USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1891 > Part 6
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1
Adultery
1
Bastardy
2
Breaking and entering
3
Disturbing the peace
21
Default warrant
2
Drunkenness
135
Evading R. R. fare
1
Embezzlement
1
Forgery
2
Fast driving
2
False Pretences
2
Keeping unlicensed dogs
3
Larceny
23
Liquor nuisance
.
- 5
133
Lottery
Keeping children under five years of age
Insane
Malicious mischief
4
Peddling without license
4
Peddling jewelry
1
Polygamy
2
Selling cigarettes to minors
1 2
Truancy
Tramps
Violation city ordinance
4
Violation Sunday law
Siezure of liquors
2 1
Number of lodgers
509
Number of tramps, 1890
42
Number of persons released from station for drunkenness
50
Number of persons released by court for drunkenness
12
As will be seen we have entertained one hundred and twenty less lodgers and thirty-three less tramps than last year. More work has been done by the department than in any prev- ious year, the many calls made on the force during the year, have promptly complied with. And I am of the opinion that the time has come when the City of Quincy shoud have a night patrol of at least eight men.
Respectfully submitted, GEORGE O. LANGLEY,
Deputy Manager of Police.
1
1
5
Selling milk not of standard quality
1 9
Number of lodgers, 1890
629
.
Report of City Solicitor.
FROM JAN. 1, '91 TO JAN. 1, '92.
TO THE HONORABLE HENRY G. FAIRBANKS, MAYOR OF QUINCY :
SIR : On January 1, 1891, the following actions were pend- ing in the Superior Court for Norfolk County against the city.
Isaac Shute vs. City of Quincy.
Charlotte Shute vs. City of Quincy.
Chas. H. Loring, adm'r rs. City of Quincy.
John Keating adm'r vs.
66
Patrick Brennan vs.
A brief description of each will be found in the official re- port of my predecessor, Wm. G. A. Pattee, Esq.
During the past year actions have been brought in said Court against the city by Emma Castiglioni, Thos. Devine, Michael McGovern and Peter Cunniff.
The Castiglioni case is an action for injuries received from falling upon the sidewalk on Pierce street on the morning of January 13, 1891, damages claimed at two thousand dollars. Mr. Devine sued for injuries to his horse and wagon, alleged to have been received on January 12, 1891, in consequence of the defective condition of the highway called Randolph ave- nue near its intersection with Forest street ; damages claimed at five hundred dollars. The McGovern case is brought to re- cover the sum of one hundred and six and a half dollars as . compensation for the use of a derrick by Commissioner Pritch- ard.
135
The Cunniff case is a bill in equity in Supreme Judicial Court, Norfolk County. against Commissioner Ewell and the City, praying for an injunction to prevent the moving of Cun- niff's house from the limits of Hancock street as widened and for damages. Cunniff claims title to a large part of the street by long adverse occupancy. This action has been partly tried and is suspended temporarily. Charles E. Stratton and others have brought in the same court, in Suffolk County, a petition for a writ of certiorari, with prayer for an injunction against the Board of Health of the city, based upon the action of said Board in abating a nuisance near Botolph street, Atlantic. Each of the foregoing actions is still pending.
Early in the year many petitions were filed by persons claim- ing liens upon the Willard school-house, all of which have been disposed of except that of H. O. Souther, which is now pending in the Superior Court. Mr. Souther claims two thousand two hundred and five dollars and sixty-one cents for labor performed and furnished in the construction of said school-house.
During the year many legal opinions have been written upon ' various subjects at the request of the City Council, the Mayor and municipal officers respectively.
Respectfully submitted, F. L. HAYES, C.ty Solicitor.
Report of the INSPECTOR OF MILK.
DEC. 31, 1890 to DEC. 31, 1891.
To HIS HONOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY. OF QUINCY :
Sir ;- I have the honor to submit the following report of the Department of Inspection of Milk, for the year of 1891 ;-
The principal duties of the Inspector, as defined by the statutes under which he acts, are the issuing of licenses, the registration of stores where milk is sold, collection and inspec- tion of samples, and the enforcement of the laws in the courts.
LICENSES.
The statutes governing the sale of milk require that every person who conveys, in carriage or otherwise, the same for the purpose of selling within the city limits, shall be licensed annally by the Inspector of Milk, and shall pay fifty cents to to the use of the city. Every person before selling milk, or offering the same for sale in a store, booth, stand, or market- place, shall register in the books of the Inspector, and shall pay fifty cents.
Licenses are issued only in the name of the owners and may not be sold, assigned or transferred. Each license records the name, residence, place of business, number of carriages or
137
other vehicles used, the name and residence of every driver or other person in carrying or selling, and the number of the li- cense.
The licensee is required to cause his name, the number of his license and his place of business, to be legibly placed on each outer side of all carriages or vehicles used by him in the sale or conveyance of milk, and to report to the Inspector any change of driver or other person employed. For failure to com- ply with these requirements, or for selling or exposing for sale, from carriage or other vehicle, without first being licensed, a a fine of not less than thirty nor more than one hundred dollars may be imposed. Repetition of the same offence calls for still higher penalties.
Failure of register for the sale of milk from a store is pun- ished by a fine not exeeeding twenty dollars.
Number of licenses issued to dealers conveying milk by carri- age or otherwise 25
Number of Registrations of Stores, and others engaged in the sale of milk 29
Total number of licenses and registrations 54
INSPECTION.
The inspector or his authorized collectors are empowered to enter all places where milk is stored or kept for sale, and all carriages used for the conveyance of milk, and may take sam- ples of the same for analysis ; and he shall cause the samples so taken to be analyzed or otherwise satisfactorily treated, the re- sults of which examination shall be recorded and preserved as evidence. The owner or custodian has the right to demand and receive a sealed portion of the sample, for his own use in the case of complaint.
QUALITY OF MILK SOLD IN QUINCY.
The work of inspection has gone on continuously during the year and two hundred (200) samples of milk, from Wagons and Stores, have been taken and analyzed.
138
These analyses show that the milk is of good quality and up to the standard required by law, few samples having been taken that were poor.
QUANTITY OF MILK SOLD IN QUINCY.
The estimated number of quarts of milk for average daily consumption is five thousand (5000) of which two thousand five hundred (2500) are raised in Quincy.
There have been few complaints made as to the quality of the milk, and no prosecutions.
THE MILK STANDARD.
For the proper enforcement of a law to prevent the adul- teration of milk it is necessary that a certain fixed standard of quality shall be prescribed. In the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts the statute requires that, to be of good standard quality milk must yield on analysis not more than eighty-seven per cent. of watery fluid, nor less than thirteen per cent. of milk solids, nor less than nine and three tenths per cent. of milk solids exclusive of fat, except during the months of May and June, when it shall contain not less than twelve per cent. of milk solids.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES W. GAREY. Inspector of Milk.
Report of City Clerk.
To HIS HONOR THE MAYOR :
SIR : I have the honor of submitting herewith the third an- nual report of this office, for the year ending Dec. 31, 1891, as follows :
RECEIPTS.
For marriage licenses $94 50
" various other licenses
137 00
" dog licenses, 866 at 20 cents each 173 20
" recording mortgages, etc. . 156 95
Total
$561 65
The above sums have been paid to the City Treasurer and receipts taken therefor.
Number of marriage intentions recorded
66 " marriages recorded 189
199
" deaths 320
66 " births 647
Number of dogs licensed 866, males 792, females 74, for which the sum of $1954 was received, and the same, less fees for collection, has been paid to the County Treasurer.
CHRISTOPHER A. SPEAR,
City Clerk.
Report of PARK COMMISSIONERS.
TO HIS HONOR HENRY O. FAIRBANKS, MAYOR OF QUINCY :-
The policy of expending the limited appropriation for the Parks in Quincy to the purpose of carrying out the most needed improvements, has been followed during the year 1891, by the board.
Merry Mount Park is so rich in natural beauty, that when it is properly laid out on a regular plan, it will be one of the handsomest public pleasure grounds in the Commonwealth. With the limited amount appropriated, we have only been able to make some of the most needed improvements.
We have built a summer house on the grounds where visitors can rest sheltered from the sun and enjoy a view of the harbor, a driveway has been constructed from the main entrance to the beach, and some minor improvements made.
On Faxon Park some of the underbrush has been cleared away, a driveway built on the eastern side, which now extends all the way round the Park.
FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1891.
Dr.
To amount of appropriation $500 00
.. additional appropriation, 100 00
Amount carried forward $600 00
141
Amount brought forward $600 00
To amount received from F. McCor- mack, pasture 100 00
from Mr. Whitman, re- pairs on dam 14 00 ·
66
received from J. Colligan salt grass 8 00
$722 00
EXPENDITURE.
Cr
Merry Mount Park. Cash paid H. O. Langley, summer house
$189 34
66
" Francis McCormack, labor,
114 25
60
" John Danehy, labor 1 75
John McCarthy, labor
1 75
66 Robert Nichols, labor 1 75
.. David Colligan, labor
1 75
"Jeremiah Kenely, work on pumps
2 60
66 " David J. Roche, work
repairing dams 25 00
" C. P. Tirrell, sign posts 12 50
" J. W. Nash, tools 1 10
$351 79
FAXON PARK.
Cash paid Daniel Ford, labor $122 47
John Danahy, labor
.
112 54
Peter E. Cahill
117 63
66 Andrew Howley .
7 00
Robert Nichols
7 00
66
S. Scammell, tools .
1 45
66
" Charles Tilton "
65
.
$368 74
Expended on Merry Mount Park, $351 79
" Faxon Park 368 74
Total amount expended .
$720 53
.
142
Mr. Sheldon of West Quincy having tendered to the commis- sioners, a section of the old Granite railway, the first built in America, we recommend that it be placed in Merry Mount Park with a suitable inscription.
We recommend that the sum of one thousand dolars, with the income be appropriated for both parks for the year 1892.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN F. MERRILL, WILLIAM B. GLOVER, Park
GEORGE CAHILL, Secretary,
Commissioners.
QUINCY, DECEMBER 31, 1891.
Report of the
BOARD OF HEALTH.
To HIS HONOR, HENRY O. FAIRBANKS, MAYOR OF QUINCY :-
The Board of Health beg leave to submit the following report of work done on brooks during the year 1891.
On the evening of July 20, a petition was presented to the Board of Health signed by James Edwards and others, complaining of the overflow of Town Brook, and declaring that the wet and marshy lands caused by said overflow was a menace to the public health, and further that the overflow was due to obstruction along the course of said brook.
The Board, after discussing the matter, voted to inspect Town Brook on Tuesday, July 21, at 3.30 P. M. On that date an inspection was made after which it was declared by the Board to be a nuisance and it was voted to hold a public hear- ing, regarding its abatement on Wednesday evening, July 29, at eight o'clock. At this hearing, as no objections were made by those present to the plan proposed by the Board, the meet- ing adjourned. On Aug. 3 at a meeting of the Board, it was voted to abate the Town Brook nuisance and to employ Com- missioner Ewell as the agent of the Board in carrying out the work. The abatement of this nuisance was, therefore, accom- plished under the immediate supervision of Mr. Walter C. Ewell, who has done this work in the thorough and conscien- tious manner which has characterized all his operations, and the expense charged to the City, a sum of $881.28, having been
144
previously appropriated for the work of clearing out brooks. In a like manner, the abatement of Furnace and Sachem brooks nuisances, has been accomplished. The petition asking for the abatement of the nuisance caused by the overflow of Furnace brook and signed by Mr. Monohan Breen and others, was read at a regular meeting of the Board held on Aug. 24. The inspection and declaration of abatement took place on the after- noon of Aug. 27, and a hearing relating to the same was held on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8.
On Sept. 25, a petition signed by Mr. J. W. Lovett, was read, asking that the Board have obstruction removed which caused the overflow of Sachem Brook, situated in that part of Quincy known as Wollaston. The inspection and declaration that the brook in its present condition was a nuisance and should be abated, occurred on the afternoon of Sept. 28, a hearing of those concerned being held on Oct. 9, and the work of abatement was commenced at once.
The Board of Health of the City of Quincy begs leave to submit the following report for the year 1891.
The Board was organized on February 2, 1891, by the choice of Dr. Joseph M. Sheahan as chairman, Dr. G. B. Rice, as secretary, Mr. B. F. Thomas as committee on finance, and Mr. J. W Hayden was appointed inspector. The number of meetings held during the year was twenty-eight, besides num- erous inspections and informal meetings. The inspector fur- nishes the following table of nuisances and abatements, viz., number of inspections made, three thousand, five hundred, forty-two ; nuisances discovered, three hundred, forty-eight.
The following table gives, in detail, the character of nui- cances found together with the number of abatements.
Discovered
Abated.
Unventilated drains,
3
3
Broken sink drains,
16
16
Sink drains stopped up,
12
12
Imperfect privy vaults,
15
15
Privy too near well,
2
2
Privy too near brook,
1.
1
Privy too near street,
1
Uncleaned privy vault,
· 127
123
179
172
145
177
172
Uncleaned cesspool, .
58
57
Cesspool too near well,
4
4
Filthy yards,
22
22
Contaminated well,
3
3
Sewage running into street .
6
6
Sewage running under house,
5
5
Sewage running into cellar,
14
14
Filthy drains,
12
12
Pig pens,
5
5
Unburied carcasses,
23
23
[ Decomposing fish offal,
3
3
Decaying fruit,
6
6
Decaying meat,
3
3
Filthy cellars,
4
4
Stagnant ponds of water,
2
2
Filthy cistern in cellar,
1
1
348
342
In most cases a simple notification to the offending party has been sufficient to cause the removal of the nuisance, and in no case have we been obliged to resort to legal measures. On the contrary, we note with satisfaction the growing desire on the part of the public to co-operate with the Board in securing the sanitary welfare of the City.
The most important work performed during the year has been, unquestionably, that which was done upon the various water ways of the City. Under the supervision of Mr. Walter Ewell Commissioner of Public Works, whom the Board appointed as its special agent, the Town Brook, Sachems Brook, and Furnace Brook have been very thoroughly cleaned out, widened, and deopened. The value of these operations must be apparent to all, and we desire to express to Your Honor and to the gentle- men of the City Council our full sense of the courtesy shown to us in putting at our disposal the funds necessary for the pur- pose. The abatement of the nuisance known as Teal Pond is yet in progress and we hope, at no distant day, to report to you the successful completion of the work.
In regard to the prevalence of contagious and infectious diseases our Secretary furnishes the following statistics.
146
Number of cases of Diptheria,
18
" Scarlet fever,
22
66 6. " Measles, 54
66 " . " Typhoid fever,
22
Deaths from Diptheria,
2
6
60
Measles, 1
Unfortunately, the above table is not of sufficient accuracy to give more than a general idea of the prevalence of these diseases and the percentage of deaths, this inaccuracy being due to the negligence on the part of our physicians in reporting cases coming under their care. We would, therefore, earn- estly ask their attention to Reg. 14 of the rules and regulations of our Board, as non-compliance with it renders our statistics practically valueless.
In our last report we mentioned the fact that in many sec- tions of the city, dwelling houses are constantly in process of erection upon soil so saturated with moisture that it becomes impossible to build cesspools or to secure dry cellars. This abuse continues ; but we are gratified to observe that it has attracted the attention of Your Honor and that you have pro- posed to the City Council the adoption of remedial measures, to which we give our hearty approval.
General appropriation for the Board,
$515 00
Paid to Mr. J. W. Hayden for inspection $402 76
for
" " Mr. A. G. Durgin chemicals 1 40 .
66 Mr. Ferguson .
3 00
66 Green & Prescott .
44 50
Mr. H. R. Crane,for horse- hire ·
7 50
.. .. P. H. Gavin, expert .
10 00
$469 16
Balance .
$45 84
First appropriation for brooks . Second appropriation
$800 00
81 28
Amount carried forward
$881 28
Typhoid fever,
147
Amount brought forward Expended
$881 28
$843 53
Balance
$37 57
First appropriation for Teal Pond and vicinity,
$200 00
Second appropriation
18 72
$218 72
Expended
$218 72
Balance
$0 00
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH M. SHEEHAN, GEORGE B. RICE, Board of Health.
BENJAMIN F. THOMAS,
Report of the
CHIEF ENGINEER.
To HIS HONOR, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF QUINCY, HENRY O. FAIRBANKS,
Dear Sir : - For the third time, I hereby present my annual report as Chief Engineer of the Fire Department of the city of Quincy, in compliance with the requirements gov- erning the same, together with a list of the members with their rank, age, residence and occupation, location of fire alarm boxes, fires and alarms, inventory of property in possession of the department at this date. It being the easiest part of a report to make suggestions in regard to the wants and necessi- ties to keep up the efficiency of a Fire Department, I wish to make just a few that would in my opinion be a great benefit, not only to the department but to the property owners in this city. And in so doing I shall feel that my part has been done whether the Council take any notice of it or not.
FORCE OF DEPARTMENT.
The force of the department is the same as last year, and is as follows : one chief engineer, six assistant engineers, (one from each ward or charter provider) six permanent men, and sixty-three call members ; also one man who takes care of the Chemical Engine, No. 1, now located at Hough's Neck, making the entire force of the department seventy-seven men. And it gives me great pleasure to repeat that portion of my
149
report of 1890, where I stated they were all good workers and bad responded and attended to all duties very promptly that they have been called upon to perform as firemen.
APPARATUS.
The apparatus consists of one Amoskeag steam fire engine, one hook and ladder truck fully equipped, three hose wagons, two four wheel hose reels, one hose pung, two chemical engines, two hose jumpers, one supply wagon, and one light express wagon used in the fire alarm service.
Extensive repairs have been made on one hose wagon this year and is now as good as new. A new brake has been put on Hose 2 and Chemical No. 2 has been put in running order. Hose 2, Hose 3, and Chemical 3 must be painted next year. An addition of an extension ladder on Truck 1 will in my opinion be a great benefit, and I recommend that the same be added. Much has been said about a Chemical Engine being located in the Centre. In my report of last year, I recom- mended that the engine now located in Ward 6 be moved to the Centre ; but as I am now one year older in the service and have noticed to some extent the growth of our city, I would recommend that that Engine remain just where it is and that a new one with hose carriage combined be purchased, together with a pair of horses, and located as near the City Hall as a piece of available land will permit. It will also be necessary that two permanent men and five call men be added to the force.
I will just here add that I have great faith in chemical engines and hope that the Committee on Fire Department will take notice of this particular part of this report. (Read it over anyway, gentlemen. A copy will be furnished you.)
HOUSES.
Houses of the Department, with the exception of the new one (in ward 6) are unfit for the purposes of Fire Department. The Hose House in Ward 5, with an expenditure of about two hundred and fifty dollars, could be put in a condition that would probably answer all purposes for the next ten years, for
150
the immediate section it now covers. The house at Hough's Neck will answer for the present with a coat of paint.
Repairs on any of the other houses of this department I believe to be poor economy, and will not recommend any. New houses must be built. A new Central Station has got to be built, and if not commenced at an early date, I do not wish to hold myself accountable for any accident to horses or appara- tus or any inefficiency of the department in consequence of the present poor, delapidated quarters. Plenty of notice has been given as to the condition of the Central Station, and it is not only known to every councilman, but I think I can safely say to every man, woman and child not only in this city but in other places as well; and there is no excuse, none whatever, why Quincy should not have as good if not better than any other city of its size. And if the Committee on Fire Department would interest themselves, just a little, and make an early report, I do not see why a new station could not be made ready to move into by Aug. 1, 1892. It is hoped by your chief engineer that the next committee will wake up and be a live one, and will be more than interested in this part of this report.
HOSE.
We have at this date about 6,500 feet of hose in apparently good condition, and about 400 feet that is not reliable. Hose for the Chemical Engines was all new this year, and will probably answer if no serious accidents should occur.
I would recommend that 1,000 feet of fire hose be added, this addition will be necessary to keep up with losses, although losses this year have been very small.
WATER.
In regard to the water question I don't know hardly what to say. I want more hydrants. That part of Ward 3 known as the New Plains is entirely destitute of water as far as fire service goes, and as near as I can estimate the wants, it will take ten Hydrants to cover the property in that section. There are also other sections of our city that are in as bad a condition. That part of Ward 4 called the Rail is similiar to Ward 3 and
151
has no protection whatever seven months in the year. An addition of seven hydrants in that locality would be a great advantage and a necessity, none can dispute. Then there are other scattering places, and I will call your attention to the order introduced to the Council where I recommended the addition of twenty-seven hydrants. There have been no hydrants added this year ; the total number at this date is one hundred and one, the average pressure is about seventy-five pounds, which in my judgment is good fire service as far it goes. It is sincerely hoped by your Chief Engineer that an extention of the Quincy Water Company's pipes will be made and hydrants be added next year. I must have water or down goes the building.
It also appears proper for me to again call your attention to the Hough's Neck District. At this time there are about one hundred and twenty-five buildings in that District, the value of same in my judgment is about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. (I have not seen the assessors books.) In regards to water for fire service in this section there is nothing at the present time and as I stated in my last report, if a satisfactory trade or contract cannot be made with the Quincy or Wey- mouth Water Companies, there is but one other way (and that I would not consider reliable) the construction of a Reservoir on land owned by N. B. Furnald, the cost of same I know nothing of, but my opinion is that the expense would be considerable to maintain the same in keeping it cleaned out &c. In making the statement that there is but one other way I wish to correct myself a little and say that I know of no other way at the present time, and would suggest that the Committee on Fire Department visit Hough's Neck at an early date and make some report as to the best method of fire pro- tection in that section. A method of giving an alarm would be a great advantage and I would recommend that a loop be run as far as the Chemical 1 Engine House at that place and a Fire Alarm Box be located there, also an alarm box be located at the junction of Coddington street and Palmer street or what is more commonly known as Mosquito Woods. The cost of construction independent of other lines with the signal boxes added would be in the neighborhood of six hundred dollars, for a first class job.
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