USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Randolph > Randolph town reports 1891-1900 > Part 41
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Voted, that the town accept the provisions of Chapter 431 of the Acts of 1888 as amended, and to unite with the town of Holbrook, or with any other town or towns, if in the dis- cretion of the School Committee it be deemed expedient to employ a Superintendent of Schools, and that the sum of $375 be raised and appropriated for said purpose, provided that, if no arrangement under this article be effected by the School Committee before June 1st next, no amount for this purpose shall be assessed in the taxes for the current year.
Article 17. To see if the town will appoint a committee of ten to inquire into the present needs of the town with ref- erence to school building accommodations, and to report
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thereon within four months from the date of their appoint- ment.
Voted, that a committee of ten, including the members of the school board, be appointed by the Moderator to inquire into the present needs of the town with reference to school building accommodations, and to report thereon within four months from the date of their appointment.
The Moderator appointed the following :
Asa P. French. James E. Blanche.
Thomas A. Kennedy.
John V. Beal.
Royal T. Mann.
Edward Long.
Morrison M. Alden.
J. White Belcher. Franklin W. Hayden. Rufus A. Thayer.
Article 18. To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen to fix the boundaries on the South side of Short Street and remove all obstructions, as petitioned for by John B. Wren and others.
Voted, that this article be referred to the Board of Select- men to take such action as they may deem expedient, and that the sum of fifty dollars be raised and appropriated therefor.
Article 19. To see if the town .will vote to instruct the Water Commissioners to extend the water main from its present terminus on Canton Street to the residence of Lem- uel Capen, as petitioned for by Thomas B. Jones and others, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that the Water Commissioners be instructed to ex- tend the water pipes as severally petitioned for in Articles 19 and 20, and that the expense thereof be met by the sale of one or more of the water bonds still remaining unsold.
Article 20. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Water Commissioners to extend the water main from the junction of Canton Street at Old Street, through Old Street to North Main Street, as petitioned for by John Finley and others, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
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Disposed of under Article 19.
Article 21. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Su- perintendent of Streets to build a sidewalk on the easterly side of Fowler Street, as petitioned for by James F. Sullivan and others, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that the town instruct the Superintendent of Streets, under the direction of the Selectmen, to build a sidewalk on the easterly side of Fowler Street, and that the sum of $175 be raised and appropriated therefor.
Article 24. To see if the town will vote to pay for the in- surance on the Town Treasurer's bond for the year 1897-98, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that the town pay for the insurance on the Town Treasurer's bond for the year 1897-98, and that the sum of $120 be raised and appropriated therefor.
Article 26. To see what compensation the town will allow for the collection of taxes.
Voted, that three-fourths of one per cent. be allowed for the collection of taxes.
Article 27. To see what action the town will take in rela- tion to the care of, and keeping in repair, the clocks in the towers of the First Congregational and First Baptist churches, also the clock in Stetson Hall, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that the sum of fifty dollars be raised and appro- priated for said purpose, the same to be expended under the direction of the Selectmen.
Article 28. To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen to appoint special police officers to enforce the laws, and raise and appropriate money for the payment of such officers.
This article proved to be a bone of contention. The recommendation of the committee "that the town appoint special police and raise and appropriate $500 to pay the same," having been discussed in its various phases, a motion
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to indefinitely postpone the article was placed before the house and declared by the Moderator carried in a hand vote. Seven voters, arising in their places, addressing the chair and doubting the vote, the Moderator divided the house and called upon the Clerk to count the voters as they passed the platform. The result was :
Whole number voting, 157; in favor of postponement, 80; opposed to postponement, 77, and the article was de- clared indefinitely postponed.
Article 29. To see what action the town will take in rela- tion to medical attendance on the poor, and raise and appro- priate money therefor.
Voted, that the sum of $300 be raised and appropriated for said purpose, said sum to be apportioned equally among the several physicians, and to be in full for attendance upon all persons under the care of Overseers of the Poor for one year from January 1, 1897. That is to say, each physician resident in the town on the first of March, 1897, shall receive the sum of $50 for his services provided he makes fifty visits during the year ; after that he shall receive no compensation for his services, but shall attend such of the poor as may call upon him for his services ; those physicians who make less than fifty visits shall receive pay at the rate of one dollar for each of said visits.
Article 30. To see what action the town will take in rela- tion to the pay of laborers employed by the town.
Voted, that each person employed by the town shall re- ceive such sum of money as is equal to the value of his labor, and that the laborers residing in town and the residents own- ing teams shall be employed in preference to any others.
Article 33. To see if the town will authorize the Collector of Taxes to charge interest at the rate of six per centum per annum on all taxes remaining unpaid on and after October 10, 1897.
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Voted, that the Collector of Taxes be so authorized.
Article 34. To see if the town will authorize the Collector of Taxes to use the same means which a Town Treasurer may use when acting as Collector.
Voted, that the Collector of Taxes be so authorized.
Article 35. To see if the town will vote to place electric lights on High Street, from Vine to Chestnut Street, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that this article be indefinitely postponed.
Article 36. To see if the town will build a sidewalk on Allen Street, near the residence of Luther Rowe, and raise and appropriate money therefor.
Voted, that the town instruct the Superintendent of Streets, under the direction of the Selectmen, to build a side- walk on the southerly side of Allen Street, between the resi- dence of S. Edgar Burrell and of Luther Rowe, and that the sum of $150 be raised and appropriated therefor.
Article 37. To hear and act on the report of any commit- tee, and choose any committee the town may think proper.
Under this article, the chairman of the committee on the preparation and printing of the report of the proceedings of the Centennial Celebration of the town reported progress, and stated that the report would probably be in the hands of the printer within a fortnight.
The chairman of the committee appointed at the annual meeting of 1895 to take into consideration the matter of a fire alarm system, presented the following report :
To the Citizens of Randolph :
At the annual town meeting in March, 1895, a committee consisting of the Selectmen and Engineers of fire department was appointed to investigate and report in regard to a system of fire alarm. After meeting in relation thereto, a sub-com- mittee was appointed to investigate, and we beg leave to submit the following report :
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In regard to the matter of a system of fire alarm, it does not seem to need any argument in its favor. But in our own cases there are a few reasons that might be brought for- ward in favor of the same. For years we have had a very imperfect and unsatisfactory method of giving the alarm in case of fire, depending on bell on engine house No. 1, which cannot be heard plainly in any direction ; or on the church bells, which cannot be reached. very quickly, and in case of fires away from there, it has caused a long delay, and, as everybody knows, the first few minutes are valuable in case of fire. In case of small fires, where but part of the men and apparatus are needed, we are obliged to call out the whole department, causing unnecessary expense, which amounts to quite an amount in a year.
The firemen are called from their work, and often from their homes in the night time, when before they have hardly started they are ordered back. With a system of fire alarm the whole department or any part would be called as directed.
In making this report it is deemed unnecessary to go into the general details of a fire alarm system, as that can be done if the town should deem it advisable to have the same. In looking over this matter. the principle was adopted to cover the whole town as much as possible, so that all parts should share in the benefits derived from the same, and especially as the outer parts of the town are more in need of a system of alarm than the centre ; and it would be easier to obtain extra boxes in the centre in the future, if needed, as they can be connected at any time. In looking over the town. which was done nearly a year ago, with the services of an expert in fire alarm systems, we will try and give about the route laid out and also the location of the boxes. These lo- cations would perhaps be changed in some places, but it will give a general idea of what could be be done.
The route followed was from a box in "the square," up
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South Main Street to near the residence of E. F. Knight, where would be located a box ; returning through Maple, South and Alden to Union Street, a box to be located in most convenient place in that locality ; up Union to North Street, down North Street, a box at corner of Mill Street, a box at the corner of Liberty Street, and a box at the corner of Oak Street ; through Oak Street to the "West Corner," a box at the "Corner ;" through Canton to the junction of High and Canton Streets, or "Binney's Corner," a box to be lo- cated at this corner ; up High to "Tower Hill," a box in this locality ; through Lafayette to junction of West Street, a box at this corner, or on Extinguisher House; down West to Cross Street, a box at this corner; through Cross to Grove Street to the neighborhood of the Baptist church, a box at this locality ; returning up Main Street, a box at the corner of Allen Street; to Depot Street, a box near station ; up Warren and Main Street to starting point.
In following this route, it seemed as though there would be boxes within at least a half of a mile of most of the build- ings in town. This question has been talked over by the different committees appointed to look up the matter of ap- propriation, and has always been thought favorably of. A few years ago the expense would have been much larger on account of the expense of erecting and maintaining poles, but as on the route laid out, except for a short distance, there are poles on all streets, and as most companies allow the towns the right to use their poles for fire alarm or other town uses, the cost is a great deal less at the present time.
In most places the whistles are placed on the pumping sta- tion belonging to the towns, but in our case, the station not being convenient, a satisfactory arrangement can be made for the use of a whistle, which is considered to be better than are alarms on bells. This would require about eleven miles of wire, poles, fourteen boxes, boxes in house of engineers,
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etc., and everything for a complete system in working order. In giving the amount required to do this, the figures are the outside figures and will furnish the town with a fire alarm system which will compare with any town about, and be good for years to come, as we believe it is policy, in going into anything of this kind, that the best is the cheapest in the end.
We are the only town in this part of the State without a fire alarm system at the present time. In closing, we would say that the amount required to do this would not be over $1,800 or $2,000. We have good electric lights, good water works, electric roads, good streets, etc., and shall we be without a fire alarm system ?
C. A. WALES,
for Selectmen and Engineers of Fire Department.
Voted, to accept and place on file the report of the com- mittee on fire alarm system.
Voted, that a committee of three be appointed by the Moderator to investigate the subject of improved roads, and that they be empowered to visit other towns and cities to acquire information as to the construction, care and main- tenance of macadamized roads; that the result of their in- vestigation be submitted to the Selectmen, who shall cause the same to be published in the next annual town report.
The Moderator appointed as this committee : Patrick H. Mclaughlin, Seth D. Bradley and Rufus A. Thayer.
Voted, that the sum of twenty dollars be paid John T. Flood for his services as Moderator.
Mr. Flood, having expressed his thanks, directed the Se- lectmen to pay that amount to Post 110, G.A.R., as his con- tribution to its monument fund.
The total appropriations :
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For support of schools, under Article 5 . $11,540 00
highways, under Article 6 5,000 00
general town expenses, under Article 7 13,800 00
Fire Department, under Article 8 3,200 00
Grand Army Post No. 110, under Article 9, 100 00 contributions to sinking fund, under Article 11, 3,000 00 water for hydrants, street service, etc., un- der Article 12 2,000 00
interest on Water Loan, under Article 13 . 1,000 00
street lighting by electricity, under Article 14, 3,430 00 improvement of Short Street, under Article 18, 50 00
construction of sidewalk on Fowler Street,
under Article 21 175 00
Town Treasurer's bond, under Article 24 120 00
care of clocks, under Article 27 ·
50 00
medical attendance, under Article 29
300 00
construction of sidewalk on Allen Street, under Article 36 .
150 00
State tax
1,645 00
county tax
2,305 71
$47,865 71
Voted, at nine o'clock P.M., to dissolve the meeting. A true record.
Attest : JOSEPH T. LEAHY, Town Clerk.
WARRANT FOR STATE ELECTION.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Randolph, GREETING :
You are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabi- tants of the town of Randolph, qualified to vote in state elections, to assemble in Stetson Hall, in said town, on Tues-
137
day, the second day of November next, at six o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to give in their votes to the Select- men, on one ballot, for Governor; for Lieutenant-Governor ; for Secretary of the Commonwealth; for Treasurer and Re- ceiver-General; for Auditor: for Attorney-General; for Councillor for district number two : for Senator for the first Norfolk district ; for a Representative in General Court for the seventh Norfolk district; for County Treasurer in and for the County of Norfolk ; for Register of Deeds in and for the County of Norfolk.
The polls for the reception of the ballots aforesaid will be opened at six o'clock A.M., and will be kept open for four hours, and such further time as the voters shall determine.
And you are directed to serve this warrant by posting attested copies hercof at five or more public places in said town, seven days at least before the time for holding said meeting, and by publishing the same in the Randolph Reg- ister and Holbrook News, a newspaper published in said Ran- dolph.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen, on or before the day and hour appointed for said meeting.
Given under our hands at Randolph this eighteenth day of October A.D. one thousand eight hundred and ninety- seven.
JOHN K. WILLARD, PETER B. HAND, M. WALES BAKER, Selectmen of Randolph.
NORFOLK, SS. RANDOLPH, November 1, 1897.
Pursuant to the within warrant, I have notified the inhabi- tants of the town of Randolph, herein described, to meet at the time and place and for the purpose within mentioned, by
138
posting up attested copies of this warrant at ten public places in said town, eight days before the time set for hold- ing said meeting; and I have likewise caused the substance of said warrant to be published in the Randolph Register and Holbrook News, a newspaper published in said town.
EDWIN F. KNIGHT,
Constable.
A true copy of warrant and return.
Attest : JOSEPH T. LEAHY, Town Clerk.
STATE ELECTION.
RANDOLPH, November 2, 1897.
Pursuant to the preceding warrant, the legal voters of Randolph assembled in Stetson Hall on Tuesday, November 2, 1897. All the preliminaries required by law in relation to the polling-booths, cards and specimen ballots were com- plied with. The presiding officer administered the oath of office to Edward O'Flaherty and Thomas L. Stetson as bal- lot clerks, and delivered to them a package containing 1,300 ballots, taking their receipt. Thomas Farrell and Frank J. Donahoe were appointed officers at the gates.
Promptly at six o'clock, John K. Willard, the presiding officer, called the meeting to order, read the warrant and officer's return, and declared the polls open for the reception of ballots. The ballot-box, having been examined, found apparently in good order, and shown to the meeting as being empty, was locked and the key surrendered to the officer at the gate.
Edward T. Hand and William A. Croak were appointed deputy ballot clerks, and Fred M. French assistant at check- list, and the oath was administered to each by the presiding officer. The oath of office was administered by the Town
139
Clerk to the following named persons, appointed by the Selectmen election tellers :
Royal T. Mann,
Patrick H. MeLaughlin,
Franklin W. Hayden,
John H. Field,
Fred L. Belcher,
John E. McDonald,
William W. Hurley,
Nelson Mann.
During the day and before the close of the polls, the bal- lot box was, with the unanimous consent of the election offi- cers, opened four times, viz. :
At 8.09 A.M., when the register showed 165 ballots cast. At 8.57 A.M., when the register showed 219 ballots cast. At 9.57 A.M., when the register showed 311 ballots cast. At 11.17 A.M., when the register showed 406 ballots cast.
It was voted, that the polls be kept open until two o'clock and that they be closed at that hour. Promptly at two o'clock the polls were closed.
The register of the ballot box showed 584 ballots cast ; the presiding officer counted out 584 ballots; the ballot clerks' list and the check-list used by the election officers each showed 584 names checked. The ballot box worked with perfect satisfaction all through the day, and, as the re- sult proved, registered correctly.
The ballots having been sorted and counted, declaration of the result was made as follows :
Whole number of votes cast
·
584
FOR GOVERNOR.
John Bascom
9
George Fred Williams, 209
Thomas C. Brophy 7 Roger Wolcott 292
William Everett 40 Blanks 27
FOR LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.
Edward A. Buckland . 11 W. Murray Crane 265
Christopher T. Callahan, 183 Willard O. Wylie
· 14 James E. Cotter 74 · Blanks . 37
140
FOR SECRETARY.
Addison W. Barr
·
10
Edwin Sawtell
S
Charles D. Nash
·
207
Bernard M. Wolf
28
William M. Olin
.
264
Blanks
67
.
FOR TREASURER.
George A. Brown
13
Horace P. Tobey
38
Robert C. Habberly
·
7
Thomas A. Watson
190
Edward P. Shaw ·
269
Blanks
67
.
FOR AUDITOR.
Joseph Ballam .
9
Joseph H. Sheldon
196
Harry Douglas .
31
Herbert M. Small
.
4
John W. Kimball
265
Blanks
79
FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Wolcott Hamlin
6
William M. McClench,
39
William Harrison
7
John A. O'Keefe
·
202
Hosea M. Knowlton 267 Blanks 63 .
FOR COUNCILLOR, SECOND DISTRICT.
Dana Estes
34
George O. Wentworth,
211
Benjamin S. Lovell
275 Blanks
64
FOR SENATOR, FIRST NORFOLK.
Harrison O. Apthorp .
36
Tristam R. Newell
215
James H. Flint .
268
Blanks
65
FOR REPRESENTATIVE, SEVENTH NORFOLK.
Henry A. Belcher
.
332
James E. Foley
.
225
Blanks
27
FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
James Hewins
409 James E. Foley
1
Blanks
.
174
2
141
FOR REGISTER OF DEEDS.
John H. Burdakin 418 Scattering Blanks 164 FOR COUNTY TREASURER. Charles H. Smith 405 Blanks 179
After the declaration of the vote, the ballots, unused bal- lots and check-lists were sealed up in open town meeting and delivered to the Town Clerk, returns were made to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and Clerk of Courts, and at 4.20 P.M. the meeting was dissolved.
A true record.
Attest : JOSEPH T. LEAHY, Town Clerk.
MEETING OF TOWN CLERKS.
RANDOLPH, November 12, 1897.
We, the undersigned Town Clerks of Avon, Holbrook and Randolph, comprising Representative District number seven in the County of Norfolk, hereby certify that at an election duly held at the respective towns aforesaid on the second day of November, 1897, to vote for one representative in the General Court, the following votes were given for the follow- ing persons, viz. :
Whole number of votes in the district 1,025
Henry A. Belcher, of Randolph, had 604
James E. Foley, of Randolph, had 377
Blanks 44
And Henry A. Belcher was declared elected.
MORTIMER D. RICHARDSON, Town Clerk of Avon. GEORGE T. WILDE, Town Clerk of Holbrook. JOSEPH T. LEAHY, Town Clerk of Randolph.
142
The vote by towns :
Avon. Holbrook. Randolph. Totals.
Henry A. Belcher
107
165
332
604
James E. Foley
93
59
225
377
Blanks , ·
7
10
27
44
207
234
584 1,025
APPOINTMENTS RECORDED BY THE TOWN CLERK IN 1897.
Superintendent of Almshouse : George R. Weaver. Agent of Board of Health : Joseph T. Leahy. Inspector of Animals and Provisions : Dr. A. L. Chase. Field Driver : Adoniram A. Payne.
Superintendent of Streets : Stillman B. Woodman. Keepers of Lockup : Colin Boyd, Arthur W. Alden. Sealer of Weights and Measures : Dexter T. Clark. Burial Agent : William A. Croak.
Registrar of Voters : James Fardy.
Engineers of Fire Department : Charles A. Wales, W. A. Croak, D. J. Brennan, * John Haney, Cornelius Desmond, James E. Blanche.
Special Police : E. Lawrence Payne, Thomas J. Kiernan, George E. Easton, Frank W. Harris, Albert H. Holbrook, George H. Stetson, Thomas B. Jones, William Pulson, Fred W. Vye, Richard F. Forrest, Frank H. Cullen, Leonard Pierce, Edgar B. Makepeace, ; Edwin F. Knight.
Jurors drawn .- Grand : Arthur Hagney. Traverse : Geo. H. Nichols, Patrick M. Kiley, Charles S. Dolan, George L. Binney, Rufus A. Thayer, George M. French. Massachu- setts District Court,- Grand : Robert McAuliffe, Adoniram Smith. Petit : James Burke, John H. Field, Eddy C. Young.
* Resigned. t With pay.
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REPORT ON TOWN RECORDS.
The report of the Town Clerk is of a more extended nature than is customary, for two reasons : Firstly, because of recent changes affecting his duties made in laws which are explained in detail later on ; secondly, being considered opportune in view of the recent publication of the proceedings at the cele- bration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Randolph as a town.
The first and principal reason is fully explained in Chapter 439, Section 6, Acts of 1897.
Every person having the custody of any public records of a county, city or town, consisting of written or printed books, shall, at the expense of the county, city or town have all such books properly and substantially bound and shall have any such book left incomplete made up and completed from the files and usual memoranda, so far as it can be done, and shall have any such books becoming worn, mutilated or illegible, seasonably renovated, repaired or rebound, and fair and legible copies seasonably made, and may cause any such books to be placed in the custody of the Commissioner of Public Records, who shall have the work done at the expense of the county, city or town in a proper and substantial manner.
Section 4 of the same chapter further provides that "every report of any agent of city, town or county relating to bridges, highways, streets, townways, etc., not required by law to be entered in a book and not so entered, shall be safely kept," etc.
A compliance with these laws has entailed an overhauling of every record in our possession, and as a fruit of the labor is here presented a general summary of the condition of the town records :
The records of town meetings go back in an. unbroken series to March 18, 1793, and are all in an excellent state of
144
preservation. The book containing the oldest records was used as a memorandum by Town Clerk, Selectmen, and · Treasurer, as the following partial table of contents shows : Records of town meetings, of deeds, of poor let out at ven- due, of sales of salt meadow grass, of marriages and marriage intentions, of sales of jewelry, etc., of strayed beasts and property found, of perambulations, of militia lists, of census, etc.
The first writing in our possession is as follows :
"1793.
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