USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1879 > Part 9
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" sundry small items, 16 60
Total,
$16,674 71
Excess of expenditures over appropriation, $3,361 97
For the Committee, A. R. COOLIDGE, Chairman.
FINAL REPORT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS,
FOR THE
YEAR 1879.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF ALDERMEN, Jan. 3, 1880.
Report accepted and referred to the next city goverment, to be printed with the City Reports for the year 1879, and sent down for concurrence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, City Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Jan. 3, 1880.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS, Dec. 30, 1879.
To the City Council :
The Committee on Highways respectfully submit this their annual report, showing briefly the doings for the year 1879.
The expense to this department occasioned by the elements has been comparatively small. The highways have not suffered ma- terially from the effects of rain, and the snow-storms have not been severe ; for all of which your committee have reason to be exceed- ingly grateful. The cost of removing ice and snow for the year has been only $404.70.
Linden Avenue, running from Elm Street to Summer Street, and Gilman Street, running from Cross Street northwesterly a dis- tance of five hundred and fifty-four feet, heretofore unaccepted streets, have been laid out and accepted under the Betterment Act, as highways of the city. The former was in such good condition that it has not required any expenditure of money. The abutters having released the city from all claims for damages, no assess- ments have been levied for betterments occasioned by said laying out. The laying out of Gilman Street required the taking of a small strip of land from the heirs of John Runey, amounting in area to about four hundred feet. Your committee have arranged a settlement for the damages to this estate, on the basis of twenty- five cents per foot for the land taken. The betterments to be assessed to the abutters hereafter will be simply to cover the cost · of this expenditure, together with the expense of the necessary advertising.
A Resolve and Order have also been adopted by the City Council for the laying out, grading, and acceptance by the city of the exten- sion of Columbus Avenue, through the Bonner estate, on their petition : your committee have delayed operations upon this street, on account of a petition having been presented to the City Council for the laying out and grading of the other end of the avenue through the Sanborn estate, known popularly as Probation Park.
168
If the latter petition had passed and had received the favorable action of the City Council, both ends of the avenue could have been graded at the same time at a much less expense to the city and also to the abutters, than if your committee were required to undertake each job at separate times, as the necessary excavating of the Bonner estate would provide material for the required filling in of the Sanborn estate.
Broadway, from Willow Bridge to Curtis Street, has been in a bad condition for many years ; during the spring months, when the frost is leaving the ground, it has been absolutely impassable for heavy teams. Your committee have caused this important thorough- fare to be put in excellent condition. For more than a mile in length, it has been thoroughly macadamized ; the low places brought up to grade ; the fences and stone walls that encroached upon the street moved back to the proper lines ; the corners of Elm Street, Broadway, and College Avenue rounded to give them a more graceful appearance ; sidewalks built where none before existed ; and the whole driveway, for its entire length, carefully gravelled, graded, and rolled, rendering it one of the most beautiful driveways within the city limits. This, in connection with the improvements made last year, and the widening of the bridge over the Lowell Railroad, which may be looked for within a short time, complete the improvements on this thoroughfare from Boston to the Arlington line.
Highland Avenue, from Central Street to Cedar Street, having become rough and worn out, large bowlders protruding through the surface of the roadway, and the gravel ground to mud and dust, your committee availed themselves of the opportunity afforded by the discovery of an excellent quality of gravel coming out of the Ivaloo Street sewer, to set to work a small gang of men on the avenue to break up the exposed stones, and cover the same with the gravel taken from the above-mentioned sewer.
The expense of repairing this avenue was therefore trifling, as it included simply the carting of the material and the labor em- ployed upon it.
The following schedule will show more particularly and in detail the streets graded and repaired during the year 1879 : -
169
STREETS GRADED, REPAIRED, ETC.
NAME.
FROM
To
Broadway ....
Willow Bridge
Curtis . ..
5,280 feet graded, mac'd and gravelled.
Highland Av.
Central
Cedar
2,000 feet gravelled.
Florence
Pearl
Washington 800 feet macadamized and gravelled.
Franklin
Flint
800 feet gravelled.
Cedar
Highland Av.
Hall
500 feet macadamized and gravelled.
Albion. ..
Central
600 feet graded and gravelled.
Broadway
Boston Line .
Cutter
1,600 feet macadamized and gravelled. 66 66
Columbus Av.
300
Boston
300 feet graded.
Moore
400
66
66
66
Newbury
800
66
There has been expended, of the sidewalk appropriation for the year, the sum of $5,529.03 for the construction of sidewalks, as . shown in the following schedule, one half of this amount being assessed to the abutters : -
SIDEWALKS CONSTRUCTED.
NAME.
SIDE.
FROM
To
Feet of edgestone.
Yds. of brick.
Central
South
Summer
Cedar
S. E.
Summer
Somerville Av. Highland Ave. Warren Ave. . Washington .. ‹6
31 665.55
442.62
Columbus Ave.
N. E.
Bonner Ave.
669.55
419.35
Florence
Both
Pearl
887.55
1,126.20
Franklin
West
Flint
815.15
526.70
Beacon
488.97
Grand View Ave.
Both
Cambridge Line Walnut
Wyatt's Block Vinal Ave. ...
1,122
Total
4,190.80
Repairs, etc ..
624.35
3,521.36 445.43
Grand Total
5,815.15
3,966.79
In addition to the above, sidewalks have been constructed for which the abutters have furnished the material at their own expense, the city contributing only the labor as its part of the construc- tion, viz. : -
517.52
Claremont
500
170
NAME.
STREET.
Yds. of brick.
Feet of edgestones.
Yds. of paving.
E. R. Warrer
Washington . .
75
J. C. Dalton
Florence
82
M. Durant
Washington
33
56
12
Geo. A. Bruce
Highland Ave ...
75
George Skilton . .
Walnut
46
M. G. Kenney.
Oliver
44
65
L. M. Maynard ..
Highland Ave.
40
E. A. Kingman. .
54
N. Tufts, Jr.
Medford
95.50
Asa Durgin
Broadway.
30
Ten additional street crossings have been constructed, and numerous old ones repaired and relaid. 1,200 yards of paved gutters have been taken up and relaid, 2,300 feet of edgestones reset, 300 yards of brick sidewalks reconstructed, and three stone and five wooden culverts built, all as more particularly set forth in the succeeding schedule.
A very needful and important element for the proper construc- tion of the above-mentioned work is the article of gravel. It is the misfortune of the city to be so situated that a desirable quality is obtained with considerable difficulty and expense. Our natural soil is composed mostly of clay, and it is both useless and extrava- gant to purchase or use an article of a loamy or binding tendency, even if it can be obtained at a very low price. The labor upon a poor quality of gravel is double that required to be expended upon a good article, inasmuch as it grinds into mud and dust, and invariably has to be scraped off in a very short time, and a good article substituted therefor. As an illustration, your committee submit the following facts for the information of the City Council.
The gravel used on Broadway, from the Boston line to Franklin Street, in the spring of 1877, was what is known as the Everett gravel. It proved to be of an inferior quality, and wholly unsuited for the purpose for which it was purchased. Within the space of six months it was nothing but dust in dry weather, and porridge in
171
wet weather. Shortly after being exposed to the air it slacked like lime and lost its virtue. It became necessary to scrape it off, and gravel from Belmont was substituted with a much better result.
A small quantity of Everett gravel was purchased this year for use upon the northerly side of Broadway, simply because it was offered cheap ; but it proved to be poor economy, as it became necessary to top-dress it with a more desirable and better article.
In the construction of Broadway above Willow Bridge, gravel was used which was purchased of Mrs. Rich at twelve and one half cents per load in the pit. It being a very short haul, it probably did not cost more than fifty-five cents per load on the work ; and by carting it ourselves, we could select the best quality to be found there ; and your committee were of the opinion that quite a saving would be made through its purchase. The result was, however, that the gravel placed upon one end was ground out before the spreading at the other end had even been completed ; and to save it, in this case also, it was found necessary to give it a thorough coating of Belmont gravel.
Washington Street, from the Fitchburg Railroad to the Cam- bridge line, was graded and gravelled early in the year 1878. In this case gravel from Belmont was used. As soon as the road was completed, it was subjected to severe and increased usage. It is the best road in Somerville to-day, and not one dollar has been spent upon it for gravel since that time.
It is well, perhaps, for your committee to state why they have given the Belmont gravel preference over all others. It is not simply because it came from Belmont, for a much inferior article to that which can be obtained in our own city was found in the same hill, as shown by the purchase made by the city of Cambridge for use on the upper end of North Avenue ; but because two years ago your committee found a vein of gravel at Belmont, which proved to be of a very superior quality, and more suited to the peculiarities of our roads than any gravel which had heretofore been obtained. It is of a clean, sharp, granite nature, entirely free from loam, clay, or any binding substance ; subjected to the pressure of the hand, it separates like a handful of shot. The vein is almost exhausted now, and our successors will be obliged to look farther for as good an article.
By the use of a coating of hard-pan directly upon the well-rolled macadam, to bind and cement the stones together in one common
172
mass, and with the liberal use of the roller afterwards, your com- mittee have learned from experience that a thin coating of good gravel is cheaper, better, and more satisfactory than the applica- tion of it several inches in thickness directly upon the stones.
In the estimation of your committee, the gravel purchased at Belmont has proved more economical to the city than that pur- chased elsewhere ; that which was selected was cheap at the price paid for it. Another quality that can be found in the same hill, and which your committee have rejected, would be dear at half the price paid for the selected.
The entire purchase of gravel by your committee during the year is as follows : -
GRAVEL PURCHASED 1879.
Mrs. A. L. Rich, 938 loads at $0.12,
$112 56
536
.13,
69 68
C. L. Heywood, 120 loads at 66 243 .16,
.45,
54 00
38 88
66 1491 66 .80,
1,192 80
Mrs. A. O'Brien, 774 yards at
.55,
42 48
$1,510 40
Whilst your committee have been able to utilize much of the material taken from the sewers in the course of construction during the year, still the duty of following the Committee on Sewers, rein- forced as they were with an additional appropriation of $5,600, for the purpose of cleaning up and carting off the débris occa- sioned by the building of about three miles of sewers, has been attended with no inconsiderable expense, and has proved to be a severe drain upon the appropriation of this committee.
If the construction of sewers had commenced at an earlier date in the spring and terminated as early in the fall as the work on highways ceased, much saving would have been made, and a balance shown to the credit of the appropriation for highways, instead of otherwise; but carrying the construction of them so late into the fall and winter months obliged your committee to keep in their employ a force of men for the sole purpose of clean- ing up and carting away material, which, owing to the lateness of the season, they had no use for.
173
The following schedules are presented, showing additional items of interest not hereinbefore enumerated : -
STREET SIGNS ERECTED.
Pinckney Street,
Bond Street,
Florence Street,
Medford Street,
Myrtle Street,
Marshall Street,
Union Street,
School Street,
Webster Street,
Albion Street,
Maple Avenue,
Gilman Stree .
DANGER SIGNS. Newbury, Moore, Claremont, and Cameron Streets.
STREET CROSSINGS CONSTRUCTED.
ELM STREET, at Cherry Street.
OLIVER STREET, at Franklin Street.
CEDAR STREET, at Summer Street. SUMMER STREET, at Cedar Street.
PERKINS STREET, at Lincoln Street.
WEBSTER AVENUE, at Glass House.
COLUMBUS AVENUE, at Warren Avenue.
STREET CROSSINGS RECONSTRUCTED.
HIGHLAND AVENUE, at Medford Street.
FLORENCE STREET, at Pearl Street.
FLORENCE STREET, at Washington Street.
CULVERTS (WOODEN).
Broadway, 3; Cedar Street, 1; Willow Avenue, 1; Ivaloo Street, 1.
CULVERTS (STONE).
Broadway, 3.
Gutters repaved, 1,200 yards ; edgestones reset, 2,300 feet ; brick sidewalks repaved, 300 yards ; number of loads of ashes collected, 3,999.
174
TREES, ETC.
Permits for setting out trees,
30
Number of trees on highways, 3,285
" grounds around school-houses, 80
66 66 " Central Hill,
197
66
" Public Park, 377
Permits for hitching posts,
7
Total number of public trees,
3,939
AMOUNTS CHARGED TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FOR LABOR PERFORMED, OR MATERIALS SUPPLIED.
Sewer Department,
$2 50
Health Department,
993 95
Public Property Department,
15 05
Fire Department,
9 63
Sidewalks Department,
54 00
Somerville M. Water Works,
20 15
Total,
$1,095 28
BILLS DELIVERED TO CITY TREASURER FOR COLLECTION.
Arthur Moland, rent of house, $65 00
E. L. Grant, rent of house, 72 00
R. Falvey, 40 perch stone, at $0.75, 40 loads of sand at $0.20, 38 00
G. W. Prichard, 14 loads stone at $0.50, 2 loads of sand at $0.20, 7 40
$182 40
CASH RECEIVED AND PAID TO CITY TREASURER.
Mrs. M. Wickliff, constructing driveway, $14 25
John S. Nason, old cart, 12 00
R. A. Vinal. 1 load of gravel, 90
J. Foster, 400 bricks,
3 80
F. P. Ladd, constructing driveway,
7 20
G. L. Baxter, 1 load of sand,
80
Amount carried forward, $38 95
175
Amount brought forward,
$38 95
E. C. Comee, 6 loads filling,
1 50
J. Foster, teaming,
2 00
W. Pollard, 1 load of gravel,
80
R. L. Spear, sand,
60
A. M. Libbey, cobble stones,
1 25
J. N. Clark, constructing driveway,
4 60
C. Smith, 66
6 30
S. D. Sawin, bricks for sidewalk,
9 25
J. Bowker, rent of land at Waltham,
80 00
Total,
$145 25
The committee, in closing the duties for the year, desire to express their sincere and hearty appreciation of the services of the Superintendent of Streets, and of the clerk of the committee, for the faithful, efficient, and very satisfactory manner in which they have performed their respective duties.
JNO. F. COLE,
Chairman Committee on Highways.
Attest:
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk. V
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN, Feb. 17, 1880.
Referred to the Committee on Printing, with instructions to print the same in the Annual Reports.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Feb. 18, 1880. GEO. I. VINCENT, Clerk pro tem.
THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL, - In submitting to you our Seventh Annual Report, we must confess to some degree of dis- appointment. One year ago it was our hope that at this time it would be our privilege to report the library in the enjoyment of suitable apartments, and of facilities more commensurate to the importance of the interests which it subserves. We believed it would not again be necessary to return to a complaint which had been echoed on every side, and which, it is hardly too much to say, had become a reproach to the good name of the city of Somerville. Unhappily, however, we now find ourselves obliged to represent a condition of affairs even more serious than that set forth in our last report, and again so ably in the address of his Honor the Mayor. The demands upon the library have steadily increased, its field of usefulness has widened, its capacities as a public edu- cator are more unquestioned, its power to promote good citizen- ship is everywhere more marked, - and vet it is compelled to struggle on in a single, contracted, ill-ventilated, overcrowded room, without such conveniences as an ordinary town library may boast ! Every year, as you must see, the need of separate reading, reference, and delivery rooms becomes more imperative. Whoever is at all familiar with the unwholesome air, the over- crowding, and necessary confusion, incident to the present accom- modations, must wonder at the spectacle of so many submitting themselves to such discomforts and annoyances. The institution that can prosper in any measure under such discouragements, must indeed have a vital hold upon the interests and affections of the people. It is not at all hazardous to predict that with suitable accommodations the service of the library would be quickly doubled ; and we respectfully submit that there is no subject that can at present more worthily engage your attention than the relief of the public library.
180
We were further disappointed in our attempt to secure a special appropriation to defray the expenses of a new catalogue. We were therefore obliged, such a catalogue having become a necessity, to provide for it out of our general appropriation. As a con- sequence, we have had only seven hundred dollars to expend for books and periodicals, - an amount quite inadequate to meet the normal demand. .
In this new catalogue, however, we have matter for congratula- tion. It is full, tasteful in appearance, as systematic and complete as our resources would permit, and must add greatly to the effi- ciency of the library and the convenience of readers. We are also able to congratulate you again upon unmistakable signs of a grow- ing interest and appreciation of the library on the part of the public. Pursuant to a policy announced in former reports, we have sought the co-operation of the leading educational forces in the community, and are happy to acknowledge in many instances a cordial response. In particular are we indebted to teachers in the public schools for expressions of interest and valuable suggestions.
At the beginning of the year, Miss H. A. Adams was re-elected librarian, and Miss Lizzie Stevens assistant librarian, - the former at a salary of $700, the latter $350. It appears from the annual report of the librarian that the whole number of books now in the library is 7,814. During the year 64,022 books have been given out, and as many as 570 in a single day. Only two books have failed to be recovered. Some 1,150 new names have been added to the list of borrowers. The reading-table has been sup- plied to the extent of its capacity with newspapers and current periodicals, and there seems to be no diminution in the interest it has commanded.
The financial statement for the year 1879 is as follows : -
Credit balance from 1878,
$478 06
Appropriation from the City Council,
1,200 00
Amount of dog-license money,
936 10
Received for fines and catalogues,
260 20
$2,874 36
181
Expended for salaries,
$1,336 98
..
" books,
735 29
" printing catalogues,
522 85
66
66 cards, etc.
193 00
66
" expressing,
28 85
66
" insurance,
18 75
$2,835 72
Balance to new account, $38.64.
Respectfully submitted, W. G. TOUSEY, President. For the Board of Trustees.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR,
FOR THE
Year Ending Dec. 31, 1879.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
IN BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN, Feb. 3, 1880.
Report accepted, and referred to the Committee on Printing, to be printed with the City Reports for the year 1879, and sent down for con- currence.
CHARLES E. GILMAN, Clerk.
Concurred in.
IN COMMON COUNCIL, Feb. 3, 1880.
DOUGLAS FRAZAR, Clerk.
CITY OF SOMERVILLE.
To his Honor the Mayor and the City Council :
GENTLEMEN, - The Board of Overseers of the Poor, in as brief a manner as seems to them consistent with the importance of the subject, herewith present their annual report.
Very little can be said in regard to this department, which has not already been thoroughly stated by previous boards. "The poor ye have always with you." said the writer of old, and Somer- ville and its Board of Overseers are weekly reminded of this fact. The usual demand has been made on the city's charities, and been met with an economical and still a liberal expenditure of the mon- ey's intrusted to our care.
By a law passed by the Legislature of 1879 and now in opera- tion, any woman who has resided in any city or town of this Com- monwealth any five years, either with or without a husband, and has not called for aid or committed any crime against the laws of the Commonwealth. gains a settlement. By this law, this and other cities and larger towns, where the poor are apt to locate, become to a great extent sufferers in pocket, and we are getting our share already. We have in the matter of insane persons some four or five cases thrown on our hands. The same may be said in regard to the cases of out-door aid ; and many that were partially aided by the State, under the law of 1877, and to some extent by the city, have now become settled paupers, and will now and in the future increase the expenses of this department. In this connection we will remark that the cities of Boston, Cambridge, and Gloucester are about to test the constitutionality of this law, on the ground that a person cannot gain a settlement in two ways at the same time, as you will see that a married woman can by this law, - that is, by her husband, and also by her own right. In the mean time these applicants have to be attended to and aided. Your honor- able body can see at a glance that by this law, the labor in ascer- taining these settlements is greatly increased, and a very careful
186
study of the cases required. All the notices sent by us to the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity, under the law of 1877, are returned to us with this clause added, whether the aid is granted or not, " will be allowed if no settlement " ; thus throwing the labor of ascertaining settlements on the cities and towns.
We respectfully call your attention particularly to the need of some place of refuge for the poor of all conditions, and also a place of burial. A small almshouse, with some twenty-five or thirty acres of land, would be a means of greatly reducing the expenses of this department in many ways. By Table 2 it will be seen that in this year the sum of $966.94 has been expended for rents, and $719.98 for board ; and in addition to this, there has been granted in orders to those in rented houses the sum of $1,271.70, making a total sum of $2,958.62 : and to a much larger extent, from the fact of having such a place to refer applicants to. The need of this must be plain to all who have the interest of our rapidly grow- ing city at heart.
By Table No. 1, below, we give you some of the statistics of the operations of this department, as made up by our secretary. The table will explain itself.
By Table No. 2 (secretary's report), you will see that our gross receipts, including appropriation, were $17,676.64 ; it also gives the monthly expenditures, and also the items of the same, amounting to $17,643.90 : leaving a balance in the treasury of $32.74.
By Table No. 3, you will see the statement of the storekeeper, showing that the store has been more than self-sustaining, giving a net gain to the city of $756.12, and also giving the applicant for aid a full quantum for his or her order in first-class goods at the lowest cost.
The matter of fuel for the poor, as will be seen, is a large item in the expenditures ; but we think, as managed by this Board, a great saving is made to the city. The fuel is purchased in large quantities at wholesale price ; the saving in sawing and splitting wood, which is now done by tramps and the poor, aided by the city, is at least $300 per year : and under this management the poor get the full quantity given.
We would call your attention to the rooms occupied by this Board, - very excellent in accommodations, but lacking in heating apparatus ; on cold or damp days, it is almost impossible to remain, as we are obliged to do, from four to six hours sitting at our tables, without danger to health. We think the fault is in
187
the arrangement of the apparatus, and the peculiar situation, in the northeast corner of the building and quite distant from the boiler.
TABLE NO. 1, STATISTICS.
Total number of families aided by city, towns, and State, 366
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