USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report for the town of Duxbury for the year ending 1926-1930 > Part 39
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 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
H. E. MERRY,
Forest Warden.
-102-
Report of Dump Department
Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Duxbury,
Greetings :
Matters have gone along very satisfactorily both to my self and the users of the dump. Have had no complaints and quite a few complimentary remarks.
Realizing the street was narrow and crooked at this point at my suggestion to the Selectmen they au- thorized the Superintendent of Streets to meet with me there and solve the trouble. The fence will be moved in on the fill which will give about five feet more to the highway, partially remove a bad curve and be a decided benefit to all concerned. I hope to erect a heavy wire fence as I found the lighter wire fence in- adequate. Trees will be set out along the fence which will add much to its appearance. It is only by the co- operation of the users with me that keeps this place in good condition.
Asking for a continuance of the same spirit I re- spectfully submit this.
H. E. MERRY.
-103-
Report of Tree Warden
-
To the Citizens of Duxbury :
The work of this department has been cutting dead wood, and cutting down and removing several large trees. This department was able to cover over a great deal more territory this year. In my report last year I recommended $1,000.00, but no money was appropri- ated at Town Meeting as we had money in the Hath- away Shade Tree Fund, and this was used up to the amount of $900.00.
This department should have at least $1,000.00 for the year 1931, and I also think, if we are to have the Fall Web Worms like in 1930, more money should be appropriated to cut the webs off along our road sides.
Respectfully submitted, JOHN D. MORRISON, Tree Warden.
Report of Town Forest Committee
To the Selectmen and Citizens of Duxbury :
Your Town Forest Committee since last report have done some cleaning up around the Town Forest on Mayflower Street. The Committee would like to have the lot cleaned up and some trees set out.
Your Committee would like to ask for $500.00 for cleaning up and setting out trees.
Respectfully submitted, TOWN FOREST COMMITTEE.
-104-
Report of Moth Department
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen : Gentlemen :
At the annual Town Meeting in March 1930, the sum of $2,593.69 was appropriated to take care of this work, and this department did the best they could with the money appropriated.
Conditions looked very good last summer, but at the present time we are finding and creosoting a large number of nests in places around town that were in very good condition in 1928-29, but not as good in 1931.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN D. MORRISON,
Moth Superintendent.
Report of Street Department
To the Selectmen and Citizens of Duxbury :
Another year has passed and the usual work of repanring the streets has been done.
A portion of Union Street was straightened and widened making the road less dangerous for traffic.
Extra work was also done at the Tree of Know- ledge corner by putting a curbing around the mound, filling with loam and resurfacing the road.
Respectfully submitted,
EDWARD S. O'NEIL,
Superintendent of Streets.
-105-
Report of Memorial Day Committee for G. A. R.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Duxbury :
The Memorial Day Committee respectfully sub- mit the following report :
Myles Standish Camp No. 115, S. U. V. C. W., American Legion Post No. 223, The Boy Scout Troop, The Girl Scout Troop worked together in decorating all known Soldiers' and Sailors' graves and Soldiers' monuments with flags, potted plants and the flowers furnished by the school children.
Exercises were held in the Unitarian Church, in Ashdod Cemetery, Mayflower Cemetery and at the Blue Fish River for the Soldiers and Sailors that per- ished at sea.
We redecorated in January with flags.
The Committee is very grateful to the school chil- dren that made such a good showing and displayed so much loyalty to the defenders of their country. We wish to thank all who helped out in any way.
This year we decorated :
23 graves of Soldiers of the Revolutionary War.
3 graves of Soldiers of the War of 1812.
212 graves of Soldiers of the Civil War.
7 graves of Soldiers of the World War.
245 total
-106-
The W. R. C. decorated 4 graves of Army Nurses of the Civil War.
Appropriation
$400.00
Balance, 1929
4.62
Total
$404.62
Speaker
$15.00
Music
173.65
Flags
55.25
Flowers
84.25
Printing
14.50
Auto Hire
14.50
Dinner
32.21
Markers
3.00
$392.36
Unexpended Balance
$12.26
Total
$404.62
Respectfully submitted,
PARKER B. CHANDLER, Chairman,
EARL W. CHANDLER,
GEORGE B. CUSHING,
EDEN S. GLOVER,
OSCAR B. RYDER,
HOWARD B. BUTLER.
-107-
Report of the Planning Board
To the Citizens of Duxbury :
Your Planning Board makes the following report for the year 1930.
Three meetings were held during the year and a special meeting was held early in the Fall at which representatives of the Duxbury Community Association were present, by invitation, to confer on traffic and police problems.
The Planning Board directed the annual collec- tion of rubbish during Clean-up Week in April. There was an increase in the number of calls received over those of the previous years, and the Board feels that it is wise for such collections to be made each year, as an aid toward fire prevention and as an improvement to the appearance of the Town.
Unsightly piles of tin cans and old leaves and branches are no incentive to keep one's property neat and tidy and the grass regularly cut.
One need only to drive around town to see the interest now being shown by the residents in their well-kept grounds and houses, and many of the older residents do appreciate the spring collection of the useless matter that collects around the premises dur- ing the year.
At an early fall meeting, the Planning Board in- vited representatives of The Duxbury Community
-108-
Association to meet with them and discuss some of the traffic and police problems that arose during the sum- mer season just past.
It was suggested that the South Duxbury School building at Hall's Corner, which is now vacant, could be used for Police Headquarters during the summer months. That an officer from the State Polic could be secured, perhaps from the Norwell State Barracks, to be on duty there, available for calls either to assist the local police or to aid in traffic regulations, or whenever needed by the public for emergencies.
Such an officer could also offer suggestions to bring the local traffic regulations into accordance with those of the larger communities, so that the summer visitor as well as the local residents would receive similar directions and consideration, making for a much more efficient and pleasant compliance with the traffic rules of the town.
The Planning Board suggests that the traffic lines at the Duxbury Post Office be reversed from their present locations, so that cars coming from either di- rection would stop before reaching the Post Office en- trance (not to drive beyond it as they do now). Thus cars coming from the Cable Office corner would stop on the right, with stop limit at the crossing from the Drug Store, and cars coming from the south of Village direction would stop on the opposite side of the road with the stop limit at the Post Office entrance. This would allow parking on one side of the road (the dirver's right hand side) coming from either direction; prevent driving beyond the Post Office in either di- rection to park, as at present, and relieve the conse- quent congestion. It is much easier to drive into a parking position than to back into it, which occurs when cars must go beyond the Post Office before park- ing.
-109-
The Planning Board suggests that warning signs be placed on each of the roads intersecting at Bailey's Corner, for the benefit of motorists at night.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANKLIN BRETT, Chairman,
B. F. GOODRICH, CHAS. BITTINGER, JOSEPHINE H. SHAW, AGNES S. ELLISON, Sec'y,
-110-
Report of the Board of Health
To the Selectmen and voters of Duxbury :
Greetings :
There have been reported to, and looked after by the Board, 204 cases of reportable diseases as follows :
Anterior Poliomyelitis (Hospital and Home)
1
Chicken Pox
3
German Measles
179
Measles
1
Mumps
1
Scarlet Fever (Hospital and Home)
3
Whooping Cough
2
Typhoid fever (Hospital and Home)
1
Pulmonary Tuberculosis (Hospital)
2
Lobar Pneumonia (3 deaths)
6
Dog Bite
3
Suppurative Conjunctivitis
2
204
There were several cases of just conjunctivitis, and also of Impetigo which we cared for. Some of the cases of Impetigo were very bad indeed.
The Polio case for which we are paying is slowly recovering.
The T. B. cases are in the Hospital for which we are paying as both are town cases. We are trying to get the subsidy of $5.00 per week per patient whose
-111-
sputum contains Tubercle Bacilli, or is positive, and under certain conditions is obtainable, or a negative sputum, but we are trying hard to secure it.
Two other cases, by an outside city or town, were sent to friends in Duxbury and told to remain there, and we were notified they were Duxbury cases, but after a thorough investigation we found they were not and we took them back where they came from, telling them if they were again found here they would be shut up.
With the exception of the cases of German Measles our work has been to prevent the further spread of disease.
Twelve major nuisances were abated besides several minor ones.
We issued (after examination) 25 milk dealers' permits, and had 48 examinations of milk, some twice.
The new rule relative to pasteurization of the milk, or T. B. tested cows, which was to become ef- fective on June 1, was repealed because the State Board of Agriculture notified us that they had used all the money they had for testing, and could do no more work until they got a new appropriation. They got the money but for some reason they have not finished the testing.
There has been a slight gain in bacteria count, as shown by the laboratory report on examination of milk and the dairies where produced, which shows that the little things count when it comes to results.
We have collected, and paid to the town treasurer as follows. Garbage registration ten ($10.00) dollars; denatured alcohol licenses ten ($10.00) dollars; license for pasteurization ten ($10.00) dollars.
With the two cases in the hospital of T. B. and another case under observation, and the Polio case means more expense for 1931.
-112-
If we can get the subsidy on even one case it means a return to the town of five ($5.00) dollars or more a week.
We thank all who so kindly notified us of the presence of a communicable disease in the family.
Yours for the prevention of disease, GEORGE E. BELKNAP, CHARLES W. EATON, JULIUS B. CHANDLER,
Board of Health.
-113-
Report of the Trustees for Plymouth County Aid to Agriculture, 1930
Through local and county-wide meetings, through the preparation and mailing of timely circular letters, through the 4-H clubs organized for boys and girls of the county, through personal correspondence and by means of individual service to farmers and members of their families, the Plymouth County Extension Ser- vice during the year 1930 cooperated with every town in the county in bringing to its citizens information regarding agriculture and homemaking. Approxi- mately fifty-five hundred families in the country have received assistance, information, or advice from the Extension Service this past year.
The following paragraphs summarize very briefly some of the ways through which the town of Duxbury was able to take advantage of the service offered through this organization.
The special cranberry service carried on for the first time this year proved of great value to Duxbury. Eighteen personal visits to bog owners were made by the cranberry specialist in order to give information and advice on special problems. All men owning bogs received regularly letters and circulars dealing with the control of cranberry pests. Sixty-eight farmers received regularly information on agricultural matters through letters or bulletins, and in all 36 visits were made by county agents to leave suggestions or inform-
-114-
ation on definite problems. Speakers were supplied for at least one meeting of the Duxbury Grange. Dur- ing the county-wide rat campaign, 32 packages of especially prepared rat poison were supplied at cost to citizens of the town.
Many homemakers have had a part in our clothing program. Others are receiving information regularly in Child Feeding and other problems of Child Manage- ment. During the canning season, timely suggestions have gone regularly to those requesting the inform- ation.
STANLEY L. FREEMAN,
County Agent.
-115-
Report of Committee on Train Field Playground
To the Voters of Duxbury :
This year I have put up Basket Ball back stops, fixed the Giant Strides and swings.
Bought new bases for the ball field and filled in the base lines from time to time and kept the diamond mowed and watered.
I have done very little on the benches in front of the High School as they are in a deplorable con- dition and I am in hopes to have cement ones before long.
Receipts
Appropriation
$300.00
Expenditures
Wm. J. Burke, clay and labor
$57.00
Walter Prince, clay and labor 49.00
R. G. Needham, mowing field
10.00
Philip G. Chandler, mowing diamond
15.00
Harold Mosher, mowing diamond 4.50
P. B. Chandler, labor
21.00
Duxbury Coal & Lumber Co., lumber and hose
35.05
Duxbury Fire and Water District, water
16.00
$207.55
Unexpended balance
92.45
$300.00
Respectfully submitted,
PARKER B. CHANDLER.
-116-
Report of the Librarian of Duxbury Free Library, Inc.
The year 1930 saw the termination of the con- tract between the Board of Trustees and Mrs. Beatrice F. Fisher, the librarian. In September Mrs. Fisher left to take a position on the staff of the Manchester Li- brary, at Manchester, N. H., with a recommendation from and the good wishes of the Trustees of the Dux- bury Library.
To fill the vacancy left by her retirement the Board of Trustees appointed Fisher Ames, librarian, with Elizabeth Bolton, assistant. Careful consideration by the Board has shown that the increasing general use of the Library has reached a point where its operation cannot effectively be left to one individual. It is not only a question of the growing school use and general circulation, but of the primary importance of bringing up-to-date as much as possible the various and numer- ous departments-history, science, travel, biography, economics, fiction, etc. Moreover, so far as reclassifi- cation and recataloging is concerned, that work has advanced but little from the point where it was several years ago. In other words the bulk of the work is still to be done.
The main demand at a library of this kind is, nat- urally, for fiction. Much of the fiction now on the shelves is so old as to be demoded-a large per cent. is never taken out. It is the intention-and a beginning has already been made-to modernize this departmet. A change in the method of purchasing will enable the librarian to buy more books than ever before, for the
-117-
same amount of money. Also, and in consequence, the range of the fiction will be wider.
For some time the question of shelf space has been a serious one. As the Library could not afford to ex- pand by the addition of a wing or ell, the necessary space had to be found within the present walls. Four double stacks have been added, two on either side of the rotunda. Really to relieve the congestion and fur- nish room for a steady, logical growth, the available wall space in the rotunda should be lined with book cases. Eventually other additional arrangements will have to be made.
An important re-arrangement of the central light- ing system was effected when the new stacks were in- stalled, which does away with the indirect lighting around the dome. This was both ineffective and ex- pensive. By the new system the stacks and cases around the rotunda, as well as the rotunda itself, are very adequately lighted by four wall brackets of two lights each. Under the old system some 38 lights would be required.
Gifts from appreciative patrons have been numer- ous. Wm. H. Young, a member of the Board of Trus- tees, and Mrs. Young, have given over 300 volumes to the Library within the past three months.
The following is a list of donors of books to the Library during the year 1930 :
Mrs. Harold Young
Miss A. Cummings
Mrs. W. R. Hunt
Mrs. B. C. Leavitt
George E. Green
Fisher Ames
Mary S. Dunn
Mrs. Helen Holmes
Edwin S. McAuliffe
Stephen Gifford
Mrs. Fannie Dill
Lydia Gifford
William H. Young
City of Lowell
Mrs. W. H. Young
Stanley Merry
Charles Bartlett
Joseph Bolton
-118-
E. H. Simmons
Mrs. Louis Mercier
Commonwealth of Mass. Donald Walker Gov. Frank G. Allen
Mrs. E. C. Rowe
Mrs. F. H. Bohlen
Mrs. Jacob King
Dolores Bossler
Mrs. Theodore Richards
Mrs. H. Persons
Mrs. William Ames
Nancy Hutton
Mark Jovett
Mrs. Edna Means
Mrs. Alice Simmons
Mrs. Harry B. Bradley
Miss Mary Winslow
Books added during the year
1100
(More than half of these, including gifts were added during the last three months.)
Total number of registrations
1213
Circulation :
Fiction
15,993
Non-fiction
4,305
Magazines
650
Total 20,948
Respectfully submitted,
FISHER AMES, Librarian.
-119-
Report of the Treasurer of the Duxbury Free Library, Inc.
For the year ended December 31, 1930 January 1, 1930 Balance on hand $42.14
Receipts :
Income from invested funds :
Wright Fund
$2,836.71
Winsor Fund
255.00
Hathaway Fund
87.24
Duxbury Hall Fund
127.50
Harding Fund
50.63
Ellison Bequest
100.00
Interest on deposits
.62
$3,457.70
Total Receipts :
$3,499.84
Payments :
Salaries : care of library and grounds
$1,729.32
Library supplies
164.64
Telephone
47.10
Electric Light
71.96
Sundries
58.65
Books and magazines
853.78
Coal and Wood
271.95
Water
16.00
Treasurer's bond
37.50
$3,250.90
December 31, 1930 Balance on hand $248.94
B. C. LEAVITT, Treasurer.
-120-
February 4, 1931.
I have examined the accounts of the Treasurer of the Duxbury Free Library, Inc., and find the income from invested funds to have been received as reported. Vouchers were on hand for payments shown and the balance on December 31st, 1930 was $248.94.
C. R. BELCHER,
Auditor.
-121-
Report of Cemetery Trustees
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and Citizens of Duxbury :
We again submit to you our Annual Report for the year 1930. The usual spring work of removing dead trees and cutting out the dead wood from others was done, also the leaves were raked and burned, in all the cemeteries in our care.
A lot of old stones were straightened and set in cement. The fences around the Mayflower, Myles Standish, Ashdod and Dingley Cemeteries were given a coat of paint as were all the fences around lots in the Mayflower Cemetery.
The walks were sprayed with a chemical weed killer and the avenues repaired after the hard usage they received in the winter and early spring. Maple Avenue was given a coating of stone dust.
The grass topped lots were mowed and trimmed and the sand topped ones hoed as usual.
Seventeen foundations and seventeen new lots have been built and fourteen old lots rebuilt.
All the Perpetual Care Lots and most of the other grass topped lots have been top-dressed. A ton of commercial fertilizer was also used. Nine lots have been added to the perpetual care list this past year making a total of 233 now being cared for by that fund.
There have been twenty-eight interments of those who died in town and twenty-nine from out of town during the year.
-122-
A long needed want has been supplied in the building of a small house by the superintendent, at a comparatively small cost, where the cemetery para- phernalia can be dried and cared for after being used in a storm and where the men can be warm and dry while waiting for a funeral procession on a rainy or snowy day. The building is heated and we have found it especially beneficial to those who were chilled after coming from a long distance.
Quite a few new lots are in the process of con- struction and we hope to finish these in the spring. The new part of the cemetery is fast being developed and requires a lot of work to get and keep it in shape.
We thank our fellow townsmen for their help this past year and in order to carry out the necessary work planned, we would ask for an appropriation of $6.500 for 1931.
Respectfully submitted,
ALBERT M. GOULDING, Chairman,
JOHN SIMMONS, Secretary, THEODORE W. GLOVER, ERNEST H. BAILEY, THOMAS W. HERRICK,
Trustees.
-123-
Report of the Governor's Committee on Street and Highway Safety
125 State House, Boston, Lloyd A. Blanchard, Execu- tive Secretary
Duxbury, February 2, 1931.
Honorable Board of Selectmen,
Duxbury, Mass.
Gentlemen :
Your local branch of the Governor's Committee on Street and Highway Safety takes advantage of this report to acknowledge your co-operation in the matter of securing Safety and in carrying out most of the recommendations of this Committee.
It is, in our opinion, advisable that the actual work in the future be done as in the past, by the regular Town Officials in charge of streets, and, therefore, this Committee sees no reason for asking an appropria- tion, providing, of course, the regular appropriation is available in part for the purpose.
SIGNS
The Committee feel that signs erected a few years ago, stating that the speed is limited to twenty-five miles an hour, should be removed, inasmuch as the directions are not observed and probably can not be enforced.
Likewise, all other signs along the main streets, especially those that seem to give directions to the motorist but in fact are but advertisements, should if possible be removed; as in fact everything distracting
-124-
the attention of a motorist from the operation of his car should be avoided.
Your Committee recommend that at every cross- ing of an improved road or paved highway four cross- ing warning signs be erected.
BULLETIN BOARDS
The Executive Committee of the Governor's Com- mittee on Street and Highway Safety issue from time to time bulletins of considerable value to motorists, particularly with regard to safety. They have asked us to establish two or more Boards of a standard pat- tern of which they furnished plans for the display of these bulletins.
That Duxbury may not be accused of lack of co- operation we suggest the erection of such Bulletin Boards at several conspicuous points within the limits of the Town.
TREMONT STREET AND ST. GEORGE STREET
Your Committee would again recommend the in- stallation of a green arrow permitting a right turn from St. George into Tremont Street north.
Engineer Knapp and a member of the Legion Post made an examination of the Legion property on West Street and found that the bounds of the highway are well within what seems to be Legion property and if advantage were taken to throw West Street from Bow Street to St. George Street some ten feet to the south, it could be done without encroaching on private prop- erty, with the single exception of the triangle belonging to the Duxbury Rural Society.
In the opinion of the Engineer, this would make possible the operation of motor vehicles at this point with much greater safety, but particularly so on the northeast corner.
-125-
BAILEY'S CORNER
Your Committee is advised that the State intends to replace the present cross road signs at this point by "Amber Glow Reflectors," and will paint a center line on Chestnut Street. We recommend your co-operation in any way the State may recommend at this point to eliminate the present possibilities for accident there.
HALL'S CORNER
The removal of the flag staff and relocation of the beacon at this point worked well during the past summer, and while the previous recommendation of this Committee was for a rotary traffic control at this point, experience seems to show that it is unnecessary as yet.
When, however, the State or County have relo- cated the corner of Bay Road and Chestnut Street, and your Board has taken an amount of land from the cor- ner of Washington and Depot Streets to make the northerly line of Washington Street meet the northerly line of Chestnut Street, it may be well to establish the rotary traffic control in accordance with the plans of the Massachusetts Highway Commission.
The removal of the old Hall House at the corner of Standish and Depot Streets, and the possible change of location of the house at the corner of Bay Road and Standish Street, will offer an opportunity for your Board to secure sufficent land to round off these cor- ners so that they can be approached from both direc- tions with comparative safety and in accordance with our general recommendation.
BLIND CORNERS AND CURVES
We repeat the recommendations made in our re- port of January 14, 1930-"The town should own at as
-126-
many intersections as possible what land is needed, or obtain a deed of light and air to secure the unobstructed view, while the abutters retain the title and use of land. The area required at a corner is very small."
Where the land is of little value it might well be purchased outright at the present time. Where the land is valuable for mercantile purposes the rounding of the corners, as suggested, gives many more valuable locations for stores than does a square corner. This is well illustrated at the corner of Standish and Wash- ington Streets.
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.