report was presented to the town by Mr. Horace Hews, in which these objections were fully set forth by him, and the recommendation was made for the 7 purchase of twenty-three acres of land south of the present ceme- tery, which could be obtained for $2,300. The town voted to accept the minority report, and that measures be taken to secure the lot and take a deed. The vote for governor in 1868 stood 149 votes for William Claflin, of Newton, and 31 for John Quincy Adams.
At a town meeting held January 30, 1869, it was voted to recon- sider the vote whereby the town voted to purchase the land of Marshall Hews for a burial-lot. The matter seems to have re- mained in abeyance until the May meeting in 1873, when the com- mittee again reported in favor of the land on the westerly side of the present cemetery, "and, if it cannot be obtained by agreement with the owner, to petition the County Commissioners to adjust
* In 1867 Mr. Charles H. Fiske was elected in this district as representative to the Gen- eral Court. He received 93 votes in Weston and 259 votes in Concord.
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HISTORY OF WESTON
the damages." At a later meeting, held in June, better counsel seems to have prevailed, and the committee state that
We have now three burial-grounds in town, and the creation of a fourth one widely separated from the others is quite objectionable. From many lips we have heard the expression, "Let us all lie near together when life's work is done and we are called to take our places with the slumbering dead." This feeling was beautifully expressed by the patriarch Jacob more than three thousand years ago, when he charged his sons, saying, "Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebecca his wife; and there I buried Leah." Influenced by these considerations, we have sought a place as nearly connected with the present cemetery as to make it one and the same, this lot embracing seven to ten acres. It can be had for $250 an acre.
It was voted to accept this report. In 1874 $1,000 was voted to be expended on the new cemetery.
In 1869 it was resolved "that the citizens of this town do most earnestly remonstrate against the annexation of the city of Charlestown to the city of Boston."
The vote for governor in 1869 stood 82 votes for William Claflin and 19 votes for John Quincy Adams.
In town meetings of January 3 and February 14, 1870, it was
Resolved, To authorize the town treasurer to subscribe to 500 shares of the Massachusetts Central Railroad upon certain specified conditions regarding depot accommodations for the town; and also that the road shall be an independent through line to the city of Boston.
A vote was taken by ayes and nays upon this resolution, and it was defeated by a vote of 72 ayes and 85 nays.
The vote for governor in 1870 stood: William Claflin, 80 votes; Wendell Phillips, 12; John Q. Adams, 19.
The Massachusetts Central Railroad, in its inception purely a speculative enterprise, has now come to maturity on a solid basis, after twenty years of incubation. Not one of the original officers had personally any practical experience either in building or oper- ating railroads. They went to work blindly, and began their road "nowhere," and ended it in about the same place, as regards
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WAR VETERANS, RAILROADS, ETC.
being within the reach of business. In 1868 an act passed the legislature incorporating the Wayland & Sudbury Railroad, which was to run from Mill Village in Sudbury to Stony Brook on the Fitchburg Railroad. This was the origin of the Massachusetts Central. In 1869 the bill incorporating the Central passed the legislature, superseding the act of the year before. The capital stock was fixed at $6,000,000, but the company voted to issue only $3,000,000. As the two years in which to file a location was about to expire, a special act was passed, extending the time to 1874. N. C. Munson, the contractor for building the road, failed, and all the sub-contractors failed with him. For several years the road was in a comatose condition. The cost of construction in the fall of 1878 amounted to $2,782,932.78, there was a funded debt of $995,000, and an unfunded debt of $37,428.76. Work was resumed on the eastern end of the road, and in October, 1881, the road was opened from Boston to Hudson, 28 miles; in June, 1882, to Oak- dale, 41 miles, and to Jefferson, 48 miles. Governor Boutwell became president in 1880, remaining such until 1882, when he was succeeded by Hon. S. N. Aldrich, of Marlboro. Upon the failure of Charles A. Sweet & Co. work on the road was again suspended. In 1883 the road was sold under foreclosure to a committee of the bondholders,-S. N. Aldrich, Thomas H. Perkins, and Henry Woods. In 1885 they made a contract with the Boston & Lowell Railroad to operate the Central. It was in operation under this contract for one year. In 1886 the Lowell road leased the property to the Boston & Maine for ninety-nine years, the company issu- ing bonds to the amount of $2,000,000. The road has to earn $500,000 to meet the interest on the bonded indebtedness, and there is prospect of its doing better than that. The credit for res- cuing the Central road from total wreck is due to the president, Hon. S. N. Aldrich, Assistant Treasurer of the United States. The road, running, as it does, through Middlesex County and central Massachusetts, has a great and prosperous future before it. If the directors follow in the footsteps of the Boston & Albany, they can in a few years create a suburban population along the route equal to that which now secures the yearly dividend of the Boston & Springfield branch of the Albany road. Weston, through which the Central runs, can by generous accommodation be made the
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