USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Milford > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Milford, Massachusetts 1910 > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
Aug., 14 Nov., 12
March, 25 June, 11
Sept., 12 Dec., 15
Arterio Sclerosis ·
8
Infantile Atrophy .
13
Apoplexy .
·
.
17 Cirrhosis of Liver
2
Accident
·
6 Meningitis ·
4
Angina Pectoris .
1
Old Age .
11
Acute Indigestion
2
Paralysis .
2
Bright's Disease .
14
Pneumonia
.
.
23
Bronchitis
·2
Paresis
3
Cancer
·
1
Spina-Bifida .
1
Chronic Rheumatism
·
1
Tuberculosis .
20
Convulsions
2
Typhoid .
.
Diphtheria
2
Tetanus .
1
Diarrhea .
3
Uraemia Puerperal
·
5
Dysentery
4
Ulcer of Liver
1
Cholera Infantum
1
Ulcer of Stomach
.
1
Diabetes .
3
Whooping Cough
.
1
Empyema
2
Enchondroma of Pelvis . 1
187
General Peritonitis
2
Still Born
12
Gastro Enteritis . ·
3
Premature
6
Heart Disease
15
Inanition .
1 Total
205
.
.
.
.
·
.
12 Septicemia
.
1
Brain Tumor
.
2 Scarlet Fever
.
4
Cystitis
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
·
This has been the banner year with the local board in regard to complaints, for they have been very few in number. The members of the board found it necessary to inspect indi-
.
.
102
vidually the premises along Central, Spring, Jefferson, Court, North Bow, Pond and Main streets, Exchange, School and Congress streets where sewage was entering the Charles River, and connections were made with the new sewer.
We also inspected all slaughter houses and before licenses were granted radical changes were insisted upon. According to our meat inspector there is no tuberculosis beef being killed in Milford, and through his vigilance all beef shipped into Milford is up to the standard in quality.
There has been no epidemic of any kind during the year. It is noticeable that tuberculosis is on the increase, due to the unhygienic surroundings and overcrowding of the foreign ele- ment. Various persons have been reimbursed according to law for time they were in quarantine during the presence of contagious diseases in house or family, and it is the urgent wish of the board that in the near future the town will appro- priate a certain sum for the defraying of such expenses in- curred.
JOHN E. HIGGISTON, MAURICE J. QUINLAN, F. H. LALLY, M. D., Secretary, Board of Health.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS.
TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SELECTMEN :
Gentlemen : I herewith offer to you and the citizens of the Town of Milford, my report as inspector of animals, for the past year.
On June 14, 1909, I placed in quarantine a bay gelding which was suspected of being infected with glanders.
State inspectors were notified and upon examination veri- fied suspicion and ordered animal destroyed, which was done. This animal having had an acute form had been liable to have contaminated local watering troughs and blacksmith shops, coming in direct contact with them, it was found necessary to order the water shut off in troughs for a period of two weeks and having them cleaned thoroughly. This caused a great deal of inconvenience to drivers of vehicles and great discom- fort to animals owing to the fact that the temperature was as high if not higher than at any time during the year. This was somewhat overcome by the fact that I caused pails and water to be at the disposal of drivers at the stable front of Edwards & Heroux at Lincoln square.
At the end of the two weeks, upon orders of Dr. Peters, chief of state inspectors, the water was again turned on. Up- . on further orders of Dr. Peters all blacksmith shops were white washed and tie ropes burned and new ones substituted.
These precautions, while causing a great deal of tem- porary inconvenience, were of great benefit as is shown by the fact that only two other cases have since been called to my attention and these proved to be only a suspicion and not glanders.
Have had my attention brought to eight (8) suspicious cases of rabies in dogs and other animals. All but two of these have proved to be free from the disease. The other two
104
were both in animals, in which it is rarely found, namely goat and horse.
The goat had become innoculated by being bitten by a rabid dog in a shed during the night. The owner of the goat got a gun and destroyed the dog and also a goat that had been badly bitten.
The owner buried the carcasses of both animals and it was sometime after, that he became suspicious of a goat that had received a slight abrasion of the skin and it was owing to this fact that my attention was called. I immediately quar- antined, and notified Dr. Peters, who at once sent a state in- spector. The animal was killed and the head taken to be examined. In ten days I received a confirmation of my diag- mosis that the goat had rabies.
The case in the horse was outside of the town limits, being in North Franklin, acting upon orders of Dr. Peters. This horse had been bitten six months previous to my seeing him and had developed a well defined case of rabies. This animal was immediately destroyed.
Cattle with contagious diseases in the town of Milford, have been but few even in suspicion. Have quarantined but four (4), all of which were released upon examination and ap- proval of state inspectors.
Have examined three small herds which were shipped in- to the town from outside this state. These all proved to be in good condition and were given clean bills.
That the town may be congratulated upon having good and well kept cattle, swine, sheep and goats, will be shown by the fact that during the annual inspection, upon the physical examination of three hundred and fifty-two (352) cows, one hundred and ninety-six (196) swine, five (5) sheep and twenty- six (23) goats. All were found to be free from any contagiou s disease.
Conditions of housing of animals in the large proportion were up to requirements.
A small minority were of small details that were prompt- ly attended to.
105
The practice of housing pigs in, or close to residences should be remedied and have advised owners of such places to find new places for these animals.
In closing will say that owing to the wide distribution of animals in this district I may have overlooked, in the annual inspection, a few animals, but hope the owners of same will notify me so as to make all complete.
Repectfully submitted, DR. B. F. HARTMAN,
Inspector of Animals.
Feb. 1, 1910.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF VERNON GROVE CEMETERY.
DR.
Cash on hand
$ 7 36
Cash for sale of lots
145 00
Single graves
8 00
Filling lots
63 00
Foundation
10 50
Bound stones
3 50
Standing grass
5 50
Moving bodies .
8 00
Mowing lots .
75
Opening graves
87 25
Care of lots
331 00
Perpetual care of lots
298 17
Town appropriation
150 00
$1,118 03.
CR.
Paid F. E. Daniels, labor
·
$282 20
William Emery, labor
·
348 35
C. A. Worden, labor .
·
322 50
William Johnston, labor Frank Albee, labor
31 37
A. C. Kinney, labor
6 75
H. C. Skinner, labor
10 00
C. S. Mullane, supplies
6 00
H. M. Cutter, supplies
5 50
N. L. Huff, supplies
9 70
H. W. Austin, supplies
5 00
R. J. Haight, supplies
19 75
Staples & Goald, supplies
37 19
William Emery, supplies
15 36.
.
.
10 50
107
W. W. Watson 1 75
Z. C. Field 1 15
A. Cadman 2 00
Cash in the hands of the Superintendent 2 96
$1,118 03.
There have been 68 interments during the year.
The terms of office of the trustees expire as follows : H. C. Skinner and William Emery in 1910 ; George L. Maynard and H. S. Eldredge, 1911; Thomas Lilley and C. J. Fiske in 1912.
H. C. SKINNER, Secretary and Treasurer. WILLIAM EMERY, Superintendent.
REPORT OF TOWN SOLICITOR.
MILFORD, MASS., FEBRUARY 9, 1910.
HON. BOARD OF SELECTMEN,
DEAR SIRS :-
I herewith submit my report as town solicitor for the year last past.
During the past year, as usual, my office has been called upon to submit opinions to various town boards, the most im- portant of which have been opinions relative to the powers of the so-called park commissioners, and the authority vested in them concerning the regulations of the town park. Owing to the non-acceptance by the town of the law relative to the election of park commissioners, which I would say has since been corrected, there was some doubt as to just what their powers would be. The opinion has been published, and fur- ther reference in this report is unnecessary.
The next opinion of importance was the opinion asked of me by the board of assessors relative to the legality of their act in taxing what is known as the Congregational Park. That opinion has also been published in a very cursory man- ner, but the result is well known to the citizens.
The offices of the tax collector, also the sewer commis- sioners, always have questions of law arising therein, many of which have been submitted to me for opinions. In my last report I called the attention of the citizens to many cases that were pending against the town of Milford. Among them the case of Nason, who claims certain rights in the Vernon Grove Cemetery road, so called. This case is now pending in court and has been referred to T. Hovey Gage, as auditor, and may be tried before this report gets into the hands of the voters. The cases of Cochrane and Rosenfelt, both of whom served notices on the town in the year 1908, claiming damages for in-
109
juries sustained in our highways, have never been brought to. court, and I daresay, never will. There are still unsettled some claims against the town of Milford because of installa- tion of the sewer through private lands, among them being the claim of Charles F. Claflin, pending since last year and still unsettled ; also the claims of Mary Cook and one Andre- oli. One additional suit has been brought against the town of Milford, D. Desmond & Co., to recover $32.00 on alleged con- tract made with them by the trustees of the town library. This case is still pending.
During the past year in the solution of public questions- some matters have arisen, which to my mind demand a change in the manner of doing business by some of our public boards. I refer more especially to the question of the care of conta- gious diseases. Until recently all of such cases came under the jurisdiction of the overseers of the poor, but a recent law compels the board of health to take care of them, and as our appropriations are made, there has been no money appropriat- ed by the town for the use of the board of health. As the result thereof, the money needed to liquidate such claims dur- ing the past year, had to be taken from the incidental fund of the selectmen. This, to my mind, is not right, as it is a ques- tion which properly belongs to the poor department, and I would suggest that a certain amount of the money appropri- ated by the town for the poor department be given to the board of health to be used for such cases as above indicated.
There was also a question about the rent for our armory. The state reimburses the town for such rent, and it being paid in a lump sum and thereby coming, perhaps, under what is known as "income to the town," and the action of the com- mittee on appropriation cutting off all incomes from the appropriations used by the selectmen, gave rise to the ques- tion whether the selectmen could, as a matter of law, take this money in liquidation of bills paid by them during the year for the rents of the armory. I would suggest that that phraseology should not be used in their recommendations of the coming year, as it seems to me that the funds appropri- ated for other purposes should not be used to pay the rent of
IIO
the armory when we have the money coming from the state for that specific purpose.
There have been many takings of land for sewer purposes during the past year which are mostly of routine nature, and all claims for which have been amicably adjusted.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. LYNCH, Town Solicitor.
REPORT OF SEALER OF WEIGHTS MEASURES.
AND
Milford, January 1, 1910. TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SELECTMEN :-
GENTLEMEN : I hereby submit my report as Sealer of Weights and Measures, for the year ending January 1, 1910. All places of business in the town of Milford were visited by me, after notifying by public notice as the law requires, that all scales, measures, etc., would be sealed without fee if brought to my office.
Sealed at office, no fee charged :-
Sealed. 35
Condemned
Scales,
9
Weights,
46
4
Dry Measures,
31
4
Liquid Measures,
126
16
Linear Measures,
36
7
Milk Jars,
104
32
Sealed on inspection of places. Fee charged :-
Sealed.
Condemned.
Scales,
248
31
Weights,
646
42
Dry Measures,
118
9
Liquid Measures,
184
18
Linear Measures,
66
Amount received in fees
$86 93
Paid Clifford A. Cook
$86 93
The utensils for measuring and weighing were, as a rule found in good condition, and the proprietors of places visited were anxious to comply with the law, as far as they were able.
The duties of the Sealer of Weights and Measures are
becoming more important and harder each year, as the State Inspectors require more work and time put into the position to stop fraud and deceit and give greater protection to the purchasing public.
The people of Milford, when buying goods, should see that the dealer selling to you has his scales and measures sealed and marked by the sealer, so as to be sure of getting what you call for. One method of evading the law is to call their receptacles "baskets," "boxes," or "crates," when selling them. They are very careful not to state that they contain a bushel. Of course they permit the buyer to believe that he is getting a full bushel. Others use bags in the same way. You will help the sealer and save your own money if you will not buy by the "basket" or "bag," and to demand to know how much the receptacle holds.
Still another fraud that is operated on the public is measuring dry products in liquid measures. This is done more often with cranberries than anything else. A dry quart contains 67.2 cubic inches. A liquid quart contains 57.75 cu- bic inches. Therefore, when you are careless enough to buy a quart of cranberries that has been measured in the liquid quart, you only get about five-sixths of what belongs to you. In many cases where the sealer stopped this practice, the signs were changed to read, "so many cents a measure."
The Sealer of Weights and Measures asks you to help - yourself by helping him. To the public he gives this advice :
Be sure that you are buying from a man who uses an honest bushel. Know that you are getting an honest bushel.
If you are buying a quart of something, be sure you are getting it in a dry quart, if it is a dry product.
Don't buy by the measure or bag or basket.
You are entitled to know exactly how much you are pay- ing for.
Some baskets are sold with the tacit understanding that. they contain a half-bushel. As they are sold merely as "bas- kets" and not as half-bushels, the sealer has no jurisdiction
113
over them. It takes three of these baskets to make a bushel.
The State Inspector paid a visit to this town in Novem- ber, and visited the stores and examined the sealer's work, which was very satisfactory to him. These visits are not made known to us, so that it is for the benefit of the mer- chants to have scales, weights, measures, etc., sealed and. stamped by the Sealer of Weights and Measures to avoid trouble, as prosecutions have taken place in other parts of the. State for failure to comply with this law.
Thanking the Honorable Board of Selectmen, the Town Solicitor and the public for their assistance given me during my term as Sealer of Weights and Measures, I am,
Respectfully,
D. M. O'BRIEN,
Sealer of Weights and Measures ..
REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SELECTMEN OF THE TOWN OF
MILFORD :
Gentlemen :- I have the honor to submit a report of the duties performed by the police of Milford for the year ending January 31, 1910.
Whole number of arrests
405
Number of cases of drunkenness
281
Assault and batttery
·
.
.
25
Larceny .
9
Tramps .
3
Disturbing the peace
16
Contempt
1
Violation milk law
.
1
Assaults to murder
2
Assault on officer
.
1
Cruelty to animal
2
Vagrants
17
Liquor laws
3
Stubborn children
.
3
Sunday hunting
3
Assault with weapon
16
House of ill fame
2
Trespass
1
Auto violation .
3
Neglect of wife
1
Breaking and entering
2
Game laws
2
Idle and disorderly
1
Disorderly on street car
1
Spitting in street car
2
Search warrants for stolen goods
5
Search warrants for liquors
.
4
.
.
.
·
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
115
Property recovered and restored Assistance to other officers
$150
47
RESULTS.
Guilty
270
Not guilty
.
16
Filed
27
Released on probation
83
Committed
135
Appealed to superior court
·
3
Bound over to superior court
6
.
.
One officer performs patrol duty on the street to the amount of 61 hours each week ; one officer 23 hours, one offi- cer 32 hours, one officer 47 hours, one officer 8 hours, one offi- cer 14 hours, one officer 7 hours.
In concluding my report I wish to state that I have had a very harmonious set of officers, and by their good work coupled with the aid rendered us by the Board of Selectmen, town officials, and many citizens, we have been able to accom- plish much.
Respectfully submitted,
JEREMIAH J. O'NEIL, Chief of Police.
February 1, 1910.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN LIBRARY.
TRUSTEES. Owen F. Croughwell, James S. Mullane, Term expires 1910.
William P. Clarke, .. Patrick E. Sweeney, Term expires 1911.
Nathaniel F. Blake, Nathan W. Heath, Term expires 1912.
ORGANIZATION. James S. Mullane, Chairman. Owen F. Crough well, Secretary. Nathaniel F. Blake, Librarian.
Your trustees are pleased to recognize a growing interest in the use of the public library, particularly by the scholars of the higher grades of our schools, no doubt inculcated and en- couraged by their teachers, as also an appreciation of the refer- ence library and reading room with its well equipped supply of current magazines and periodicals.
The trustees believe that if our youth are aided in their selections and trained in the proper use of the library during their school life, its use will be"continued in after years; the habit of delving for knowledge in this direction will have been acquired, and an increasing future patronage of the library will be assured.
At a meeting of the trustees, held on the eighteenth day of January, 1910, it was voted to recommend an appropriation of six hundred dollars for the benefit of the town library dur- ing the ensuing year.
J. S. MULLANE,
Chairman ..
II7
SECRETARY'S REPORT. Milford, January 18, 1910.
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN LIBRARY :
GENTLEMEN :- I hereby submit a report of the receipts and expenditures for the year ending January 1, 1910 : Receipts :-
Balance from 1909
$ 123 07
Appropriation
600 00
Dog tax
1,034 28
Fines and catalogues .
92 27
Expenses :-
Light
$154 72
Express
.
.
.
8 65
Covering books
16 50
Librarian's salary
360 00
Librarian's assistant
200 00
Supplies and reading room
95 64
Binding
126 77
Books
·
.
·
$1,509 30
Balance on hand .
$340 32
All of which is respectfully submitted,
O. F. CROUGHWELL, Secretary of Trustees.
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN LIBRARY :
GENTLEMEN : - I herewith submit the report of the library for the year ending December 31, 1909.
The library was open 306 days. Circulation for the year was 37,214 volumes, against 37,516 in 1903 and 31,606 in 1907 ; a decrease this year of 302 volumes. Largest daily circulation, March 6, was 392 volumes. Smallest daily circu- lation, August 17, was 15 volumes. Average daily circulation was 121 3-5. Amount received for fines was $91.52 ; for cata- logues, $.75 ; books covered, 1015; notices sent delinquents, 149.
The reading room shows a slight loss compared with the
.
.
.
$1,849 62
.
·
.
.
547 02
118
previous year, the attendance being 7,388, as compared with 7,517 in 1908.
The library contains as per catalogue 17,181 volumes, classified as follows : A-History, 1069; B-Biography, 1450; C-Politics and Law, 361; D-Travels, 1162, E- Science and Reference, 1280; F-Fiction, 4809; G-Miscel- laneous, 2186 ; H-Religion, 500; I-Poetry, 509; J-Juve- nile, 1898 ; K-State and Government Documents, 1957.
During the year we added 509 volumes ; 370 by purchase ; 38 by binding magazines ; 20 by binding Patent Office Re- ports ; 81 by gift. The donors were State of Massachusetts, 38 volumes ; U. S. Government, 9 volumes ; George L. Ray- mond, 9 volumes ; Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, through Willis B. Temple, 5 volumes ; Smithsonian Institute, 5 volumes; Mrs. W. H. Cook, 4 vol- umes ; Mary J. Joy and E. Densmore, 2 volumes each ; Civil Service Commission, Library of Congress, Unitarian Associa- tion, Massachusetts Department G. A. R., Towle Manufactur- ing Company, Herbert W. Casson and James II. Moore, 1 vol- ume each.
The circulation of the various departments is shown by the following table :-
1
CIRCULATION.
ABCD
E
F
GHI
J
K Total.
January,
18
97
7
88
28
2259
117
23
1251
3888
Feb.,
27
67
12
60
22
1982
89
5
9
1215
3488
March,
18
58
13
75
49
2241
102
2
10
1499
1
4068
April,
12
27
8
53
38
2001
93
1
16
1126
3375
May,
19
20
5
54
46
1928
67
2
25
947
3113
June,
16
13
9
37
26
1825
69
14
814
2823
July,
14
13
9
32
18
1939
59
2
10
827
2923
August,
11
13
8
51
29
1748
51
5
14
642
2572
Sept.,
7
30
3
36
23
1806
72
8
599
2584
October,
18
17
7
49
23
1862
84
4
17
698
2779
Nov.,
19
17
3
57
2:2
1746
72
6
20
873
2835
Dec.,
19
16
9
57
27
1618
76
3
23
918
2766
Total,
198 388 93 649 351 22955
951 30 189 11409|
1 37214
-
-
119
The following publications are received regularly, (those marked * are donated) :-
WEEKLIES.
Collier's Harper's *La Liberta (Italian) Leslie's Outlook
*Patent Office Gazette
Saturday Evening Post Scientific American
*Universalist Leader Youth's Companion *Zion's Herald
MONTHLIES.
American Boy American Magazine Atlantic
Bookman
*Bulletin of Museum of Fine Arts
*Catholic Truth
Century Cosmopolitan
Country Life in America Delineator
*Eternal Progress Everybody's Garden Magazine Hampton Harper's
*Illuminating Engineer
*Labor Bulletin Ladies' Home Journal
Lippincott's McClure's
Munsey's National North American Review
New England *N. E. Shoe and Leather Ga- zette
*Our Dumb Animals
Outing Public Libraries
Review of Reviews
Scribner's
Success
St. Nicholas Travel
* Western Empire Woman's Home Companion World's Work
The Massachusetts Art club furnished the library with the following exhibits during the year :-
Jan. 18 to Feb. 1. Scotland No. 1, 102 photographs.
Feb. 2 to Feb. 22.
Audobon, 13 plates.
Feb. 22 to Mar. 15. Famous Pictures No. 2, 34 plates.
May 11 to May 31. Florence No. 3, 101 photographs.
June 1 to June 21. Up the Rhine, 58 photographs.
120
June 22 to July 12. English photogravures, 100 photo - graphs.
July 20 to Aug. 9. Corot No. 1, 56 photographs.
Aug. 19 to Aug. 30. Millet, 64 photographs.
Aug. 31 to Sept. 20. Naples No. 1, 76 photographs.
Sept. 21 to Oct. 11.
Naples No. 2, 47 photographs.
Oct. 12 to Nov. 1.
100 Famous Men, 93 photographs.
Nov. 2 to Nov. 22. Medici Family, 64 photographs.
Nov. 23 to Dec. 13. Cotton and Silk Manufacture, 54 photographs.
Dec. 28 to Jan. 17. Concord and Concord Fight, 89 photographs.
Number of exhibits during the year was 14; number of pictures shown, 951.
By invitation of the trustees, the fall meeting of the Southern Worcester Library club was held in Milford, the exercises taking place in the G. A. R. Hall. The meeting was in charge of Miss Beatrice Putnam of Uxbridge public library, vice-president of the club. The chairman of the trustees, J. S. Mullane, opened the meeting in behalf of our library.
The subject for discussion was "Co-operation between the library and the schools." Miss Jordan, children's librarian of the Boston public library, gave an interesting and helpful paper on the librarian's opportunity to make the library a supplement to the schools. Miss Edith Nichols of the Milford high school presented the teacher's side of the question. F. G. Atwell, superintendent of schools at Hopedale, presented the attractive side of the advantage of the library for the schools to obtain the profit and pleasure of reading good books. The meeting was well attended and interesting.
Respectfully submitted,
N. F. BLAKE, Librarian.
REPORT OF THE SEWER COMMISSION.
January 29, 1910.
TO THE CITIZENS OF MILFORD :
Gentlemen: The sewer commission herewith submits report for the year 1909.
The following statement presents, concisely, the income and expenditure of the department.
Total amount levied, and certified to collector of taxes $21,921 22
INCOME.
Balance January 20, 1909
$ 2,994 65 .
Sewer assessments
15,732 94
Milford Gas Co. (for construction of manholes) .
53 00
Sale of rejected pipe
5 25
Town of Hopedale, disposal of
65 00
sewage
$18,850 84
EXPENDITURES.
Construction Account :-
Sewer extensions . $13,690 13
Disposal plant, (tool house and other improvements) 772 00
Pumping plant, im- provements in elec- trical equipment . 313 42
Land damages; in- cluding legal ser- vices .
569 87
$15,345 42
I22
Maintenance Account :-
Labor (sewers and disposal plant) $1,050 47
Power (electric cur- rent) 625 98
Superintendence and
clerical work 772 89
Office fittings
185 11
Tools and supplies .
59 65
Printing
54 30
$2,748 40
Total expenditures
$18,093 82
Balance January 20, 1910
$757 02
DETAILED STATEMENT OF EXPENSES.
Orders. 1909.
457. Feb. 5.
H. C. Hopkins, labor at pumping station
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.