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 1895 > Part 5
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MT. WOLLASTON CEMETERY.
This family burial place was first used in 1855. It seems as though the town had never considered that it would become of such size and although several additions have been made in recent years, the city will soon be called upon to purchase ad- ditional land. There are at present 1,563 lots in the cemetery and of that number two are occupied by the Receiving Tomb, four by the Soldiers' Monument, five for Single Graves and six by Private Tombs. There is in addition Plot A of 100 single graves, 70 of which are unused at the present time ; a plot of free graves which is filled and another plot of 90 free graves as well as the Sailors' Snug Harbor plot. At the present time all of the small lots have been sold, so that those who cannot afford to buy the larger ones, are compelled, to take the single graves. Additional land will be graded during the next season so that the department will have for sale some of the most desirable .
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lots in the cemetery. The same method for the care of lots, which has been in vogue for many years, was continued this season, except that the former average price was made the one price to all. This has caused some comment in several instances but it was considered that every lot owner should re- ceive the same treatment. Much difficulty has been experienced in finding just who was responsible for the care of some of the lots, as no book of addresses is in possession of the department. During the next year extra efforts will be used to find the ad- dress of every living lot owner, as well as of those who are now re- sponsible for the care of lots. These will be carefully placed in a suitable book and correspondence can then be sent at all times without delay,
Early in the Spring of 1896 circulars will be sent to lot owners, with return postal card, which must be signed and sent to the board, stating that the party will be responsible for the care of their lot during the coming season. In no other way will lots be cared for by the department. At no distant day proper rules will have to be passed, which will make compulsory, the care of all lots ; this has become necessary in justice to those who keep their lots neat and attractive. One neglected lot sur- rounded by those well kept, is objectionable to the cemetery and discouraging to other lot owners. We are too apt to forget to care for the last resting places of departed relatives and friends.
A number of trees were removed during the past year and quite a number more will be eut down in the near future. This has become necessary because of the large number in so small a place. Monuments and headstones were being disfigured by moss and mold, while it was almost impossible to make grass and plants grow. The cemetery has already shown improve- ment from the comparatively few that have been re- moved.
THE PERPETUAL CARE AND REPAIR FUND.
The Perpetual Care and Repair Fund is now deposited with the National Granite Bank. The amount of the fund is
132
$8,275.00 and the income was spent for the specified purpose during the season.
The object of this fund is, that by depositing a sum of money to be approved of by the board of managers, with the city of Quincy, your lot will be forever cared for. If more of the lot owners would take advantage of this method of caring for lots, the appearance of the cemetery would be greatly im- proved and what is oftentimes now an unpleasant duty, would be done by those specially hired for that purpose by the city.
FOUNDATIONS FOR MONUMENTS.
A rule has been made and is strictly enforced that all foundations shall be put in by the Board of Managers under the direction of the superintendent. This has taken a considerable sum which should be spent on the general care of the cemetery, but experience had shown that some monuments and headstones were erected with practically no foundation to support them. The frosts have thrown these monuments over and then at ad- ditional cost to owners, and the destruction of the grass sods, as well as frequently causing much rubbish to be removed by the employees of the department, they have been reset. While the cemetery loses this money for general care the city should make a special appropriation for this purpose, as the money thus used is almost immediately paid back into the treasury of the city by those having the work done.
The avenue running parallel with Valley street was formerly used as a dump and had become unsightly. It was levelled and graded this year and is no longer a nuisance.
The two ponds in the cemetery should receive proper care during the coming year. In the dry weather of summer they become disagreeable to look at and obnoxious to be near. They should be properly cleaned out and the sides walled with stone and in other ways made attractive.
A plan has been adopted of filling in all eross-walks, thus connecting together the lots in large plots. This is known as the "Lawn Plan" and is being adopted in all new cemeteries
133
and many of the old ones. Besides the great improvement in the general appearance, the care of lots is reduced to a minimum. The piece already done has created much favorable comment and requests were received from other lot owners to have their lots arranged on the same plan. As this work is paid for al- most immediately upon completion by the owners, the city should make a special appropriation, that the change may pro- gress without loss to the general repairs and care.
The income of this department is nearly the same as it has been for several years and this in spite of the scarcity of money. The amount from sale of lots has been $622 less than the year 1894. There remains a number of unpaid bills for foundations and care of lots and had they been paid at the proper time the income would have shown an increase over that of last vear.
STATISTICS.
There have been 186 burials and 1 removal in Cemeteries during the year 1895, as follows :
Mt. Wollaston Cemetery : ·
Adults, .
73
Children, .
.
65
Transferred from other places :
Adults, ..
33
Children, .
7
Removals :
Old Cemetery, .
1
Hall Cemetery,
1
Braintree,
1
Burials in Old Cemetery, .
2
Total,
186
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
Appropriation,
$4,400 00
Expended,
4,398 18
Balance, .
$1 82
INCOME 1895.
Care of Lots, 1893 .
$3 00
Care of Lots, 1894 .
200 75
Care of Lots, 1895 .
380 00
Lots sold .
1,378 00
Graves sold
54 00
Opening graves
59 00
Dressing .
22 00
Grading and sodding
22 00
Regrading
12 00
Removal .
10 00
Wood sold
10 50
Posts and setting
20 00
Labor 1894
5 00
Labor 1895
6 50
Repairing grave
5 00
Child's grave
3 00
Foundation
3 50
Grass seed
1 50
Grass cut .
75
Sodding border
2 00
From George L. Gill, secretary,
January and February . 648 75
$2,847 25
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PERPETUAL CARE AND REPAIR FUND.
Amount of fund deposited in Nation-
al Granite bank $8,275 00
Income to Oct. 1, 1895 359 56
$8,634 56
Expended on lots 1895
359 56
$8,275 00
Respectfully submitted, JOHN HALL,
ELIJAH G. HALL,
JOSEPH H. VOGEL,
JAMES E. MAXIM,
GEORGE H. WILSON,
FRED. F. GREEN,
Board of Managers ..
Report of City Phy=
sician.
To His Honor, the Mayor of the City of Quincy:
The following report of the City Physician is respectfully submitted.
The health of the inmates of the Almshouse for the past year has, with few exceptions, been excellent; there has been one death at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
The average number of inmates for the year was twenty, at an average age of fifty-six years.
I have made thirty-two calls during the year.
The outside poor have been especially favored from severe long continued disease, and particularly from contagious dis- ease, for although diphtheria has been more or less prevalent throughout the year, not a case has been under my care for the poor department. Medical calls on outside poor about one hun- dred and thirty, at the office sixty, of childbirth five cases.
JOHN F. WELCH, M. D. City Physician.
Health Department.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :-
The Board of Health respectfully present their annual report for the year ending Dec. 31st, 1895.
The organization of the Board was made at a meeting held early in February. Benj. F. Curtis was elected Chairman, Timothy F. Ford, Secretary and Dr. J. II. Ash, Consulting Physician.
Mr. T. F. Ford was appointed Inspector.
One of the earliest matters to receive the attention of the Board was the importance of improving the Scavenger System of the city. Complaints by citizens, and the personal knowl- edge of the workings of the old system led the Board to con- sider the desirability of adopting a more cleanly and responsible system than had previously prevailed.
Testimonials and visits to neighboring cities where the con- templated system was in practical working order, led the Board to adopt the Odorless Excavating Co.'s system, and after invit- ing proposals from a number of parties, the Board contracted with Mr. Edward Menhinick for the scavenger work of the city, at moderate prices, considering the cost of the apparatus needed to do the work.
The system was adopted in March, and without doubt this work has been done more thoroughly and cleanly than ever before and to the entire satisfaction of the Board. Great atten- tion has been paid to a thorough inspection of all the sanitary. conditions of the city.
140
A personal inspection of practically every estate in the city has been made by the Inspector. Recommendations and com- plaints have been made, and in almost every instance the own- ers have promptly complied with the wishes of the Board. We have found a very laudable desire on the part of the citizens to accept the suggestions of the Inspector.
One evil which has existed for many years, and which has been a prolific source of complaint, has been taken in hand and great progress has been made towards its abolishment.
We refer to the carting of swill, garbage, etc., through our city by non-residents and others.
The Board early in March adopted a rule that the carting of swill, garbage, etc., should be done under the most stringent regulations.
Accordingly, after some considerable difficulty, a list of those engaged in carting was obtained, and notification sent to all and strict rules adopted, licenses were granted to some seventy-five owners of teams to cart swill etc., through our city.
A rigid inspection of wagons, boxes, etc., was established and we feel sure that all will agree with us, that this uncleanly business has been regulated and made much better than ever before.
In May the collection of garbage in the city from housc- holders was put in charge of the Board of Health, it formerly having been in charge of the Commissioner of Public Works.
Immediately after taking charge, we found that practically a large portion of the city, mostly in Wards 1, 2 and 4, had not been covered. As the appropriation had been made for the year before it was decided to place it in our charge, we were in doubt if the service could be extended to serve all parts of the city alike.
After a careful survey of the situation, we voted to extend the service over the whole city, and made contracts with Mr. John Gearin to cover Wards 2, 4 and Hough's Neck and Rock Island, and since May we have been enabled, by careful man- agement, to completely cover all parts of the city, making two
141
collections from the whole, and three from most of the thickly settled parts of the city weekly.
Whilst this service was as good as it was posssible to get for the money appropriated, we strongly recommend that a uniform service of three collections weekly be established, as the health and comfort of the citizens will be greatly benefited by the appropriation of the extra sum necessary to carry out the proposed change.
The Board considering the great advantages to be obtained by the citizens to have places where the refuse of the city could be deposited, have established two public Dumps, one on Valley street, and one on Arlington street, at Wollaston. A small sum will keep both places in good condition and we hope, by this means, many nuisances will be abated, and unsightly piles of rubbish will no longer offend the eyes of our citizens and more cleanly conditions of our streets and ways may be expected.
The public water courses of the city have received partic- ular attention.
Many personal visits of the Board have been made to them all, and particularly to the head waters of those which supply our ice ponds. The sanitary conditions on the streams have been very much improved.
The health of the city has been about the same as the aver- age of previous years.
No epidemic of contagious disease has prevailed, with the exception of Diphtheria in the first part of the year ; we have cause to be thankful that such was the case.
We append a list of all contagious diseases for the year and also the list of deaths.
BENJ. F. CURTIS, TIMOTHY F. FORD, JOIIN H. ASH, M. D. Board of Health.
142
Typhoid Fever ..
Measles.
Scarlet Fever .... : 1
Diphtheria ..... ..
Total ......
January
1
18
21
February
17
March
1
1
8
April
3
1
5
18
27
May
1 19
X
10
38
June
7
12
6
25
July
1
9
15
25
August
1
3
6
September
5
1
6
October
6
5
13
November
B
5
12
20
December
1
B
5
9
Total
19
33
58
105
215
Total number of deaths, 343.
Measles, 0.
Typhoid Fever, 5.
Scarlet fever, 4.
Diphtheria, 14.
Membraneous Croup. 1.
Two deaths from heart trouble following diphtheria.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR.
To the Board of Health :
GENTLEMEN .- I herewith tender my report for the year ending December 31st.
I have practically inspected the entire city, paying partic- nlar attention to tenement houses and surrounding premises.
. ..
·
·
.
7
.
.
113
The following is a list of the various nuisances discovered and abated :-
Nuisances.
Discovered.
Abated.
Unclean privy vaults
288
288
Unclean cesspools .
134
132
Sinkpools on surface of the ground
46
46
Open vaults
12
11
Stagnant pools of water
2
2
Defective plumbing
15
14
Filthy cellars .
9
9
Open and defective drains Open cesspools
6
6
Filthy yards
12
12
Sewage running on street
3
2
Sewage running into brook
6
5
Piggeries
2
2
Decaying vegetables
5
5
Cesspool too near house .
1
1
Contaminated well .
1
1
Dead animals .
4
4
Decomposing fish
2
Total
573
567
One hundred and sixty-three cases of scarlet fever, diph- theria and membraneous croup have been reported by attend- ing physicians during the year. The rooms occupied . by the patients have been in almost every case fumigated and cleansed by your Inspector. Occasionally the work has been done by the family under the direction of the attending physician and to the satisfaction of your Inspector. The brooks and water courses were cleaned and widened under my supervision as thoroughly as the appropriation would permit.
Town Brook was cleaned and widened from the Canal to Water street ; Sachem Brook from the sea to Arlington street ; Furnace Brook from Black's Creek through the land of Mr. Brooks Adams, and from Hall place to land of Mr. E. H. Doble
.
.
25
25
144
in West Quincy; Wollaston Brook from tidegate to tracks of N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. ; Phipps street Brook from Quincy avenue to Hammond place, and Eaton's Brook, so called, from ice pond, to Hall place and from Robertson street to the Milton line. As the territory drained by several of the brooks mentioned is being built upon very rapidly, more work will be required in the future. The regulation governing the carting of garbage through our city, from Boston, has been enforced. Three cases of violation of this regulation have been successfully prosecuted in the court, and the character and appearance of the wagons used improved over that of last year.
Respectfully, TIMOTHY F. FORD, Inspector.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING.
QUINCY, January 1st, 1896.
B. F. Curtis, Esq., Chairman of Board of Health :
DEAR SIR :- I herewith tender you my second annual report as Inspector of Plumbing of the City of Quincy, for the year ending December 31st, 1895. The work attended to dur- ing the year has been as follows :
Number New Houses Inspected
123
Number New Stores Inspected
10
Number New Churches Inspected
2
Number Alterations Inspected
20
Total Number of Inspections 155
Representing an aggregate estimated value of . $27,000 00
145
There has been a decided improvement in the manner in which the work has been performed, the Ordinances regulating Plumbing being rigidly enforced, and no work allowed to pro- ceed, without giving evidence of being thoroughly up to the standard.
Very respectfully yours, J. J. KENILEY, Inspector of Plumbing.
Report of Inspector of Milk.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
I have the honor to submit the following report :
I have issued 42 licenses to dealers in milk selling from wagons, and 47 certificates of registration to dealers selling from stores or houses. The total receipts of the office have been $44.50, which I have returned to the City Treasurer.
I have made frequent tests of samples of milk from all parts of the city and have found the milk almost uniformly to be up to the legal standard. One dealer was cautioned that the milk delivered to him by the contractor was too near the minimum standard. In his own defense he immediately changed the source of supply. No prosecutions have originated in this office. Respectfully,
HENRY C. HALLOWELL, M. D.,
Inspector of Milk.
Quincy, January 1, 1896.
Report of Overseer of the Poor.
Quincy, January 16, 1896. To his Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :.
I herewith submit my report as Overseer of the Poor for the year 1895, and in so doing follow the same general plan of my last report.
The appropriation for this department for 1895 was eighty- five hundred dollars. Of that sum I have at this date approved bills amounting to eighty-three hundred and thirty-eight and 9-100 dollars, although cities and towns having claims against this city are so apt to be tardy in sending in their bills that there is undoubtedly considerably more expense to be properly charged to the account of last year.
Of this sum twenty-two hundred and sixty-eight and 30-100 dollars was expended on account of the almshouse and six thousand sixty-nine and 79-100 dollars on account of the out- side poor, and I annex to this report a summary of these several accounts.
According to the system that was begun two years ago the income received from the State and other cities and towns for the support of their poor has not gone to the credit of this de- partment, but has been paid directly to the City Treasury, though of course all such sums so received lessen the net cost of
150
maintaining our poor. For instance, we have continued the practice begun in 1894 of paying the City Hospital for cases for which the Commonwealth has to pay, amounting in the past year to five hundred and ninety dollars. Of course this is a charge on our appropriation, but actually costs the city noth- ing ; but it is a charge against our account, and although I think on the whole that in the past year there has been a somewhat less number of calls for aid, and much less on account of the non-employment of wage earners, although in many individual cases the amount of aid needed and rendered has been unusually large, yet the amount chargeable to State and other cases will cause our appropriation, when all bills are paid, to seem to have over-run. I earnestly recommend that in the future the poor department be credited with amounts paid by or chargeable to the State or other Cities or Towns, so that the department will not seem to expend more money for the support of the poor of Quincy than it actually does expend.
The condition and management of the almshonse has been as in the past very satisfactory. Mr. Franklin Jacobs as Super- tendent and Mrs. Jacobs as Matron, have performed their not always easy or pleasant duties with a good degree of judgment and discretion.
I wish to renew my recommendations of last year in regard to some needed improvements at the almshouse. There should be, I think, an appropriation for putting in an additional bath- room and water closet for the inmates, and also one for the Superintendent and his family. The system of lighting by kero- sene lamps is, in my opinion, highly dangerous and unsatisfac- tory when so much better and safer methods can be had at no very considerable expense. The use of electric lighting would do away with all the dangers that in such an institution are likely to result from the use of oil lamps. I think it will be found on comparison of expenses of the Poor Department of other cities of the Commonwealth that those of Quincy are inuch less per capita of our population than those of any other city.
The income of the Cotton Center Johnson Fund was dis-
151
tribted as usual under the direction of the Committee on Poor of the City Council, and it would be very desirable if it could be so invested safely as to produce a larger income than the present one of 4 per cent.
I should recommend that the same amount be appropriated for the expense of this Department for the coming year as for the last, if the Department is to be credited with receipts from other Cities and Towns, otherwise I should recommend an in- creased appropriation.
The inmates of the almshouse on January 1st, 1895 were 12
Admitted during the year
16
Total
28
Died during the year
1
Discharged during the year
14 15
In the almshouse December 31, 1895 . 13
Number of outside poor relieved were as follows : Number settled in Quincy . 99
Number chargeable to other cities and towns 19
Number of State paupers 44
Number of paupers in insane asylums chargeable to
Quincy
24
Total
186
ZENAS S. ARNOLD,
Overseer of the Poor.
152
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES OF ALMSHOUSE.
Salary of Superintendent
$ 500 00
Wages
.
352 25
House Supplies
1,548 19
House Repairs
143 09
Stable Supplies
517 44
Fuel
204 90
Miscellaneous, including Telephone
78 67
Total expense of almshouse .
$3,344 54
Cr. by supplies furnished outside poor
1,076 24
Net cost
$2,268 30
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES OF OUTSIDE POOR.
Provisions
$1,301 64
Fuel
866 74
Support of Insane
2,707 10
Clothing
68 15
Stationery and Printing
36 45
Rent .
216 00
Transportation
110 01
Hospital Aid
590 05
Miscellaneous
173 65
Total,
$6,069 79
Report of Inspector of Animals and Provisions.
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
DEAR SIR,-I have the honor to submit my annual report.
I find in Quincy some very fine cows, oxen, bulls and young cattle, well kept and in good condition, and yet there has been a number of cases of tuberculosis, and those have been destroy- ed, and there may be other cases in the first stages that cannot be detected without the aid of tuberculin.
It has been stated that consumption destroys one-sixth of the human race. Consumption and tuberculosis are one and the same disease. The same germ that produces tuberculosis in cattle produces consumption in man. The disease is communi- cable from a diseased man to a healthy animal, and from a dis- eased animal to a healthy human being.
The malady is conveyed from an affected animal to man- kind through the milk or the meat used for food. It is because of this incontestable but rather recently appreciated fact that so much of an endeavor is now being made to rid the different states and countries of tuberculosis cattle.
Every intelligent thinking man in New England to-day may be asking himself the question, "Where can I procure my
154
meat, milk, butter and cheese with the absolute knowledge that I am not giving to my family the germs of consumption ?"
It is thought that tuberculosis has been found in the hog, and Inspectors are instructed to inspect them. Any person slaughtering or knowingly authorizing or causing to be slaughtered a hog without having it inspected is liable to a fine not exceed- ing five hundred dollars, or to imprisonment in jail not exceed- ing sixty days, or to both such fine and imprisonment ; therefore all hogs must be inspected. This makes a very great increase in the labor of Inspectors.
HORSES.
During the last year glanders and farey have appeared in a number of cases, and some horses have been killed. I would advise people not to water their horses from a trough of stand- ing water, for in that way their horses may get glanders. Fountains of running water are not so dangerous. I wish if any one knows of a suspicious case that he would notify me immediately, that it may be taken care of at once.
MEATS AND PROVISIONS.
I think Quincy has some first-class provision stores to be proud of, with fine quality of meat and provisions, kept neat and clean, the sight of which may tempt the purchaser to buy. It is seldom I see anything to find fault with. Most of the meat and fish carts that belong in Quincy are well kept, and it is not very often that I am obliged to seize and destroy any meat or fish, but the greatest trouble is with meat and fish carts that come from out of town, especially those which come from Bos- ton. Sometimes they may have a tolerably fair load, and again they may have that which is not fit for food and must be de- stroyed, but thus far no one has appealed from my decision.
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