Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1903, Part 11

Author: Quincy (Mass.)
Publication date: 1903
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 428


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 1903 > Part 11


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21


Nov. 15. Box 441, 1.55 a. in., off Quarry street. Owner, Andrew Erickson. Occupant, Oscar Djerf. Cause, incendiary. Value of building, $200. Loss on building, $200. Insurance, none. Value of contents, $100. Loss on contents, $100. Insurance, none.


Nov. 15. Box 62, 5.30 a. m., Hancock street. Owner, E. Rams- dell. Occupant, Mrs. Jennie Gardnier and John Mc- Kenna. Cause, unknown. Value of building, $2,500. Loss on building, $560. Insurance on building, $1,800. Value of contents, $2,500. Loss on contents, $100. Insurance on contents, $700.


Nov. 21. Box 39, 7.40 a. m., Penn street. Owner, Geo. Mc- Farland. Occupant, John R. Richard. Cause, stove. Value of building, $700. Loss on building, $62.50.


211


Insurance on building, $500. Value of contents, $500. Loss on contents, $200. Insurance, none.


Nov. 23. Box 54, 10.55 a. m., Clay street. Owner, Wm. H. Faxon. Occupant, John Delaney. Cause, child with fire. Value of building, $500. Loss on building, $45. Insurance, none. Value of contents, $150. Loss on contents, $10. Insurance, none.


Nov. 24. Still, 11.15 a. m., off Centre street. Owner, Old Col- ony Trap Rock Co. Occupant, none. Cause, incendi- ary. Value of building, $100. Loss on building, $100. Insurance, none.


Nov. 25. Still, 9 p. m., 17 Arnold street. Owner, J. W. Mang- nall. Occupant, J. W. Mangnall. Cause, accidental dropping match. Value of building, $3,000. Loss on building, $75. Insurance on building, $2,500. Value of contents, $1,000. Loss on contents, $10. Insurance none.


Nov. 25. Still, 5 p. m., off Faxon road. Grass fire.


Nov. 25. Box 136, 5.10 p. m., off Water street. Grass fire.


Nov. 29. Box 42, 2.18 a. m., corner Water and Granite streets. Owner, E. J. Sandberg. Occupant, Jacob Neimi. Cause unknown. Value of building, $600. Loss on building, $600. Insurance on building, $400. Value of contents, $1,000. Loss on contents, $1,000. In- surance on contents, $1,000.


Nov. 29. Box 42, 2.18 a. m., Granite street. Owner, Mrs. Frou- lund. Occupant, Mrs. Froulund. Cause from adjoin- ing building. Value of building, $600. Loss on building, $500. Insurance on building, $300. Value of con- tents, $2,500. Loss on contents, $2,500. Insurance on contents, $1,500.


Nov. 29. Box 42, 2.18 a. m., Water street. Owner, E. J. Sand- berg. Occupant, barber shop. Caught from adjoining building. Value of building, $400. Loss on building, $300. Insurance on building, $300. Value of contents, $200. Loss on contents, $75.


Dec. 1. Box 46, 1.30 a. m., Copeland street. False alarm.


Dec. 3. Box 13, 12.55 a. m., Plover road. Owner, George A. Smith. Occupant, none. Value of building, $12,000.


212 *


Loss on building, $12,000. Insurance on building, $9,800. Value of contents, $2,573. Loss on contents, $2,573. Insurance on contents, $2,200.


Dec. 13. Box 53, 12.35 a. m., South Central avenue. Owner,


£ Mrs. Clara A. Penley. Occupant, Mrs. Clara A. Pen- ley, and W. Parker Gould. Cause, rats and matches. Value of building, $3,000. Loss on building, $1,250. Insurance on building, $2,500. Value of contents, $3,200. Loss on contents, $620. Insurance on con- tents, $2,200.


Dec. 14. Still, Copeland street. Owner, E. Ramsdell. Occu- pant, Mrs. Cuff. Cause, chimney. Value of building, $1,000. Loss on building, none. Insurance on build- ing, $800. Value of contents, $500. Loss on con- tents, none. Insurance, $300.


Dec. 16. Still, 3.15 p. m., off Goffe street. Grass fire.


Dec. 16. Still, 5 p. m., off Faxon road. Grass fire.


Dec. 16. Still, 6 p. in., off Hancock street. Grass fire.


Dec. 16. Box 123, 6.08 p. m., off Hancock street. Grass fire.


Dec. 17. Box 58, 1.25 p. m., off Adams street. Grass fire.


Dec. 18. Still, 11.30 a. m., off Washington street, Grass fire.


Dec. 18.


Still, 3 p. m., off Newbury street. Grass fire.


Dec. 19. Box 71, 12.05 p. m., off Washington street. Grass fire.


Dec. 19. Box 34, 1.10 p. m., off Franklin street. Grass fire.


Dec. 19. Still, 1.15 p. m., off Safford street. Grass fire.


Dec. 19. Still, 2 p. m., off Glover avenue. Grass fire.


Dec. 23. Still, 6.30 p. m., Hancock street. Grass fire.


Dec. 23. Still, 5.30 p. m., Hancock street road bridge. sparks from engine. Loss none.


Cause,


Dec. 24. Box 23, 6.30 p. m., Granite street. Owner, Quincy Real Estate Trust. Occupant, Incandescent Electric Light Manipulator Co. Cause, from bonfire. Value of building, $2,700. Loss on building, $10. Insurance on building, $2,500. Value of contents, $2,500. Loss on contents, none. Insurance on contents, $2,200.


Dec. 24. Still, 6.45 p. m., off Granite street. Owner, Quincy Real Estate Trust. Occupant, T. White and H. Nelson. Cause, chimney. Value of building, $2,500. Loss on building, none. Insurance on building, $2,000.


213


Value of contents, $500. Loss on contents, none. In- surance, none.


Dec 25.


Still, 8.30 a. m., 44 Pearl street. Owner, Daniel Baxter. Occupant, F. A. Yeaton and B. Trepanier. Cause, boy and matches. Value of building, $3,000. Loss on building, none. Insurance on building, $2,300. Value of contents, $2,000. Loss on contents, $35. Insurance on contents, $1,100.


Dec. 27. Box 73, 2.47 p. m., 46 Winter street. £ Owner, John Farren. Cause, unknown. Value of building, $4,500. Loss on building, $215. Insurance on building, $4,000. Value of contents, $1,300. Loss on contents, $45. Insurance on contents, $1,000.


Dec. 27. Still, 3.30 p. m., South street. Owner, Reuben Hersey. Occupant, William Smith. Cause, chimney. Value of building, $1,500. Loss on building, none. Value of


contents, $500. Loss on contents, none. Insurance, none.


Dec. 28. Box 49, 7.25 p. m., Willard street. Owner, Mrs. Magdlena Schatze. Occupant, none. Cause, plasterers' stove. Value of building, $1,000. Loss on building, $470. Insurance on building, $1,000.


Dec. 31. Box 136, 8.12 p. m. Water street. False alarm.


Board of Sewerage Commis- sioners.


QUINCY, MASS., JAN. 1, 1904. To His Honor the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Quincy :


GENTLEMEN-Most of the work of sewer construction dur- ing the past year has been carried on in Ward Two. The Board has received petitions for sewers in other wards far in excess of the appropriation available. These petitions have been care- fully considered and sewers have been built only in what seemed the most urgent cases.


When the appropriation for sewer construction became avail- able we advertised for proposals for building two sections of the Quincy Point main, Section 11, from Canal street near Newcomb street to Edison street, and Section 12, from a point in land of the Hanley Construction Company to Washington street and in Washington street from Broadway to a point four hundred feet (400) southeasterly from South street. In the autumn of 1902 proposals were advertised for and received for building Section 11, and were rejected because the Board thought them too high. The prices this year were nearly ten per cent. lower than those bid in 1902. Both of these contracts were awarded to T. J. O'Connell of Dorchester at the following prices :


SECTION 11.


SECTION 12.


Earth excavation 0 to 8 ft $ .70 per cu. yd. $ .75 per cu. yd


Earth excavation 8 to


14 ft


1.00


1.10 “ 1.50 66


Earth excavation 14 to 20 ft 1.50


Earth excavation below 20 ft 2.00


Rock excavation 0 to 8 ft 4.50


Rock excavation 8 to 14 ft 6.00


Rock excavation below 14 ft


8.00


2.00 4.50 6.00 8.00


Earth excavation in tunnel


11.00 per linear foot.


Rock excavation in tunnel


19.00 per linear foot.


215


Brick masonry,


$5.25 per cu. yd. $5.25 per cu. yd.


Concrete masonry,


4.00 per cu. yd. 4.00 per cu. yd.


Laying 8 and 10 in. sewer pipe, .15 per lin. ft. .20 per lin. ft.


Laying 15 in. sewer pipe,


Laying 18 and 20 in. sewer pipe, .30 per lin. ft. .30 per lin. ft.


Laying underdrain,


.30 per lin. ft. .30 per lin. ft.


Laying chimneys,


.15 per lin. ft. .15 per lin. ft.


The sewers built under contract were completed in Novem- ber. The part of the main sewer not included in the contracts was built by the city by day labor, the work having been begun in 1902 and completed in 1903.


With the appropriation available for lateral sewers in Ward Two, sewers have been built in those streets that seemed in the most urgent need of sewerage. We now have 40.016 miles of sewers, of which 4.086 miles were built in 1903, as shown by the following list.


BUILT BY CONTRACT.


Size in inches. Length in feet.


From


To


Point Main, See. 11,


20


3,721.2 Canal st.


Edison st.


Point Main, Sec. 12,


20


1,100.16 Station 75 plus 24.


Washington st.


Washington st.,


15 1,072.9 Broadway. Washington ct.


Washington st.,


18


49.55 Washington ct. Cleverly ct.


Washington st.,


10


354.2 Cleverly ct.


South st.


Washington st.,


S


401.45 South st.


Southeasterly


BUILT BY DAY LABOR.


Broadway,


12 697.9 Washington st. Commonwealth ave.


Broadway,


8


500.1 Commonwealth ave. Southwesterly


Beacon and Storey sts ,


8 733.85 Washington st. Commonwealth ave.


Charles st.,


8


602.9 Edison st.


Chester st.,


8 294.0


Berlin st.


Commonwealth ave., 12


240.


Broadway.


River st. Weston ave. Madison ave.


Commonwealth ave., 10


437.23 Madison ave. North st.


Edison Park,


8


982. near Washington st.


Northeasterly


Edison s1.,


8


988.9 Washington st. Northeasterly


Elm ave.,


8 199.65 Kemper st. Green st.


Federal ave.,


8


650 Independence ave.


Southerly


Glendale road,


8


250. Whitwell st.


Northerly


Graham st.,


8


246.86 Edison st.


Thompson st.


216


Size in inches.


Length in feet.


From


To


Holmes st.,


S


64. Existing sewer


Southerly


Madison ave.,


8


717.4 Washington st. Commonwealth ave.


North st.,


8


764.75 Washington st. Commonwealth ave.


Parsons st.,


S


190.0


Independence ave.


Southerly


Plymouth st.,


S


250.0


Independence ave.


Southerly


Private land,


8


284.6


Edison Park.


Stewart st.


Quincy Point Main,


20


2,197.9


Edison st.


Section 12


Sixth ave.,


8


225.


Broadway.


Southeasterly


Squantum st.,


8


30.


Existing sewer.


Westerly


Storey st., (see Beacon st.)


Stewart st.,


8


645.


near Washington st.


Northeasterly


Thompson st.,


8


206.0 Charles st.


Graham st.


Union st.,


8


152.16 Main st.


Edwards st.


Washington st.,


8


1,335.5


Edison park


North st.


Washington st.,


10


741.6


North st.


Broadway


Wibird st.,


8


295.0


near Washington st.


Canal st.


Wollaston ave.,


8


745.3


Hancock st.


Fenno st.


The cost of labor pay rolls, lumber tools and lighting on the work done by the city, including the part of the main sewer to Quincy Point done in 1902, was $22,605.87. If this work had been done by contract at the same unit prices as were paid under the contracts for Sections 11 and 12, the cost would have been $25,706.73, an increase of about 13 7-10 per cent.


The screen chamber on Quincy street for the discharge of cesspool and vault matter into the sewer was completed and put into operation early in the year. The one on Penn street was completed in 1902. These screen chambers do the work for which they were designed, retaining the heavy solids and allow- ing the liquids and lighter solids, which can be carried in sus- pension, to pass into the sewer. This method of disposal seems to be entirely satisfactory for the contents of cesspools and vaults which are properly used. Some vaults however, are found to contain a large percentage of ashes, cans and miscellaneous articles which should be disposed of in some other way. When taken from a vault and deposited in the screen chamber the ashes, cans, etc., are retained and have to be removed to some dump at considerable expense. Some measures should be taken to prevent the deposit of heavy and insoluble solids in vaults and if this is found to be impracticable we would advise that a


217


dump be provided where the vault matter in solid form contain- ing a large percentage of ashes and heavy solids can be covered with earth, while the contents of cesspools and well kept vaults can be disposed of through the screen chambers with entirely satisfactory results.


The expenditures from the appropriation for sewer construc- tion have been as follows :


Pay rolls . $26,719 46


T. J. O'Connell, Contractor, Section 11, Section 12 22,178 80


George E. Thomas, building over Scavenger's tank 563 00


Stock and tools 23,182 44


Rights of way, land and other damages


2,110 38


Advertising and printing


151 85


Office expenses, including telephone, stationery,


office supplies and carfares


188 14


Rent of 1902


75 00


Total


$75,169 07


Balance of 1902 appropriation


$11,321 10


1903 appropriation .


7.0,000 00


Unexpended balance


6,152 03


HOUSE CONNECTIONS.


During the year 265 connections have been made with the public sewers, aggregating 12,203.5 feet in length. The cost has ranged from 25 cents to $1.57 per foot, the difference being caused by various local conditions. The average cost for the year has been $.547 per foot or $25.18 per connection.


The cost of this work $6,672.75 has been assessed upon the estates connected and has been committed to the Collector of Taxes for collection. At the beginning of the year there was an unexpended balance of $1,093.54 from the appropriation for house connections. During this year an appropriation of $6000 was made and pay rolls and bills to the amount of $6,501.48 have been approved leaving an unexpended balance of $592.06.


ASSESSMENTS.


On March 4, 1903, 737 notices of sewer assessments were sent out on account of sewers built in 1902. These assessments amounted to a total of $37,466.66. Upon request of the property


218


owners 375 of these assessments aggregating $20,040.03 were apportioned, most of them into ten parts. Work is in progress on the assessment plans for work done in 1903 and we expect to be ready to send out the assessment notices in January.


The claim of John Sheehan on account of bill for extra work on Main sewer built in 1897-8 is still pending in Court.


As noted above we have on file a number of petitions for sewer extensions in various parts of the City. We have not been able to build sewers asked for in these petitions on account of lack of appropriations. The districts which would be served by the building of these sewers are in need of sewerage.


Respectfully submitted,


A. F. SCHENKELBERGER, WILLIAM T. ISAAC, THOMAS J. LAMB,


Board of Sewerage Commissioners.


L


1


Board of Assessors.


To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :


The Board of Assessors herewith submit their annual report for the year 1903 :


Warrants received and amount raised for current expense by - the assessment of taxes in the City of Quincy for the financial year commencing January 1, 1903, by the Board of Assessors, were as follows :


A State warrant for the proportion of the City of Quincy, of a State tax of $2,500,000.00


A County warrant for the proportion of the City of Quincy, of a County tax of $158,- 500.00 .


By the provisions of chapter 488 of the Acts of the year 1895, entitled "An Act to provide for a Metropolitan Water Supply," we have been assessed for the year 1903 .


By the provisions of chapter 406 of the Acts of the year 1895, entitled "An Act to provide for a system of sewage disposal for the Ne- ponset River Valley," and of chapter 424 of the Acts of the year 1899, entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of a High-Level Gravity Sewer for the relief of the Charles and Neponset River Valleys," we have been assessed .


In accordance with the provisions of chapter 407 of the Acts of the year 1893, entitled "An Act to establish a Metropolitan Park Com- mission," chapter 550 of the Acts of the year 1896, entitled "An Act relative to the Metropolitan Parks and Boulevards," and chapter 464 of the Acts of the year 1899,


$16,925 00


15,333 60


30,237 42


14,307 10


/


220


entitled "An act to authorize the Metropoli- tan Park Commission to take, control and manage Nantasket Beach and adjacent lands and waters," we have been assessed


In pursuance of the provisions of chapter 432 of the Acts of the year 1900, entitled "An Act relative to the repairs of State. Highways," we have been assessed 2 01


Amount raised for municipal current expense based on the valuation of December 31,


1902, $22,109,051.00 at $12.00 per $1,000 Debts and interest Aggregate of amounts .


265,308 61


131,456 90


$481,818 33


Eight thousand one hundred thirty-six polls were recorded for assessment and included in the estimate that determined the rate of taxa- tion for the current year at $2.00 each


16,272 00


By the operation of the law providing for the supplementary assessment of omitted male persons liable to assessment under the pro- visions of section 19, chapter 11, R. L., there were added sixty-five polls, making the number assessed eight thousand two hundred one.


The amount of estimated receipts lawfully appli- cable to the payment of expenditures of the year as provided in chapter 12, section 37, R. L., were deducted 71,109 09


To which was added, as provided in chapter 12, section 55, R. L., for overlay, amounting to 4,748 40


GRAND TOTAL OF AMOUNTS RAISED BY TAXES AND INCOME.


Taxes on personal and real estate, resident bank


shares and polls


415,463 33


Omitted assessments 426 42


Receipts


150,078 73


$565,968 48


$8,247 69


221


SUMMARY OF AMOUNTS COMMITTED TO THE BOARD.


Appropriation order .


$306,798 00


Debts and interests 131,456 90


Water maintenance and interest


39,087 70


Metropolitan water assessment


30,237 42


State tax


16,925 00


County tax


15,333 60


Metropolitan sewer assessment


14,307 11


Metropolitan park assessment


8,247 61


State highway tax


2 01


$562,395 35


VALUATION.


The valuation of the city, May 1, 1903, as determined by the Assessors, and upon which the rate of taxation was levied, is as follows :


Value of land


. $9,591,600 00


Value of buildings


. 10,177,175 00


$19,768,775 00


Exemptions as provided in chapter 12, section


5, R. L.


65,425 00


Total valuation of real estate subject to taxation 19,703,350 00


Valuation of personal property -


other than bank stock, sep- arately assessed $3,187,875 00


Value of shares of National banks located in and taxable in the City of Quincy 183,090 00 3,370,965 00


Total valuation


23,074,315 00


Tax rate 17 30


Taxes levied


399,423 80


The valuation was also increased by assessments


under the provisions of section 85, chapter 12, R. L. $15,400 00


The total valuation of the city upon which taxes were assessed for the year 1903, when all assessments were made 23,089,715 00


A net gain over 1902 valuation


907,375 00


222


VALUATION BY WARDS ..


Ward 1


2


2,416,200.00


834,700.00


3,250,900.00


3


2,328,700.00


331,675.00


2,660,375.00


4


2,239,225.00


313,550.00


2,552,775.00


5


3,889,800.00


328,175.00


4,217,975.00


6


2,884,050.00


69,900.00


2,953,950.00


$19,703,350.00


$3,187,875


$22,891,225.00


SEWER ASSESSMENTS.


Main sewer assessment apportion-


ments


. $8,966 46


Interest on same


2,605 84 ·


$11,572 30


Particular sewer assessments appor- tioned and otherwise


. $2,198 84


Interest on same


247 09


$2,445 93


SIDEWALK ASSESSMENTS.


Sidewalk assessments apportioned $230 85


Interest on same


.


66 27


$297 12


SUMMARY FROM TABLE OF AGGREGATES.


Resident property owners


4,202


Non-resident property owners


1,843


Poll tax only


6,436


Number of horses assessed


1,277


Number of cows and neat cattle assessed


575


Number of swine assessed


37


Number of dwelling houses assessed


4,822


Number of acres of land assessed


6,719


VALUATION OF PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION.


Literary


$128,075 00


Benevolent


648,425 00


Religious


· 375,125 00


City of Quincy real estate and fire apparatus · 853,250 00


·


Total.


Real Estate. $5,945,375.00


Personal. $1,309,875.00


$7,255,250.00


r


223


BY COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.


Takings for Blue Hill Reservation, Quincy Shore and Furnace Brook Parkway :


Takings of 1894, 2,573 56% acres . $128,675 00


66 1900, 3,462,261 square feet .


173,113 05


1901, 98,730 square feet 4,936 50 .


1902, 1,351,420 square feet . . 63,167 00


1903, 50,180 square feet


1,700 00


Metropolitan sewer, 11,863,337 square feet


99,525,00


The Assistant Assessors who served during the year were :


Henry P. Kittredge


Ward 1


Albert Keating


2


William J. Parker


3


William H. Teasdale


" 4


Charles R. Sherman,


5


T. L. D. Gurney


6


The polls returned for the year were 8,201; a gain of 647 over the year 1902. Were made up as follows :


Precinct 1.


Precinct 2.


Total.


Ward 1,


684


763


1,447


Ward 2,


671


666


1,337


Ward 3,


750


913


1,663


Ward 4,


713


935


1,648


Ward 5,


1,179


Ward 6, 488


439


927


During the past year there has been returned to this office by the Sewer Commissioners 378 main sewer apportionment assessments, and 265 particular sewer assessments ; and by the City Council two apportioned sidewalk assessments. With these additions the whole number of individual accounts now kept in this office are, viz :


-


Main sewer assessments


1,437


Particular sewer assessments,


335


Sidewalk assessments


31


Each one being divided into from three to ten parts ; one part, with the interest on the unpaid balance, being added annually to the tax bill of each person affected by these assessments.


224


During the year the Board had the second instalment of Assessors' plans covering Ward 1 prepared in the office of the City Engineer. This now gives the Board plans for two wards, namely, 1 and 2; and it is anticipated that the appropriation of $1,000 made last year to continue the work will furnish plans of Ward 3 and a portion of Ward 5.


The views of the Board (as expressed in their report of last year) are unchanged regarding the benefits the city derives from a complete survey, not only in the assessment of taxes, but as a reference and record, and recommend that the ensuing year a further appropriation of $1,000 be made to continue the work.


In closing, we wish to thank our assistants and his Honor the Mayor for their support and co-operation in furthering the work of the Board.


JAMES THOMPSON, Assessors CHARLES H. JOHNSON, of the


WILLIAM B. GLOVER, 1 City of Quincy.


Report of City Solicitor.


FEBRUARY 1, 1904.


To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :-


Concerning the business of my office of City Solicitor for the year 1903, I beg leave to subinit to you the following facts :


The cases against the City referred to in my last report and since disposed of are as follows :


E. H. Doble VS.


City of Quincy. 66


Faircloth


VS.


Bates and Jenness VS.


66


66


Joslin VS. 66


66


Merrill


VS.


66


The case of Walter Dole vs. City of Quincy brought in 1903, has also been disposed of.


The suits brought in 1903 and still pending are :


First Congregational Society of Quincy


vS.


City of Quincy. 66


Florence Locke


VS.


66


66


Willard S. Ford


VS.


James P. King


VS.


66


Zaccaria Farella


VS.


66


William Hanrahan


VS.


66


Eric G. Bergford


VS.


66


66


Alfred H. Hook


VS.


66


66


Patrick Cain


VS.


66


66


William H. Willett


VS.


66


66


Joseph Silva


VS.


66


Paul H. McIntire


VS.


There is also a petition of Thomas Blanchard et als. vs. County of Norfolk et als. in which the City of Quincy is inter- ested. This is a petition for the appointment of a special com- mission to apportion the cost of building the Quincy Point bridge upon such cities, towns and quasi-public corporations as are specially benefited thereby.


226


On behalf of the City I have, during the past year, brought two suits, one against the town of Weymouth and the other against the town of Dedham, to recover sums of money paid by the City of Quincy for the benefit of persons having a legal settlement in said towns. The case against Dedham has been settled in favor of the City of Quincy. The case against Wey- mouth, which was tried before Judge Harris, is now held by him under advisement.


I have had the usual number of claims to investigate for accidents caused by alleged defects in highways and claims for damages to property by reason of changes in grade in several of the streets of the City.


At your request I drew a bill which was introduced at the present session of the Legislature to require the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to take and maintain Randolph avenue as a part of the Metropolitan Park District and also a bill to require the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to take and maintain the new bridge across the Weymouth Fore river. Both matters are now in the hands of committees of the Legislature.


The two bills drawn by the Solicitor asking for an appro- priation for the construction of the Quincy Shore Reservation and the Furnace Brook Parkway and introduced into the Legis- lature of last year were reported favorably by the committee and the appropriation was made by the Legislature and placed in the hands of the Metropolitan Park Commission for the construction of the boulevard and parkway. The passage of these bills was sometime subsequent to the Solicitor's last report.


The matter concerning the widening of the bridge over the railroad at Hancock street near Atlantic is now in the hands of a special commission of which Judge Dunbar is chairman and without doubt the bridge will be constructed this spring.


During the year I have had an office for the transaction of city business at City Hall and have daily given a part of my time to the heads of the departments who have had need of my advice or services.


Very respectfully yours, PAUL R. BLACKMUR,


City Solicitor.


Adams Academy.


Hon. Charles M. Bryant, Mayor :


DEAR SIR :- The Managers of Adams Academy respectfully transmit the report of the Master for the year 1903.


LUTHER S. ANDERSON, JOHN A. BERNHARD, GEORGE B. DEWSON, WILLIAM EVERETT, WALTER S. PINKHAM, JOSEPH M. SHEAHAN,




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.