USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Attleboro > Reports of town officers of the town of Attleborough 1908-09 > Part 4
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$99.15
187 hours at 50 cents, outside with horse
93.50
Total received to date $192.65
Fees collected 89.72
Cost to Town $102.93
I have experienced quite a little trouble with comput- ing scales. I believe that there should be a law enacted by our legislature bearing more directly on this type of scale, so that the sealer may know definitely what his duties are. As I understand it, now, each sealer in the state uses his own judgment in regard to them and some sealers are sealing the same scale that others are con- demning. In my work I have followed the advice of the State Commissioner to a great extent and used my best judgment. If I have failed it was for lack of judgment, rather than intent.
I have found many of the pedlers coming into town and some of the town dealers using measures that never
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ANNUAL REPORT
have been sealed in this state. In these cases I have not prosecuted, but given notice that they must be sealed in this state.
Inspection of Coal.
I have inspected as yet only four loads of coal and the inspection of one of them was rendered void by the driver having his wagon weighed and returning to the yard when I was not present.
Two of the others were found nearly correct, accord- ing to the slip held by the driver. The remaining load was weighed, but the driver did not have any delivery slip, so I could not ascertain what weight the load was sold for. In this case I caused the arrest of the driver for delivering without a slip, as the law directs, and ob- tained judgment against him, but failed in my effort to get the weight for which it was sold. It is but fair to the dealers in town to say that this load came from out of town.
In closing, I wish to thank any and all who have as- sisted me in my work and especially the merchants and dealers, all of whom I have found courteous and anx- ious to comply with the laws, rendering me any assist- ance in their power.
All of which is most respectfully submitted,
W. J. NEWMAN,
Sealer of Weights and Measures. .
Report of the Inspector of Kerosene Oil
I have obtained 89 samples of kerosene oil, 49 of which have been tested and found within the law. The balance will be tested soon.
As I understand it, the cost of these inspections are borne by the Standard Oil Co., so I have not submitted any bill to the town.
Most respectfully;
W. J. NEWMAN,
Inspector of Oil.
Report of the Inspector of Cattle, Provisions and Milk
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of Attleborough :
Gentlemen :- I herewith submit my eighth annual re- port as Cattle and Milk Inspector for the year ending December 31, 1908.
I made my annual inspection of all the cattle and swine in town in October.
Visits have been made to 182 stables, where 909 cows, 97 young cattle, 702 swine, 22 bulls, 4 oxen and one sheep were kept.
There is an increase in all kinds of neat stock since 1907, except swine.
The number of cattle quarantined and killed this year having the disease known as tuberculosis, was II, and 2 of these were brought into town from Rehoboth badly diseased a day or two before they were quarantined. The health and quality of the cattle in town today is far above what it has been in previous years. In 1906 there were 67 cows killed. In 1907 there were 34 cows killed and in . 1908 II cows killed, having the disease known as tuberculosis. If we do not get good milk now I think it is no fault of the cows.
There have been no cases of glanders in town this year.
There has been 21 dogs quarantined in town this year under suspicion of having the disease known as rabies. Not one of them developed the disease.
There has been some 280 cows brought into town this year from New Hampshire, Vermont and New York states.
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ANNUAL REPORT
I have sold 120 milk licenses this year, which is 44 more than I sold last year.
Respectfully submitted,
CALEB E. PARMENTER,
Inspector.
Report of the Lockup Keeper for 1908
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
I herein submit my report as Keeper of Lock-up for the year ending December 31, 1908.
During the year I have cared for three hundred and thirty-five persons at the lock-up, charged with crimes and misdemeanors. I have also cared for fifteen persons held as witnesses by order of the court.
Male
Female
Total
Arson
3
3
Assault
27
27
Assault and battery
29
29
Assault on an officer
2
2
Assault to kill
5
5
Assault with a dangerous weapon
I5
I5
Bastardy
3
3
Breaking, entering and larceny
3
3
Breaking and entering, with intent to steal
I
I
Common drunkard
4
4
Collecting junk without a license
I
I
Disturbance of the peace
17
4 21
Disturbance on a street car
2
2
Drunkenness
100
5 105
Evading car fare
6
6
Exposing person
I
I
Fortune telling
I I
Gaming
3
3
105
ANNUAL REPORT
Male
Female
Total
Giving false weight
2
2
Hunting on Sunday
I
I
Insane
3
3
Larceny
27
I 28
Liquor, Illegal keeping of
4
4
Liquor, Illegal transportation of
I
I
Liquor nuisance, maintaining
2
Non-support
7
7
Peddling without a license
I
1 I
Playing cards on Sunday
4
4
Receiving stolen property
2
2
Stubborn child
I
1 I
Setting fire in wood land
I
I
Tramps
28
28
Trespass
14
14
Vagrants
3
3
Violation of terms of probation
I
I
Witnesses held
15
15
Total
339
II
350
Respectfully submitted this first day of January, 1909,
CHARLES E. WILBUR,
Keeper of Lock-up.
Report of the Park Commissioners for 1908
To the Citizens of Attleborough :
The Park Commissioners hereby make their annual re- port or 1908. During the season a large part of the grove was cleared of underbrush, and a large area cleared of stumps and roots. It is now one of the most beautiful and attractive features of the park.
During the dry season of the summer the pond was enlarged and cleaned out, and now it is twice its previous size. t is used by large numbers of young people for skating. The material removed from the bottom was used to resurface the land in the vicinity of the fountain, and the land has been sown to grass. The result of this work will be ap- parent next summer in a beautiful green sward.
The bandstand was completed in a thorough manner, and it adds considerably to the picturesqueness of the park. The various buildings were repainted, and large numbers of trees and shrubs were set out during the summer.
Through the working season an average of four men was kept at work, under the direction of Solon D. Bushee. As a result of their work the park is in better condition than ever before. - The Commissioners feel that through the painstaking efforts of Mr. Bushee they have received the largest possible amount of work for the money expended.
The $2,000, appropriated annually by the town, is barely sufficient to care for the park as it is at present. In order to extend the park and beautify it as we believe
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ANNUAL REPORT
it should be, a larger appropriation is necessary. The Commissioners would therefore recommend that a small special appropriation be made each year in order that the park may be made more beautiful and extensive.
We would also recommend that the sum of $300 be appropriated for band concerts in the summer of 1909. We believe that it would be cheaper and more satisfac- tory for the citizens to have entertainment in Attlebor- ough than to go to Providence and other places to se- cure it.
Financial Statement.
Dr.
Balance of appropriation $1,897.54
Sale of earth 38.00
.Duplicate bill 21.50
Overdraft 78.27
$2,035.3I
Cr.
Labor on band stand $ 341.82
Trees, shrubs, nursery stock, etc. . 56.60
Coal 29.00
Plumbing 16.67
Painting 81.50
Seed and fertilizer 60.81
Tools and repairing
43.79
Incidentals 26.89
Lumber 26.99
Labor
1,261.49
Concreting 35.00
Surveying 19.50
Signs
13.75
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ANNUAL REPORT
E. M. Fuller, painting (duplicate bill) 21.50
$2,035.3 I
Respectfully submitted,
JAMES E. BLAKE, Chairman, KARL HYDE, Secretary, SOLON D. BUSHEE.
Park Commissioners of the Town of Attleborough.
Examined February 3, 1909, and found correct :
BENJAMIN F. LINDSEY, FREDERICK L. LeBARON, WM. L. ELLIOT,
Auditors.
Report of the Superintendent of Streets
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Attleborough :
I, herewith, submit my fifth annual report as Super- intendent of Streets for the year ending December 31, 1908.
During the past year the work has been performed in the following manner :
In laying out the work it was deemed advisable to dis- pense with the services of two division superintendents and their gangs and to enlarge the forces of men in other divisions. Herbert A. Caswell had charge of the central division, wherein lies the greater part of the work. Henry A. Lord had charge of the southern part of the town, and Frank E. Shaw was given charge of the south- western section.
The department owns the same number of teams as were reported at this time last year.
We have been able to do excellent work with the new steam roller which was purchased from the Buffalo Steam Roller Company.
It has been necessary to make a large number of re- pairs to the stone crusher and crusher house, while the roof of the barn has been shingled.
All of the streets in the town, excepting those in South Attleboro, were scraped by means of a road scraper and gutters cleaned by the center gang and the usual good results followed. Three thousand, two hundred and six loads of dirt were removed in this work.
The largest amount of macadam work was performed on Mechanics and County Streets.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Mechanics Street was brought to grade from the bridge to Denins Street. In order to accomplish this it was necessary to fill one-half of the distance two and one-half feet deep. The street was widened so that it is now fifty feet wide and sidewalks were built on both sides of the street. A bank wall was constrused on the south side of the street for a distance of 150 feet The widening of the street was made possible by Clarence L. Watson and Everett H. Capron, who gave a strip of land ten feet wide, which bordered the street the entire length of the widening, or from the bridge to Dennis Street.
County Street has been macadamized from the Bron- son Building the entire length to Capron Park, with the point in view that the work of macadamizing should be carried on from this point to Thacher Street during the coming year.
The following streets have been macadamized and gravelled in the center division :
County Street 3,200 feet.
Peck Street
850 feet.
Mechanics Street
1,050 feet.
Bank Street 1,150 feet.
North Main Street 400 feet.
Emory Street 800 feet.
Park Street 300 feet.
Dean Street
600 feet.
This makes a total of 8,350 feet, or one and two-fifths miles of macadam road.
Number of loads of gravel used in this work, 2,209.
Number of loads of crushed stone used in this work, 3,690.
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ANNUAL REPORT
The following streets have been gravelled :
Holden Street (entire length) .900 feet.
Hayward Street (entire length) 800 feet.
Dennis Street 950 feet. George Street 300 feet.
Hodges Street 650 feet.
Total 3,600 feet.
Number of loads of gravel used in this work, 3,606. Number of loads of stone carted to town yard, 1,566. Other streets in this section were generally improved.
Southwest Division.
The largest piece of work performed on any street in this division was completed on Red Rock Hill, which is a portion of Newport Avenue. The street was widened and brought to grade from Orr's Corner to a point 1,600 feet northeast. In order to do this work it was necessary to remove two large elm trees and blast a large quantity of rock, these obstructions forming a part of the west side of the street. Previous to the time when this work was done the curve at this point in the street was considered to be extremely dangerous, more especially for automobiles, for the distance between the car tracks and the rocks was but 16 feet.
Turner street has been gravelled a distance of 1,750 feet and a catch basin was built in the gutter opposite the Standard Oil Company's works and a pipe laid under ground and running across the street. In this manner a large amount of the water which collects at this low point is carried away.
Read Street has been improved by crowning the road. thus forming gutters. This work was performed by means of a road machine.
112
ANNUAL REPORT
A portion of Newport Avenue, near the fire station, was improved by means of screened gravel, which was used to fill the ruts and depressions in the street.
Other streets in this section were improved by being scraped with a road machine and removing stones from the surface.
Number of loads of gravel used in this division, 2,650. Number of loads of dirt and stone removed, 880.
Eight hundred feet of sidewalks have been constructed on Cumberland Avenue, and six hundred feet of new sidewalks have been constructed on Turner Street.
South Division.
The principal part of the work in this division was the gravelling of the following streets :
Oak Hill Avenue 2,424 feet.
South Main Street
725 feet.
Hebron Avenue
315 feet.
Bourne Avenue
138 feet.
Bliss Avenue 330 feet.
Read Street
1,464 feet.
Tiffany Street 500 feet.
Locust Street 399 feet.
Total 6,295 feet.
Total number of loads of gravel used .... 4.051
The bridge on County Street has been re-covered, while the bridge on Knight Avenue was extended and good results were generally obtained.
Bridges, Culverts and Catch Basins.
The following bridges have been re-covered :
County Street bridge, located near the Rhode Island boundary line.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Bridges on Maple and Emory Streets have also been re-covered.
Bridges on Holden Street, and Knight Avenue, have been repaired.
Two new catch basins have been built in Hodges Street.
Two new catch basins have been built in Mechanics Street.
Five new catch basins have been built in Emory Street.
Most all of the new bridges which were built, when the grade crossings were abolished, will have to be re- covered during the coming year.
Curbing has been reset on the following streets :
Dunham Street 37 feet.
North Main Street 36 feet.
Fourth Street 18 feet.
County Street
28 feet.
Pleasant Street 29 feet.
This makes a total of 148 feet of curbing re-set by this department.
Gutters have been paved as follows:
Hodges Street
206 yards.
Other Streets 135 yards.
Total
341 yards.
The following streets were improved under special ap- propriation :
Phillips Street has been gravelled for a distance of 1,300 feet and other general improvements were made. The gravel used on this street was given by the Hebron Building and Improvement Association.
Number of loads of material used in this work, 960.
County Street has been widened from Thacher Street
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ANNUAL REPORT
to a point 1,150 feet south. At this point the street was very rocky and it was necessary to do a great deal of blasting. The rock obtained in this manner was used in extending the Thacher Brook drain.
West Street has been brought to grade from Orr's Corner to a point where the new street, built between County and West Streets, connects with the street. The gravel used on the street was taken from a bank which is located opposite the pumping station and was given to the Town by James H. Fales, owner of the land.
Number of loads of gravel used on this street, 3,377.
Thacher Street has been brought to grade from County street to the new South Avenue, so called, with the ex- ception of 300 feet, which remains unfinished.
New Street Leading from Thacher to West Streets.
The work of building this street has been completed and it has an easy grade of 3 per cent. for 600 feet, the remainder of the street ranging from I to 3 per cent. The street was worked fifty-six feet of the layout, which was 66 feet, and was gravelled the entire length, 1,250 feet. Akron pipe was laid underground and 600 feet of stone drain was constructed; six large catch basins were constructed, 300 feet apart, and by this method it was made possible to convey the water from the street to the low-lands by underground pipes. The contract for building the street was awarded to Eveline Bros., of New Britain, Conn., but the work was completed by the highway department.
Thacher Brook Drain.
A retaining wall was built for a distance of 200 feet and the drain was extended to Horton street, which com- pletes the work of excavation. An appropriation should be made each year for the purpose of cleaning out the drain and extending the retaining walls.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Ten Mile River.
The work of cleaning this river has been performed in the usual manner and should be continued each year.
Forest and Emory Street Drain.
The work of constructing this drain was performed under contract by the Eveline Bros. A ten-inch pipe was laid from the Thacher Brook drain at Emory Street, extending as far as Forest Street. Six catch basins were built in connection with the drain. Open joints were made and ties placed in the pipes opposite each house in Emory street, making it possible for the owners to connect their cellars with the drain by means of small pipes, thereby warranting dry cellars.
Street Sprinkling.
Seven sprinkling carts have been in use during the past year and the work was performed by the following parties :
Robert Sharkey in the north division ;
R. D. Manchester in the center division ;
Frank Parmenter in the east division ;
T. E. Perrin in the west division ;
W. J. Kenney in the South division ;
Charles Fontneau from Orange Street to Seekonk boundary line ;
Frank I. Jillson in South Attleboro and to the Rhode Island boundary line.
In this manner one-fourth of the town's highways were covered.
We have experimented with Tarvia and a preparation called Calcide and find that Tarvia preserves the surface of the street and warrants the effort of its usage, al- though it is not a real success as a preventative of dust.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Calcide was furnished through the kindness of J. L. Sweet and was used on North Main, Peck and Bank Streets. This preparation requires moistening once every four days, otherwise the streets become dry and consequently dust prevails. We finally came to the con- clusion that up to that time we could not find any prep- aration which would act as a substitute for water.
Sidewalk Department.
New curbing has been set, and gutters paved on the following streets :
East Street I47 feet.
Park Street
144 feet.
South Main Street
515 feet.
Hayward Street
382 feet.
County Street 163 feet.
Second Street
85 feet.
Fourth Street 169 feet.
Grove Street 155 feet.
Bank Street 150 feet.
Florence Street
92 feet.
Total 2,002 feet.
Curbing was reset as follows :
County Street 67 feet.
Florence Street 187 feet.
Fourth Street 18 feet.
South Main Street
16 feet.
Total 288 feet.
Total number of feet of curbing reset
and gutters paved during year .... 2,290 feet.
Seven hundred and fourteen yards of gutters have been repaved during the year.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Street Cleaning Department.
In the past, one man has been kept constantly at work cleaning the streets in the business section of the center of the town, but the time has now arrived when our facilities for performing this work are inadequate to meet the demands of the public, therefore I would recommend that the town purchase a street sweeper which will be drawn by a horse. In using this method the work could be done early in the morning and extended to a large area from the center of the town.
The following is a list of sidewalks which have been rebuilt during the past year :
John Street 520 feet.
George Street 700 feet.
Mechanics Street
3,400 feet.
Emory Street
2,550 feet.
Elizabeth Street
462 feet.
Pine Street
288 feet.
Prospect Street
180 feet.
Florence Street
497 feet.
Peck Street
469 feet.
Benefit Street
429 feet.
Holden Street
520 feet.
Second Street
808 feet.
North Main Street 300 feet.
Martin Street
500 feet.
Sixth Street
609 feet.
Crandall Court
637 feet.
Park Street
539 feet.
Brook Street
100 feet.
Fourth Street
150 feet.
Grove Street 165 feet.
Horton Street 456 feet.
Garden Street 290 feet.
Hayward Street 420 feet.
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ANNUAL REPORT
County Street 1,000 feet.
Park Avenue 505 feet.
Forest Street 556 feet.
Falmouth Street
370 feet.
Highland Street
200 feet.
Hodges Street
657 feet.
Pearl Street
570 feet.
East Street
180 feet.
Union Street
1,750 feet.
Bank Street
150 feet.
Holman Street 336 feet.
Third Street 192 feet.
Jefferson Street 300 feet.
Total number of feet of sidewalks rebuilt, 22.755
feet, or 4.3 miles.
Number of loads of gravel used 1,126
Number of loads of ashes used 640
Number of loads of dirt carted to
dump
1,403
Number of tons of crushed stone used ..
288
Concrete Walks.
Under special appropriation the following streets were concreted :
Pleasant Street 355 yards.
Holman Street 269 yards.
South Main Street
991 yards.
Park Street 342 yards.
North Main Street 1,293 yards.
County Street 932 yards.
Union Street 120 yards.
Capron Street 475 yards.
Bank Street 77 yards.
Hazel Street
200 yards.
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ANNUAL REPORT
Railroad Avenue 102 yards.
Total 5,156 yards.
Under this appropriation a number of Granolithic sidewalks have been constructed on the following streets, two-thirds of the cost being paid by the abutters :
North Main Street 170 yards.
County Street 350 yards.
Park Street 85 yards.
Total
605 yards.
Five thousand, six hundred and sixty-one yards of new walks have been constructed during the year.
The following walks were re-dressed :
North Main Street 560 yards.
Park Street 949 yards.
East Street 70 yards.
South Main Street
150 yards.
County Street 310 yards.
Union Street 640 yards.
Total 2,679 yards.
In closing I wish to thank those who have assisted in the work by giving prompt notice of defects in the streets, caused by storms, etc., and in numerous other ways, all of which information has been of great assist- ance to the department in lessening the liability of acci- dents, thereby saving the town from numerous damage suits of an expensive nature.
Respectfully submitted, H. A. SMITH,
Superintendent of Streets.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR
OF THE
TOWN OF ATTLEBOROUGH
For the Year Ending December 31, 1908
)
JOESPH V. CURRAN. Chairman
BENJAMIN P. KING, Clerk
GEORGE M. GUSTIN, Visitor
Report of the Overseers of the Poor
To the Citizens of Attleborough :
In giving an account of our stewardship for the past year, inasmuch as it has been a busy one with us, we make a brief, yet sufficiently comprehensive, report of show what we have been doing the past twelve months.
The organization of the Board was perfected as soon after the annual election as possible, on the same lines as the previous year, Mr. Curran having been re-elected. Because of the business depression in the fall of 1907, we were led to ask for an increase in our appropriation by the addition of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) making a total of eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00), with five hundred dollars ($500.00) for medical attendance, a grand total of eight thousand, five hundred dollars ($8,500.00), which was given to us. Our expectations have been fully realized, as our financial statement that follows will show. Had it not been for the revival of business within the past year in our midst, there is no doubt but that we should have been obliged to use more money than we have.
Our Town is growing very rapidly, and naturally the expenses of this department will increase with the growth, but with care and continuous watching it can be held to a minimum, except when business fails, * for there are a large number who save nothing who get
along when business is good, but when dull times come in a very short time have to apply for relief. While it is true that many of our townspeople have been obliged
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ANNUAL REPORT
to apply to this department, a large part of our increase has come from those who happen to be here with no set- tlement, and are found to be what we call "state cases." They are usually of short duration and the amount of re- lief comparatively small, yet in the aggregate amounts to quite a sum, and while we are supposed to be reim- bursed by theState for money expended in these cases, the State is so critical in its demands for notification and forms of presentation of bills that it is rather a difficult matter to tell as to the amount of reimbursement we are to receive. Towns and cities make very prompt returns as a rule, and from them we receive full reimbursement. We have received quite a large amount from credits the past year, and there are several now due-nearly ($500) five hundred dollars-which will appear in next year's accounts. The Town Farm holds its own and by the continuance of the present policy we hope to make fur- ther gains. The expenses of the Farm have been much larger this year than last, but when we consider the ad- vanced cost of supplies of all kinds and the number we have had in the Alms House, the increase is not out of proportion.
It is very likely that the number of inmates will increase, as there are several old people on our list that must of necessity go there for shelter in the near fu- ture. Total number of inmates during the year, 18; an average of 91/2 for the entire year.
Our horses are still at work and barring accidents it is possible that they may last another year.
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