USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Town annual report of Quincy 1885-1886 > Part 7
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There are nine hundred and eighty-four cesspools. One hun- dred and sixty-three of these consist simply of a barrel or hole in the ground, open to the air or covered with loose boards. Seven hundred and ninety-one are loosely stoned, and thirty are cemented.
Five hundred and thirty-eight houses have privies within the houses; many of these are imperfectly constructed, filling the air of the dwelling with their poisonous exhalations. Twelve hundred and seventy-eight privies are located at as convenient a distance from the houses as the situation will allow. But very few privies are properly constructed, the vaults in the greater number being simple holes in the ground, or made of boards, or loosely built
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stones. A few are cemented. Eight hundred and seventy-three privies and cesspools were within two rods of wells. Seven hundred and eighty-six had not been cleaned for many years.
Garbage and filth of all kinds were found abundantly in yards, cellars, and stables.
Wherever a nuisance was discovered, the owner or occupier of the premises was immediately ordered to abate it, and the Board takes great pleasure in stating that such order was usually suffi- cient to insure the removal of the obnoxious condition. The citizens generally manifested an earnest desire and willingness to co-operate with the Board, and assist it in its efforts to improve the sanitary condition of the town. Besides a general, and to a great extent unusual, cleaning of cellars, yards, cesspools, and outhouses, about three hundred nuisances that were considered by the Board to be dangerous to the public health were abated. Much, however, remains to be done in this direction.
The privy vault and cesspool, even when properly constructed, are most objectionable means for disposing of house waste and sewage; but in the imperfect condition in which they are generally found throughout the town, they are offensive to the senses and dangerous to the public health. If they must be retained, as they probably always will be, in some sections of the town, measures should be taken to enforce their proper construc- tion, so as to diminish as much as possible their liability to con- taminate the earth and air in their neighborhood. They should at least be of ample size, and cemented, and their contents should be frequently disinfected and cleaned out.
A general system of sewerage for the town has become al- most an absolute necessity. The soil is everywhere thoroughly impregnated with putrescent filth from sink-spouts, privies, and cesspools, that has been accumulating in it for years, rendered more dangerous to the public health by the increased amount of water poured into it from the use of a public water supply. No system of scavenging can now properly dispose of the large amount of waste water and sewage that is produced from day to day. The sum spent for scavenging would probably more than offset the interest on the cost of a general system of sewerage.
But little has been accomplished in the way of permanent im- provement of the sanitary condition of the town. At West Quincy, beyond the railroad, a large pool of surface water and drainage from the surrounding houses had been accumulating for years, making a most dangerous nuisance. Upon having the matter properly represented to them, the Old Colony and Granite Railway Companies cheerfully complied with the wishes of the
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Board, and constructed suitable culverts, which allow the place to be properly drained
It was found that a large number of premises drained directly into the Town Brook, making that sluggish water-course filthy in the extreme, and a dangerous nuisance during the hot season. Successful attempts were made in more than thirty instances to stop these drains, and to provide other means for the disposal of the sewage.
Early in the season the attention of the Board was urgently called to the large accumulation of surface water and drainage on the low land lying between School and Water Streets, consti- tuting a dangerous nuisance. This was permanently drained by deepening the old ditch and drain from a point about one hun- dred feet east of Quincy Avenue to the north end of the culvert crossing Water Street, at an expense to the town of two hun- dred and forty dollars. If measures are taken to have this ditch cleaned out every year, it will serve to keep this low level fairly well drained.
The Board intended to assess one half of the cost of this work on the estates benefited by the improvement, but they found it difficult to fairly adjust a pro rata assessment for a work that largely benefited all the citizens in that section, and they allowed the whole cost to be charged to the town. This sum of one hundred and eighteen dollars is charged in the account of the Board of Health.
Two hundred and thirty deaths occurred in the town during the year, equal to about nineteen in a thousand of the popula- tion. Of these, twenty were from the purely preventable dis- eases, as follows: Scarlet fever, 5; typhoid fever, 8; cholera infantum, 6; whooping cough, I.
In compliance with the public statutes requiring householders and physicians to report to the Board of Health all cases of con- tagious diseases occurring within the town, twenty-five cases of scarlet fever, seventeen of measles, six of diphtheria, and twenty- four of typhoid fever were reported. The principals of the public schools were notified of the contagious cases, who took the proper precautions to prevent the spread of the diseases among the school-children.
The importance of readily complying with the requirements of this law is earnestly urged upon the attention of all the physi- cians and citizens of the town.
In compliance with the public statutes relating to vaccination, an examination of all the schools of the town was made at the beginning of the autumn term, and about four hundred and fifty
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children were found in attendance who had never been vacci- nated. Of these, three hundred and twenty were vaccinated by the town physician, at a cost to the town of thirty dollars for virus. The remaining children were vaccinated by other physi- cians before being allowed to enter the schools.
In June, the town appropriated five hundred dollars to defray the expenses of the Board. This sum was then deemed suffi- cient to carry out the work contemplated. But owing to the difficulty of making a correct estimate of the expense of such work without a precedent, and from the fact that new exigencies arose that seemed to the Board to demand immediate attention, this amount has been exceeded by the sum of two hundred and five dollars and two cents. Of this excess, as has been already stated, one hundred and eighteen dollars was spent in deepening the ditch and drain in South Quincy, and thirty dollars was paid for virus for free vaccination.
The items of expenditure are as follows : -
Books and stationery .
·
.
$66 75
Printing
.
·
69 50
Inspecting .
386 00
Postage
7 57
Legal services
15 00
Analysis
5 00
Signs
7 00
Vaccine virus
30 00
Drain at South Quincy
118 20
$705 02
The Board recommends that the sum of six hundred dollars be appropriated for the use of the Board of Health for the en- suing year.
JOHN A. GORDON. WILLIAM L. FAXON. SAMUEL M. DONOVAN. JOSEPH L. WHITON. GEORGE W. HUSE.
REPORT OF THE PARK COMMISSIONERS.
The Park Commissioners present herewith their first annual report.
The Board of Park Commissioners was elected at the special meeting of the town, held Sept. 24, 1885, and consisted of Messrs. Charles F. Adams, Jr., who was elected to serve for three years ; William B. Rice, who was elected to serve for two years ; George Cahill, who was elected to serve for one year. Mr. Adams never served with the Board, and at an early day sent in his resignation. This vacancy was filled at a joint con- vention of the Park Commissioners and Selectmen of the town, held Oct. 16, 1885, Mr. Charles H. Porter being selected to serve for the remainder of the term of Mr. Adams ; the power to thus fill vacancies in this Board being in accordance with the vote of the town, passed at the meeting held Sept. 24, 1885, said power being derived from the first section of the bill passed by the Legislature of Massachusetts in 1882, creating the Board of Park Commissioners for the Town of Quincy.
The Board organized with the choice of W. B. Rice as chair- man, and George Cahill as secretary.
Your commissioners have received deeds granting land to the town for public parks from Mr. Charles F. Adams, Jr., and Mr. Henry H. Faxon. Appendix I. is a copy of the deed from Mr. Adams.
At the meeting held on the evening of Sept. 24, 1885, the town passed the following vote : -
Voted, That the town accept the gift of land from Mr. Adams, as set forth in the above commuication, and upon the conditions stated therein, for a public park, and that the same shall be called Adams Park.
Mr. Adams has expressed to your commissioners a preference for the original name by which this park was known. We there- fore recommend the town to rescind that portion of the above vote adopting the name of " Adams Park," and pass the follow- ing vote : -
Voted, That the tract of land presented to the town by Mr. Charles F. Adams, Jr., to be used forever as a public park, be hereafter known as Merry Mount Park.
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Appendix II. is a copy of the deed from Mr. Henry H. Faxon. At the meeting held on the date before mentioned, the town voted to accept this tract, with the conditions substantially as set forth in the deed. Your commissioners have carefully examined this property, and have thought best, with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, to get an expert esti- mate of the cost of carrying out the stipulated conditions, which has been done. Your attention is directed to Appendix III., showing the cost of roads, sidewalks, and fence.
It is probable that the owner will give the land which will be needed for the street leading to Franklin Street, provided the street is built in a satisfactory manner. The estimate is for a common gravelled road of the cheapest kind the town now builds. Something can be saved by making a sidewalk on but one side of the street. This estimate is only for the approaches to Faxon Park, and does not include any sum of money to be spent upon the park itself. So large a sum will be required for making this a desirable pleasure-ground, that your commissioners think the question should come before the town for consideration. We have, therefore, caused to be inserted in the town warrant an article under which the whole matter can be considered.
Before any permanent improvement of the parks is attempted, the services of a competent landscape architect should be secured, who will direct proper surveys, and make complete plans for their development in the years to come, so that what- ever money the town chooses to appropriate for parks may be intelligently and economically expended in carrying out a care- fully matured scheme. For the present, it is only necessary to mark out and bound the grounds, and to care for and preserve the property in its present condition. In order that these pur- poses may be carried out, your commissioners ask that the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) be appropriated, to be spent under their direction during the ensuing year.
W. B. RICE. GEORGE CAHILL. CHARLES H. PORTER.
APPENDIX I.
Know all men by these presents, That I, Charles Francis Adams, the younger of that name, of Quincy, in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in consideration of my regard for the Town of Quincy, and for the welfare and
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pleasure of its inhabitants, and in the further consideration of one dollar and other valuable considerations to me paid by the inhabitants of Quincy aforesaid, receipt whereof is hereby ac- knowledged, do hereby remise, release, and forever quitclaim unto the said inhabitants of Quincy, a certain lot of land in said Quincy, the same being bounded and described as follows : Be- ginning at a point marked "A" on a certain plan made by Whitman, Breck & Co., surveyors, dated 1885, and to be re- corded herewith, said point being on Hancock Street, and dis- tant in a southeasterly direction about four hundred and ninety (490) feet from the centre of the entrance to a private roadway leading easterly from said Hancock Street across the lands herein conveyed ; thence running in a northerly direction on said Han- cock Street about fourteen hundred and sixty three (1,463) feet to Fenno Street ; thence turning and running northeasterly on said Fenno Street about six hundred and forty (640) feet to land late of William Dehon; thence turning and running south- easterly on said land of Dehon, following the fence and a ditch six hundred and eight-eight (688) feet to a stake ; thence turning and running southwesterly as the fence now stands about two hundred and thirteen (213) feet to a stone bound ; thence turn- ing and running in a general easterly direction, following the fence in part, and in part the dividing line between the marsh and upland to a stone bound at point marked "B" on said plan set near the southwest bank of the creek that flows into Black's Creek, said bound " B" being about opposite Pine Island so called; thence turning and running north forty-five (45) degrees east from said stone bound, to the centre or thread of the channel of said creek; thence turning and running in an easterly direction, and following the thread of said channel to a point where the above-mentioned channel intersects the channel of Black's Creek aforesaid; thence turning and running in a southerly and westerly direction and following the thread of the channel of said Black's Creek, bounding in part on land of J. Q. Adams, and in part on other land of the grants to the point marked "C" on said plan ; thence turning and running in a westerly direction and passing through two stone bounds about four hundred and twenty-five (425) feet to the point of beginning ; said last-described line is parallel with and distant southerly four hundred and seventy (470) feet from a line of trees standing on the southeasterly side of the private roadway first mentioned. Reference may be had to the plan above referred to, as well as to the deed of the said inhabitants of Quincy, as Trustees under the will of Ebeneezer Woodward, dated September 29, 1885, and
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to be recorded herewith, by which deed the above-described premises are conveyed to me, for a more particular description of granted premises which contain in all about eighty-three and seventy-five one hundredeths (83-70%) acres of upland and marsh; meaning also to convey herewith to the middle of the way where said premises bound on Hancock Street and Fenno Street, as well as all the riparian rights appurtenant to said premises. This conveyance is made subject to all rights of way now existing or that may be necessary over said granted premises to and from the range of salt meadows owned by said town, as a part of said Woodward fund, and extending along the northerly and north- easterly side of premises hereby conveyed, and subject also to any lease that may be held by Eugene W. Connor, of part of the aforesaid premises ; to have and to hold the granted premises with all the priveleges and appurtenances thereto belonging to the said inhabitants of Quincy and their successors and assigns to their own use and behoof forever; provided, however, and this conveyance is made upon the following express conditions: First, that the said grantee shall hold the afore-granted premises forever, and improve them as a public pleasure ground, free to all inhabitants of Quincy, and shall apply them to no other use. Second, that not more than one thousand ($ 1,000) dollars of public money shall be appropriated for or spent upon the afore-granted premises annually until the close of the year 1895; but upon breach at any time hereafter of any of the foregoing conditions, the grantor and his heirs and assigns may re-enter upon the said premises, remove and expel the said inhabitants of Quincy, or the tenants or occupiers thereof, take and keep seizure and posses- sion thereof to his or their own use and benefit in fee simple, and be and become seized and possessed thereof as of his or their former estate.
APPENDIX II.
Know all men by these presents, That I, Henry H. Faxon, of Quincy, in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts, in consideration of one dollar to me paid by the inhabit- ants of said Quincy, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and the agreements and covenants, and the conditions hereinafter set forth to be kept and performed by said inhabitants, do hereby grant, enfeoff, convey, and confirm unto said inhabtants all that parcel of land situated in said Quincy, part of the real estate formerly of Job Faxon, my father, and bounded and described
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as follows : Beginning at the point marked "I" on the accom- panying plan, made by Whitman, Breck & Co., surveyors, dated October, 1885, to be recorded herewith, and running southwest- erly, bounding northwesterly on land also formerly of said Job Faxon, four hundred and ten feet, to the point marked " J" on said plan ; thence more southerly, bounding still by said Job Faxon land, by a curved line, as shown on said plan, two hundred and twenty-two and one half feet, to the point marked "K" thereon ; thence still more southerly, bounded. westerly on said land formerly of Job Faxon, two hundred and fifty three feet, as shown on said plan, to the point marked "L " thereon ; thence making a slight angle, and running southerly two hundred and fifty-one feet, as shown on said plan, to the point marked " E" thereon ; thence in a southeasterly direction, still bounding by land formerly of Job Faxon, nine hundred feet, as shown on said plan, to the point marked "F " thereon ; thence at a right angle northeasterly, bounding southeasterly by said Job Faxon land, to the point marked "G," as shown on said plan, at land now or late of D. Baxter heirs ; thence northerly, bounding easterly by said Baxter land as the wall stands to the point "H," as shown on said plan ; and thence northwesterly, bounding northeasterly by land formerly of said Job Faxon, to the point of beginning, as shown on said plan ; being the parcel marked " Faxon Park " on said plan.
And by the acceptance of this deed (as voted at the town meeting, held in the Town Hall in said Quincy, on the evening of the twenty-fourth day of September, 1885) the grantee cove- nants and agrees to construct and maintain as a town way, a roadway fifty feet wide, extending from "Franklin Street " to " Quincy Avenue," and in part abutting on the granted land, and as shown on said plan ; and to construct and maintain as a town way a roadway, fifty feet wide, from the corner of said Quincy Avenue and " Water Street," following the course, or nearly so, indicated on said plan, striking the old driveway to the "Job Faxon homestead," and following the same to the town way last above mentioned ; and to construct (but not to maintain) all fences and walls on the side lines of both said new ways, so far as the same abut on lands formerly owned by said Job Faxon.
To have and to hold the granted premises, with the privileges, easements, and appurtenances thereto belonging, unto the said inhabitants of Quincy aforesaid, to their use and behoof forever, but upon condition : -
First. That said tract of land be held and used as a public park, free to all the inhabitants of said Town of Quincy, forever.
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Second. That the same shall be called and known as Faxon Park forever ; and
Third. That no intoxicating liquors shall ever be sold on said premises under license of any public authority forever.
APPENDIX III.
ESTIMATED COST OF PROPOSED STREETS LEADING TO FAXON PARK.
Total length of streets on Job Faxon estate, 2,990 feet ; width of streets, 50 feet ; driveways graded 30 feet wide, surfaced with gravel I foot in depth. Sidewalks 10 feet in width on each side of the driveway, gravelled 7 feet in width 6 inches deep. Both sides of the streets to be fenced.
Amount of material to be moved in making the necessary cuts and fills required to bring the streets to sub-grade ready for the finishing coat of gravel, -
8,372 cubic yards at 25 cents per yard, $2,093 00 5,980 loads of gravel required for driveways and walks at 8 cents per load, 478 40
Carting the same one half mile or more, including cost of loading, spreading, and grading the same on driveways and walks, at 42 cents per · load, 2,511 60
4 pipe culverts, 160 00
Blasting ledge and contingencies, 500 00
5,440 feet of fence, at 25 cents per foot, 1,360 00
$7,103 00
Street leading from Job Faxon estate westerly to point on Franklin Street 1,100 feet long, - fenced on both sides and constructed sub- tantially as above, - estimated at 2,563 00
Total, $9,666 00
WHITMAN, BRECK & CO.,
Engineers.
TOWN RECORDS
FOR
1885.
WARRANT FOR THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING,
MARCH 2, 1885.
NORFOLK, SS. To either of the Constables of the Town of LA Quincy, in said County, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the Inhabitants of the Town of Quincy, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the Town Hall, in said Quincy, on Monday, March 2, 1885, at 7.30 o'clock in the forenoon, to act on the following articles, namely : -
ARTICLE I. - To choose a Moderator.
ART. 2. - To choose Town Officers.
ART. 3. - To see how the town will vote on the following question : " Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town ? "
ART. 4. - To act upon the reports of Auditors of Accounts, Select- men, School Committee, Trustees of Library, Adams Academy, and Managers of Mount Wollaston Cemetery.
ART. 5. - To determine the method of repairing the Highways during the ensuing year.
ART. 6. - To determine how the town lands shall be improved during the ensuing year.
ART. 7 .- To revise the Jury List.
ART. 8. - To hear and act on the report of the Selectmen upon Guide Boards.
ART. 9. - To see if the town will appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars for repairing and decorating soldiers' graves, the same to be expended under the direction of Post 88, Grand Army of the Republic.
ART. 10. - To see if the town will sell their land or any part thereof on Adams Street, known as the Newcomb lot, and authorize the Selectmen to execute a deed for the same.
ART. II. - To see if the town will grant the free use of the Town Hall for free lectures, and appropriate money thereof.
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ART. 12. - To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen to appoint special police officers to enforce all laws bearing upon the sale of intox- icating liquors, and appropriate money therefor.
ART. 13. - To see if the town will accept the provisions of Sections 64, 65, 66, 67, and 68, Chap. 27 of the Public Statutes, choosing Select- men and Assessors for one, two, and three years.
ART. 14. - To consider the report of the Committee on Sewerage, and to see what action the town will take relative to Sewerage and Street Drainage.
ART. 15. - To see what action the town will take upon the report of the joint Committee of the several towns of Quincy, Braintree, Randolph, and Holbrook, in regard to the expediency of publishing the records of the original town of Braintree, and to appropriate money to defray the expense of the same.
ART. 16. - To see if the town will appropriate the sum of five hundred dollars for the payment of the bounty of one hundred and twenty-five dollars each to the following named ex-soldiers : Daniel F. French, Francis P. Loud, Thomas Smith, and Samuel B. Turner.
ART. 17. - To see what action the town will take on the report of the Selectmen on straightening the boundary line between the town of Quincy and the town of Milton, from Beale Street to the Neponset River.
ART. 18. - To see what action the town will take on the petition to the General Court of William J. R. Evans and others, for the re-loca- tion and straightening of said boundary lines.
ART. 19. - To see if the town will provide for a free evening industrial or mechanical drawing school under the direction of the School Committee, and appropriate one thousand dollars therefor.
ART. 20. - To see if the town will appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars to be expended in repairing the town way on Mt. Pleasant, so called.
ART. 21. - To see if the town will repair Kidder Street, from Quarry Street to Garfield Street, and appropriate two hundred dollars therefor.
ART. 22. - To see if the town will repair the driftway leading from Granite Street, near the junction of Quarry Street, through land of Adams Temple and School Fund, and appropriate a sum of money not exceeding one hundred and fifty dollars therefor.
ART. 23. - To see if the town will repair the private way leading from Granite Street, near the house of Blaisdell, to a point near the house of John Peterson, known as " Parkerville," and appropriate one hundred dollars therefor.
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