USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1878 > Part 9
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The cost was as follows : -
Granite steps and foundation,
$145 25
Grading, sodding and drainage for walk,
149 02
Asphalt paving for walk,
420 32
Grading and filling,
294 52
Shade trees and hedge,
549 50
Total cost,
$1558 61
HIGHWAYS.
The usual table of street improvements will be found in the report of the Committee on Highways.
SIDEWALKS.
The following table will show the sidewalk improvements during the year : --
Street.
Side.
From
To
Materials.
Approx. length of walk.
Cost.
Adams
Both Easterly
Medford
Broadway . .
Gravel and edgestone. Brick and edgestone. Brick and edgestone. Brick and edgestone.
1869.5
$1156 35
Bow
and Westerly.
Somerville Ave.
Union Square.
882.0
1137 10
Broadway
Southerly . .
Cutter
Rush.
480.0
819 26
Cedar . .
Westerly . .
Elm .
Chestnut.
Elm
Brick and
395.0
441 42
Summer
.
Southerly . .
Wesley Square .
Church
edgestone. Brick and edgestone.
605.0
731 51
Total . .
4758 5
$4913 03
527.0
627 39
Mossland .
Westerly . .
Somerville Ave.
157
The city has assessed one half of the cost of the above-named sidewalks on the abutters.
SURVEY OF STREETS.
There was no special appropriation for survey of streets. Con- siderable has been accomplished towards completing surveys com- menced in 1877. Large maps of several sections of the city have been commenced and the notes plotted thereon.
The following table will show the stone bounds set during the year.
Franklin Street. Highland Avenue.
66
Summer Street.
66
66
West side at angle near Oliver Street. South side at east side of Vinal Avenue. South side at west side of Putnam Street. South side at east side of Prescott Street. South side at angle near Laurel Street. South side at west side of School Street. North side at east side of School Street. North side at east side of Prescott Street. North side at west side of Putnam Street. North side at west side of Central Street.
Vernon Street.
Walnut Street. East side at north side of Bow Street.
Washington Street. South side at southside of Somerville Ave.
BRIDGES.
The Washington Street Bridge over the Fitchburg Railroad has been improved as follows: the railroad company extended the abutment walls, removed the narrow wooden bridge, and erected a new iron bridge fifty feet in width; the city built a substantial granite retaining wall on the northerly side of the easterly approach, and widened the street to conform to the width of the new bridge.
Surveys were made for widening the Medford Street Bridge over the Lowell Railroad, plans and estimates were submitted by the railroad company's engineer for a new bridge, but on account of the lateness of the season the construction was deferred until another year.
STREET NUMBERING.
Plans have been made for numbering seven streets, and the owners of the houses notified of their numbers.
158
WATER WORKS.
Books for the location of service pipes were prepared for each ward, and the location of service pipes of which any data could be obtained have been recorded therein.
The map mentioned in my last report has been completed and sent to the office of the superintendent.
ENGINEERING EXPENSES FOR 1878.
Salary of city engineer,
$2,100 00
Salaries of assistants,
999 36
Drawing instruments, stationery, spikes, tools, etc., 75 02
$3,174 38
Respectfully submitted.
GEORGE A. KIMBALL,
City Engineer.
REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON SEWERS.
1878.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 31, 1878.
Accepted and adopted. Referred to next city government, to be printed in Annual Reports for 1878. Sent down for concurrence. CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 31, 1878.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN COMMITTEE ON SEWERS, Dec. 31, 1878. To the Honorable the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen :
Your Committee on Sewers have reported upon all business com- mitted to them during the past year, and submit the following statement of the appropriation for sewers and the expenditures therefrom : -
Appropriation for sewers, $7,000 00
Received for entrance fee on Appleton Street sewer,
20 00
Value materials on hand Jan. 1,
159 52
Total, $7,179 52
EXPENDED.
For 13 sewers, as per table
appended to this report, $7,507 88
Less assessments, 4,821 00
Cost to city,
$2,686 88
For 24 catch-basins (average $54.65), 1,311 67
" retaining wall over culvert at Wash- ington Street Bridge,
55 65
" strengthening Washington Street sewer at Fitchburg R. R. Bridge, 267 15
" drain from Beacon Street sewer to creek near Vine Street, 43 33
" drain from Elm Street sewer to land of A. C. Spring, 45 15
" drain at Cedar Street near Hall Street,
40 00
" repairing sewers and drains,
52 52
66 catch-basins, 372 86
66
66 man-holes,
135 80
Amounts carried forward, $5,011 01
$7,179 52
11
162
Amounts brought forward, $5,011 01 $7,179 52
For raising tops man-holes to new grades of streets, 34 84
" raising tops catch-basins to new grades of streets, 20 35
" examining sewers, 47 42
catch-basins, 3 50
" tide-gate in Allen Street sewer, 5 75
" connecting culvert with sewer in Union Square, 17 05
" sewer gauges, 11 90
" ventilating sewers, 23 19
" flushing sewers, 47 63
"· cleaning 38 75
catch-basins, 958 31
man-hole dirt-catchers, 235 82
66 ditches,
29 49
" clearing mouths catch-basins,
82 88
" damage by surface water, Summer Street,
42 56
" surveying for drainage system for southerly slope Winter Hill, 13 92
" tools and personal property, 106 46
" repairing tools and personal prop- erty, 69 33
" arranging tools and personal property, 7 02
" materials damaged, 5 00
" materials on hand as per accom- panying schedule, 212 74
" books and stationery,
52 50
" abatements of assessments for the year 1877, 67 76
" sundry small items,
32 73
Total, $7,177 91
Unexpended balance, $1 61
Herewith are submitted a table of sewers built during the year, a schedule of materials on hand, and a schedule of tools and per- sonal property on hand this day.
163
During the year many of the abutters on Somerville Avenue, west of Union Square, have complained that the sewer in said avenue is inadequate to carry off the storm water. This sewer is three feet in diameter and provides for a drainage area of one hun- dred and eighty-six acres, in addition to which it is joined at Union Square by the Bow Street sewer, which provides for a drainage area of one hundred acres. This sewer in Somerville Avenue is entirely inadequate to provide for so large an area, viz., two hun- dred and eighty-six acres, and your committee recommend, as a partial relief, that the Bow Street sewer be disconnected from the Somerville Avenue sewer and extended to the five and one half foot sewer at the easterly side of Union Square.
The Winthrop Avenue sewer discharges on the northerly side of Mystic Avenue into an open ditch, thence through a wooden culvert under Middlesex Avenue to Mystic River. The grade of this sewer is lower than the culvert, thereby preventing the sewer from emptying, and causing an accumulation of solid matter in the sewer to the depth of eighteen inches or more.
Your committee recommend that the culvert under Middlesex Avenue be rebuilt at such grade as will give the sewer a proper means of discharging.
The grade of the Medford Street sewer, between Somerville Avenue and Jackson Street, is imperfect, and your committee have had numerous complaints in relation to it and a petition has been presented to this board asking that the defect be remedied.
Your committee recommend that this sewer be taken up and rebuilt at a proper grade at as early a day as possible.
The catch-basins built the past year, as stated above, have cost on an average $11.56 each less than those built in 1877.
W. C. TALLMAN,
Chairman Sewer Committee.
164
OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER, CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, MASS., Dec. 31, 1878.
To the Committee on Sewers :
GENTLEMEN, - The following materials are on hand in the Sewer Department : -
Lumber, 400 feet hemlock boards,
$5 60
900 feet spruce plank, $9.00, braces 50, 9 50
Drain Pipe, 102 feet 12-inch Akron at .30,
30 60
66 18 feet 15-inch Akron, at .40
7 20
66 66 30 feet 10-inch Akron at .25,
7 50
66 66 62 feet 8-inch Akron at 18,
11 16
8 feet 8-inch Akron-Slants at .37. 2 96
66 1 15-in. by 10-in. Y, 3 ft. long, $1.70,
1 12-in. by 6-in. Y 2 ft. long, 1.10, 2 80
Drain Pipe, 2 8-in. by 8-in. Ts, $1.52; 2 8-in. by
8-in. Ys, $1.52 ; 2 10-in. by 10-in. Ys, $2.16, 5 20
Drain Pipe, 4 8-inch curves, long, $3.20; 2 8 inch bends, $1.60,
4 80
Drain Pipe, 4 8-inch curves, short,
3 15
Stone, 2 loads at .75,
1 50
Man-hole Covers, 4 old covers, $4.00 ; 5 new covers, $22.50, 26 50
Catch-Basin Covers, 5 round, at $2.25, $11.25 ; 5 square at $4.60, $23.00,
34 25
Catch-Basin Traps, 3 at $1.85,
5 55
Sand,
51 47
Catch-Basin Stone,
3 00
$212 74
GEO. A. KIMBALL, City Engineer.
165
SOMERVILLE, MASS., Dec. 31, 1878.
To the Committee on Sewers :
GENTLEMEN, - I herewith submit the following schedule of tools and personal property on hand in the Sewer Department : -
Sand-Screen,
$5 00
Ladder, 14 feet,
1 50
Rubber-Hose, 1 inch, 100 feet,
2 00
66 50 feet, no value.
Pump,
3 00
Derrick,
3 00
Blocks and 50 feet of rope,
4 00
Blocks and no rope, defective,
50
Rope, § inch, 300 feet,
50
12 inch, 25 feet,
50
Chains and ropes attached, 3,
1 00
Water Dippers, large, 2,
1 50
66 66 3, no value.
Boats for cleaning sewers, 3,
2 00
66 66 66 1, new, with wheels,
4 00
Mason's Level, new,
2 25
Manure Puller,
75
Ice Hook,
50
Hatchet, no value.
1 00
Square, iron,
25
Hammer, small, broken, no value.
Points, 2, Chisels, 3,
1 00
Reducing Coupling for hose,
2 00
Oil Can,
10
Lanterns, 6,
4 00
Wheelbarrow,
5 00
Sewer Scraper,
25
Sand Bucket,
6 00
Shovel, 12-foot handle,
1 50
Shovels, long handle, round point, 4,
2 00
66 short 66 66 6,
5 00
66
round and square, 18,
1 00
66 long handle, round point, 7,
25
Picks, 13,
13 00
Broom, no value.
Amount carried forward,
$74 35
Saw,
166
Amount brought forward,
$74 35
Rammers, 1 paving, 1 long handle,
4 00
Iron Bars, 4, 6 00
Sledges, 2, 4 00
Mauls, 2,
1 00
Hoes, 2, 1 fair, 1 no value,
25
Spoon, 1,
1 25
Tamping Iron, 3 feet long,
25
Chain, heavy, 12 feet long,
2 00
Water Tubs, 2,
2 00
Mortar Beds, 2, 1 new,
5 00
Tool Chests, 2,
12 00
Brand, "S. S. Dept.,"
1 50
Line, 25 feet,
10
Hammers, small stone, 2,
1 50
Flushing Gate (Somerville Avenue sewer),
30 00
Sewer Forms, 3, 18 in. ; 2, 24 in.,
75
Sewer Half-Rounds, 1, 15 in .; 1, 18 in. ; 1, 20 in. ; 2, 22 in .; 1, 28 in. ; 1, 36 in., 1 00
Centres, 1, 18 in. short; 1, 15 in. short (each 2} feet
long) ; 1, 15 in. 9 feet ; 2, 18 in. 9 feet, 4 00
Centres, 1. 24 in. 8 feet ; 1, 30 in. 8 feet ; 1, 36 in. 5 feet, 3 00
6 00
Hoisting Tubs, 4
3 00
Sewer Pails, 10, iron is worth
25
Sewer Pails, 4, fair,
1 00
Water Pail,
10
12 feet 9 in. Sheet-Iron Pipe,
1 50
3 Lantern-Globes,
50
300 feet old Leather Hose, 100 feet Rubber Hose, no value.
50 00
Canvas,
5 00
$221 30
Sounding Rod,
10 00
Cement Tester, at the City Engineer's office,
1 00
Rope Ladder,
1 50
Total amount,
$233 80
GEORGE A. KIMBALL, City Engineer.
Rubber Boots, 2 pair at $3,
4 pair, no value.
400 feet Leather Hose, good,
SEWERS BUILT IN 1878.
Street.
From
To
Materials.
Size
in inches.
Man-holes.
Inlets.
Length.
Total eost.
Assessment.
Cost to city .
Bow Street Place .
Bow Street . . . .
end
Akron pipe ..
12
2
24
294.5
$226 87
$181 49
$15 38
Central Street . . .
Medford Street . .
near Vernon Street .
Akron pipe . .
·
15
4
38
508.
598 18
463 89
134 29
Craigie Street . . .
Somerville Ave. .
near Summer St . .
Akron pipe .
12
5
96
1192.
993 46
778 81
214 65
Dane Street . . ..
Washington Street
Fitchburg R. R. . .
Brick .
24 × 28
4
58
786.5
1,011 48
642 67
368 81
Everett Street . . .
Brickyard Lane .
near Webster Ave. .
Akron pipe .
12
2
18
304.5
249 22
190 11
59 11
Mt. Vernon Street .
Perkins Street . .
Pearl Street .
Portland pipe
12
2
25
363.6
532 75
119 83
412 86
Pearl Street . . . .
Mt. Vernon Street
Easterly .
Akron pipe
128
94 72
56 82
37 90
Summit Avenue . .
Walnut Street . .
near the end .
· .
Rochester Pipe . . .
12
3
11
423 5
388 40
296 86
91 54
Thorpe Place . . .
Highland Avenue
near the end . . . .
Akron pipe .
12
37
422.5
426 66
329 74
96 92
Vine Street . . .
Beacon Street . .
near Somerville Ave.
Brick
.
·
5
108
1369.
2,032 86
1,289 17
743 69
Water Street . .
·
South Street . . .
Northerly . . ...
Cement pipe . . .
12
2
12
195.
142 70
110 90
31 80
Webster Avenue
Concord Avenue .
Newton Street . . .
Brick .
24 × 28
2
19
366.5
494 65
112 32
382 33
Winter Street . . .
Holland Street . .
near Elm Street . .
Akron pipe . . . ·
12
2
24
363.5
315 93
248 33
67 60
6717.1
$7,507 88
$4,821 00
$2,686 88
. . .
. ...
DECEMBER 23, 1878.
GEO. A KIMBALL, City Engineer.
TO THE COMMITTEE ON SEWERS.
167
. .
.
3
24 × 28
·
.
·
·
REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS,
FOR THE
YEAR 1878.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Dec. 31, 1878.
Report accepted Referred to the next City Government, with instruc- tions to print in the Annual Report. Sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Dec. 31, 1878.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS, Dec. 27, 1878. To the City Council of the City of Somerville :
The Committee on Highways deem it proper to submit the fol- lowing as their final report, showing briefly the doings of the year now about to close.
During the early months of the year there was little labor re- quired to be performed upon the highways. The weather was par- ticularly favorable, save one severe snow-storm. Your committee have been extremely fortunate in this respect, as they have been obliged to draw from the appropriation but $1,100 for the expense of removing ice and snow.
The attention of the Committee on Highways during the current year has been devoted more particularly towards keeping in good repair the streets and avenues of our city already laid out, than with a view of making any permanent or expensive improvements, or the laying out or acceptance of any new streets.
Improvements have, however, been made, involving the expendi- ture of a small amount of money on some of the principal unac- cepted streets. This was deemed expedient in cases where there was a considerable amount of travel, as a protection against the liability of accidents.
The bad condition of Washington Street from the Fitchburg Railroad to the Cambridge line, occasioned by the laying of the trunk sewer, together with the promise of the Fitchburg Railroad Company to erect a new bridge at this point fifty feet in width, seemed to justify your committee in the expenditure of a consider- able sum of money on this much-needed improvement.
This being the principal thoroughfare from our city to Cam- bridge, it was thought best to rebuild it in a thorough and substan- tial manner. The sum of $3,000, appropriated for the purpose of furnishing employment to the needy poor, was expended upon this street. The entire cost of its construction from the bridge to the
172
Cambridge line was $5,600 ; the material used consisted of 5,320 loads of stone. 1,793 loads of filling, and 734 loads of gravel.
As the city's part of the agreement with the Fitchburg Railroad Company in this improvement, the retaining wall on the east side of the bridge, and also fences for the approaches, have been erected by your committee at a cost of $2,670.72.
Brick sidewalks have been constructed on Broadway, Cedar Street, Mossland Street, Bow Street, and Summer Street; and edgestones set on both sides of Adams Street, measuring 4,758 running feet at a cost of $1,913.06, one half of this amount being assessed to abutters.
Your committee have expended from their appropriation ; for paving gutters, and the necessary grading incidental to laying the above mentioned sidewalks, which cannot be computed in their cost, or charged to the appropriation for sidewalks; the sum of $1,998 or forty-two cents per running foot, of new sidewalks laid. As a large portion of the paving-stones used for that purpose dur- ing the year were purchased at much less than the market price, this expenditure is smaller than it otherwise would have been.
It is estimated that brick sidewalks cannot be constructed with- out incurring an expense to the appropriation for highways of fifty cents per running foot, - a sum fully equal to one half the ab- solute cost of the sidewalks. This too in addition to the expense of constructing the cross-walks which naturally follow.
Thirteen street crossings have been laid and several repaired. 3,400 feet of edgestone has been reset; and 1,365 yards of gut- ters repaired ; and 764 square yards of brick sidewalks relaid.
Your committee take pleasure in reporting that a very satisfac- tory arrangement was made with the Middlesex Railroad for the extension of their double tracks from the Boston line to Cutter Street ; and the removal of the T rail from the north side of the roadway.
The expense incurred by the city in this improvement consisted in paving that portion of the street lying between the two railroad tracks, which has been done with block stones in a substantial manner at a cost of $1,000.
There is now seventeen feet in width, of paved street, which is hereafter to be maintained and kept in repair by the Horse Rail- road Company, free of expense to the city. It is found to be of great advantage and much used for heavy travel.
That portion of Broadway lying north of the railroad tracks has
173
been entirely rebuilt, and the south side regraded at a small ex- pense, inasmuch as the material taken from the centre of the street, where the tracks are now located, was more than sufficient for that purpose. This important thoroughfare is now in fine condition from the Boston line to Willow Bridge, and will need but a slight outlay for some time to come. That portion lying between Willow Bridge and Curtis Street should have been rebuilt during the present year, and your committee fully intended to undertake it, but it was found that their limited appropriation hardly war- ranted the expenditure ; it will, however, require early attention In this connection it may be well to call attention to the bad condition of Somerville Avenue from Union Square to the Cam- bridge line, which should be regraded at an early day.
The condition of Middlesex Avenue has been the occasion of much expense and considerable annoyance to your committee during the year, this avenue having settled to such an extent that during the high tides it is entirely covered and thus rendered extremely dangerous to public travel ; considerable expense will have to be incurred for filling it to a proper grade so that tide water will not affect it.
It has been the aim of your committee to conduct its affairs with a view to as economical a management of this department as is consistent with the thorough construction of all the works intrusted to their charge. True economy consists in doing well that which is necessary to be done at all.
Although the expense of some of the improvements may seem large at first, it is the opinion of your committee that it will prove cheaper in the end to the city than it would if their successors are called upon to reconstruct the same within an unreasonably short period of time.
The appropriation for the year has been sufficient to perform the works enumerated, but it should be remembered that your committee have been extremely fortunate in not having large expenditures to make for the removal of snow and ice, which they might well have expected and which if they had occurred would have seriously embarrassed them.
A fortunate state of affairs has also existed at the city stables and no losses of horses have occurred ; neither have any extensive repairs in harnesses, carts, or tools been needed
The great wear and tear of the highways is always going on, and storms of rain and snow often necessitate unexpected expendi-
174
tures. In this connection it may be well to state that the severe rains of the past season have washed the roads to such an extent as to call for a large outlay of gravel and expensive repairs in the near future.
It is only by persistent effort and work upon all the highways that they can be kept in good order and repair ; and for this pur- pose, in the cause of true economy, in the opinion of your commit- tee, the annual appropriation should be generous and sufficient to keep the sidewalks and highways of the whole city in complete repair, and provide for all unforeseen contingencies, which are continually arising.
The following schedule is presented, showing some of the most important items.
SCHEDULE.
Sidewalks constructed of brick, edgestones set, and gutters paved, as follows : -
BROADWAY, west side from Cutter Street to Rush Street, 480 feet.
SUMMER STREET, west side from Wesley Square to Church Street, 605 feet.
BOW STREET, west side from Union Square to Somerville Avenue, 882 feet.
MOSSLAND STREET, northwest side from Somerville Avenue to Elm Street, 395 feet.
CEDAR STREET, northwest side from Elm Street to Chestnut Street, 527 feet.
ADAMS STREET, both sides fron Medford Street to Broadway, edgestones and gutters, 1,869.5 feet.
New edgestones set, 4,129 ; brick sidewalks laid, 2,776 yards.
CROSS-WALKS CONSTRUCTED.
BEACON STREET, at Concord Avenue.
GLEN STREET, at Broadway.
FLINT STREET, at Rush Street. ADAMS STREET, at Broadway. CHESTNUT STREET, at Cedar Street.
CEDAR STREET, at Elm Street.
ELM STREET, at Cedar Street.
MOSSLAND STREET, at Elm Street.
175
SUMMER STREET, at Prescott Street.
SUMMER STREET, at Wesley Square. BOW STREET, at Walnut Street. WASHINGTON STREET, at Crescent Street.
BROADWAY, at Lincoln Street.
CROSSINGS RECONSTRUCTED.
Bow Street, Washington Street, two ; Broadway, four.
STREETS REPAIRED.
NAME.
FROM
To
GRAVELLED.
FEET
Summer
Belmont
Cedar
.
Gravelled
1,600
Belmont
Summer
Somerv'e Av.
1,200
Porter
Summer
66
1,200
Spring
Beach
66
400
Beach .
Howard .
500
Central
Summer
66
700
Prescott
Highland Ave.
Summer
600
Walnut
Grand View A.
School
Washington
600
Vinal Avenue
Summit Ave
Summer
Graded
800
Union
Broadway
Mystic Av. .
Grav'ed & Mac d
350
Broadway
Boston Line .
Cutter
Rebuilt
1,460*
Broadway
Boston Line
Franklin .
Regraded
1,360+
Newton
Prospect
Webster Av.
Grav'ed & Mac'd
500
Mystic Avenue .
Boston Line .
Canal
500
Emerson
Newton
Everett
Graded
200
Everett
Newton
Webster Av.
66
400
Newbury
Holland
Camb'e Line,
66
1,200
Cameron
Holland
1,050
Lowell
Medford
Vernon
1,100
Washington
Hawkins
Camb'e Line,
Rebuilt
2,300
* 23 feet wide north side of R. R. track.
+ 29
south
CULVERTS. -
Newton Street, Russell Street, Holland Street, Cameron Street, Central Street, Newbury Street, Newton Street.
DANGER SIGNALS.
Vine, Mead, and Lowell Streets.
800
Howe .
Marshall
450
Medford .
Cross
1,000
School
Highland Ave.
176
TREES BELONGING TO THE CITY.
Trees on the highways,
3,217
public grounds,
80
66 Central Hill,
197
66 Public Park, 377
Permits issued for setting out trees,
20
The committee desire to express their hearty appreciation of the services of the Superintendent of Streets, and of the Clerk of their Committee, for the faithful and satisfactory manner in which they have performed their respective duties.
Respectfully submitted. JNO. F. COLE,
Attest:
Chairman Committee on Highways.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Cler k.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
12
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN, Feb. 17, 1879.
Referred to the Committee on Printing, with instructions to print the same in the Annual Report for 1878, and sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Feb. 17, 1879.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL, - We have the honor to submit our Sixth Annual Report as trustees of the public library. The year that is passed has been to the library a year of steady growth and prosperity. Not only has the demand for the more popular literature of the day been met, but many valuable books of reference, and elaborate works in special departments of learning, have been added. As a consequence, we have remarked among the daily applicants for books a much larger proportion of advanced readers. You will remember that, in our last report, while admit- ting the claims of the general reader to be paramount, we expressed the conviction that the specialists in our midst - the ministers, physicians, lawyers, and teachers of the city - have a right in the library, and might rightfully look to it for certain special aids, such, for instance, as are afforded by the standard works of reference and the acknowledged classics in their several departments of inquiry. It gives satisfaction to report that the policy thus fore- shadowed has been emphatically indorsed by our leading citizens. Indeed, we were called upon almost immediately to put the principle into operation ; and we have abundant evidence that whatever steps your liberality may enable us to take in this direction will not only meet an actual want, but will render a practical, though perhaps an indirect service to the humblest member in the community.
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