USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1890-1893 > Part 39
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NUMBERING STREETS.
In consequence of the incomplete numbering of houses on the various streets in town, supplemented by the suggestion of Post- master Bowman, of the advantages likely to be gained by the citizens upon the completion of such numbering, arrangements were made with J. S. Mason & Co., of Boston, to systematically rearrange and complete the work. The active co-operation of Postmaster Bowman added largely to the permanency of the sys- tem, and the work has been accomplished in a manner reflecting great credit upon the firm employed, and doubtless will be thor- oughly appreciated by the public.
CLAIMS.
The suit of Rebecca C. Arrington against the town has been settled by the payment of the award and costs of suit, as ordered and provided by vote of the town.
72
CLAIM OF FRANK MCGLORY.
The suit for damages alleged to have been sustained by the claimant on Railroad street, and which has been pending since 1890, was tried at the Superior Court during the month of Janu- ary, 1892, and a verdict was rendered in favor of the town.
POLICE AND NIGHT WATCH.
The present system of Police Organization, we believe, meets the cordial approval of the citizens, and heartily commends itself for its efficiency in administration. Attention is called to the report of the Chief, and his recommendations, approved by former Boards, in view of future requirements, are renewed and re- affirmed. The officers are careful and painstaking, and have well earned the confidence of the people. The constant calls for ser- vice, which the town cannot overlook or refuse, call for an increase in appropriation to meet ordinary expenses.
TOWN HOUSE BUILDING.
An inspection of this building discloses the necessity of repairs upon certain portions, and the following facts are herewith stated : The coving on the tower is in a state of decay, and may require an expenditure of fifty dollars. The window sashes all over the hall need to be drawn and recovered with oil or shellac to prevent further decay. Some of these windows have been, and are now, so constructed that no repairs could be made without removing parts of attaching obstructions, and many of the windows need to be properly hung. These repairs may require an expenditure of $150. The return pipes to the boiler are now too small. At the time they were placed in position, they performed the work for which they were intended, but the large and constantly increasing extension of radiating surface, for heating, renders them unsafe, and the three-fourths inch pipes now in use should be replaced with, at least, two inch pipes. The cost of this work will proba- bly not exceed the sum of $200.
STREET LIGHTS.
As directed by the town, at the last annual town meeting, the contract for furnishing gas for street lights was continued for three months. We were afterward informed that the town was consuming more gas than they were paying for, the company
73
claiming that the burners used consumed from six to eight feet per hour, instead of four feet, upon which basis the contract was made, and the Gas Company declined to contract further upon that basis, or for the price heretofore received; and, if such lights are used, it will be necessary to make a new contract for future needs.
BOYNTONVILLE.
The petition of citizens of that part of Wakefield called Boyn- tonville, to be set off from Wakefield and annexed to Melrose, has been made the subject of town action. That the citizens of that locality should desire increased facilities and accommodations, is not exceptional. We all desire a larger measure of the good things of this life. Our time for the enjoyment of such benefits is limited, and we are constantly striving for the attainment of the best. But the inevitable friction hinders, and we force or bide the time of its accomplishment, as the temper of the times may demand. The nearness of the building encroachments from Melrose chafes the restive neighboring residents of Wakefield, and emphasizes the intensity of the contrast. But we believe the cit- izens of Wakefield are willing to grant to one section of the town the same benefits we all enjoy, and we certainly ought to expect that equal burdens would also follow.
INJUNCTION.
The order of the court enjoining the town from carrying out the orders of the County Commissioners, relative to the widening of Main street, has been dissolved, and the town will be called upon to meet the needed improvements contemplated by the Commis- sioners' order.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
Our thanks are due to the Volunteer Hose Company for a very important service rendered at the Town House, in connection with what appeared to be an obstruction in the sewer main leading from said building, and in flushing the pipes leading to the same ; and our sincere acknowledgments are herewith extended.
WILLIAM N. TYLER, SILAS W. FLINT, WILLIAM B. DANIEL, Selectmen of Wakefield.
WAKEFIELD, Feb. 1, 1892.
10
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REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF POLICE.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
GENTLEMEN,-The following report of the doings of the De- partment of Police for the year ending January 31, 1892, is respectfully submitted, together with the roster of the department, as now organized.
ROSTER.
Charles E. Niles, Chief, resigned Dec. 31, 1891.
Alvin L. Vannah, Chief, and day officer, appointed, Jan. 1, 1892. James A. McFadden, Edwin F. Poland, Night Officers.
John H. Buckley,
John A. Meloney,
Chas. S. Merrill,
William H. Gould,
R. F. Draper,
Edgar A. Hallett,
Chas. E. Horton,
John L. Orr,
B. B. Burbank,
A. D. Oxley,
John F. Alexander, John Day,
Edwin Sanderson,
H. W. Eustis,
Special Officers, liable for duty when detailed.
WORK DONE BY THE DEPARTMENT.
Whole number of arrests,
159
Males, .
149
Females,
10
Adults,
135
Minors,
24
Residents,
115
Non-residents,
44
American born,
25
Foreign born,
·
134
75
NATURE OF ARRESTS.
Assault,
.
. 15
Assault on officers, . ·
.
.
.
5
Breaking, entering and larceny,
.
1
Cruelty to animals,
.
3
Common drunkard,
1
Capias,
1
Drunkenness, first offence,
67
second offence, .
15
66 third offence
Disturbing peace, .
66 " on railroad, .
2
Evading fare on railroad,
Insanity,
Keeping and exposing intoxicating liquors for sale, .
6
Larceny,
10
Neglect to provide for family,
3
Neglected children,
2
Runaways, ·
3
Threatening bodily harm,
3
Vagrancy, ·
1
Wilful trespass,
4
Total,
159
Persons arrested for drunkenness, and released under new
drunk law, 53
Search for intoxicating liquors,
11
Lodgings furnished at lockup,
. 390
DUTIES PERFORMED BY NIGHT OFFICERS.
Whole number of arrests,
. 76
Arrested without warrant,
57
Arrested with warrant, .
. 19
NATURE OF ARRESTS.
Assault,
7
Assault on officer, .
.
.
3
Drunkenness,
.
48
.
.
.
4 11
1
1
76
Disturbing peace, .
8
Keeping and exposing intoxicating liquor for sale,
1
Larceny,
3
Non-support of family,
1
Runaway,
.
.
·
3
Threatening bodily harm,
2
Total,
. 76
MISCELLANEOUS DUTIES PERFORMED BY NIGHT OFFICERS.
Alarms of fire given,
4
Assisted home,
9
Disturbances suppressed,
11
Fires put out without alarm,
1
Lantern placed upon dangerous places in street,
8
Places of business found open aud secured,
71
JAMES A. MCFADDEN, EDWIN F. POLAND,
Night Officers.
DISPOSITION OF CASES.
COMMITMENTS.
To House of Correction,
5
To Concord Reformatory,
3
To Woman's Prison, Sherborn,
1
To Overseers Poor,
1
To State Board of Lunacy and Charity,
1
To Insane Asylum, Danvers, .
1
For non-payment of fines,
11
Fines imposed,
48
Appealed cases,
9
Placed on file,
8
Nolle prosequi,
6
Continued cases, still in court,
5
Defendants discharged,
4
Defendants defaulted, .
6
Put under bonds to keep the peace, .
5
Amount of fines imposed in the District Court, $729 00
Amount of fines paid in District Court, 379 00
.
.
.
·
·
.
.
.
77
The duties of Day Officer are so well understood by your Hon- orable Board, and by the citizens generally, as to need but little explanation here; but the activities of effort and the numerous calls for police investigation, the time consumed and the distance and direction traversed, which go to make up the complement of daily duty, may not be so fully understood as appreciated. These matters are real, and as the population increases here and else- where, so the necessity increases for more dilligent and more ex- tended activity and effort. The constantly increasing number of calls for police protection and investigation from outlying districts necessitates an increase in time consumed and expenses incurred. The records of this and former years show that the apppropria- tions for the necessary performance of the duties of officers called upon and expenses that must necessarily be incurred in the per- formance of such duties, are not sufficient. It is a rule in many cities and towns to have at least one officer to every one thousand inhabitants. We have about seven thousand inhabitants and but three officers on duty regularly ; but I think that perfect satis- faction can be given by having in addition to the regular officers, one or two officers detailed for duty in certain sections of the out- lying districts on holidays, Saturday nights and Sundays. I would therefore recommend an increase in the appropriation so that all parts of the town may receive a share of police protection.
The timely precaution taken by the department and suggested in the report of one year ago by Mr. Niles, in regard to the build- ing of bonfires in the public streets on July 4th, and the prompt action of the department, together with the satisfactory results obtained, make it desirable that the suggestion then made should continue to be the policy of the department, and the co-operation of the people should be sought.
Assuming the duties of the office of Chief of Police at a time when the municipal year was near its close, and as some of the details of the department were in a measure unfamiliar to me, I cheerfully take this opportunity of expressing my sincere thanks for the assistance and advise voluntarily rendered by Mr. Charles E. Niles, who kindly gave me the benefit of his many years expe- rience as Chief of Police.
· In closing, I desire to thank each member of the Board of
78
Selectmen for their kindly advise and co-operation with the department. To Night Officer James A. McFadden, with whom I have been so long and pleasantly associated, I extend my most sincere acknowledgments ; also to Night Officer Edwin F. Poland, and the whole department for the willing, faithful and efficient manner in which their duties have been performed.
ALVIN L. VANNAH,
Chief of Police.
79
REPORT OF ROAD COMMISSIONERS.
The Road Commissioners of the Town of Wakefield herewith respectfully present their report for the year ending February 1st, 1892 :
At the last annual meeting, the sum of $8,000 was appropri- ated by the Town for general purposes.
At a special meeting, the sum of $500 more was appropriated for general purposes.
Received from individuals for extra labor and sale of material, as follows :
Appropriations, ·
$8,500 00
Henry Davis, extra labor,
15 00
Water Company,
10 00
J. F. Emerson,
6 00
Three (3) chopping blocks,
3 00
1538 loads street scrapings,
322 20
Grand Total, $8,856 20
All the work on the highways has been done under the super- vision of the Road Commissioners, who received for their service while on duty $2.50 per day until Sept. 11; since that time $2.25 per day.
Laborers were paid $2.00 per day until Sept. 11; since that time $1.75, and the same was allowed for horse and cart, The pay roll is as follows :
LABOR ON HIGHWAY AS PER PAY ROLLS.
Henry Davis, $386 64
Howard Hart,
$289 34
Windsor M. Ward,
315 96
Arthur Greenough, 113 25
B. B. Burbank, 127 13
Dennis Brennan, 276 44
George E. Mears,
202 06
Thomas Flynn,
193 69
Andrew Young,
191 79
Edward M. Byrant, 194 05
George Sutherland,
271 08
John Flynn, 154 75
80
John Toomey, $135 89
W. L. Griffin, $15 00
Michael Madden, 164 63
Timothy Sullivan, 9 00
D. C. Wright,
48 00
Thomas Roach, 26 00
George H. Hathaway, 51 00
Patrick Roach, 14 00
H. N. Winslow, 107 00
Patrick McCarty, 10 00
Jerry Crimmins,
164 85
N. H. Dow, 7 50
Dennis O'Connell,
149 65
D. W. Hunt, 6 00
Simeon Parker,
93 50
Daniel Shannahan, 17 38
David Graham, 75 00
B. Donnelly,
13 50
M. J. Donnelly,
107 80
Michael McCarty,
20 00
Frank A. Heath,
37 65
E. M. Doyle,
26 63
Fred Neiss,
33 52
Edward Muse,
4 38
Timothy O'Connell.
31 52
James Hennessey, 11 00
Seth Knowles.
118 00
William Murray, 6 00
William Welsh, 46 00
G. P. Haley, 5 00
A. A. Mansfield,
47 00
Michael Maloney,
5 00
Francis Lunt,
32 50
William O'Neil,
29 00
Henry N. Oliver,
23.00
George Ledwith,
10 00
S. M. Gates,
10 00
Andrew Macdonald, 9 50
Frank Brady,
66 38
A. D. Phinney, 77 00
S. H. Nickerson,
17 00
Michael O'Connell, 12 00
Patrick Farrington,
53 00
Michael O'Connor, .44 00
Daniel Hurlbert,
9 00
William Conway, 7 00
J. H. Emerson,
3 00
Patrick Muse, 32 00
John O'Connell,
101 00
John Maloney,
6 00
Patrick Kalaher,
10 00
G. F. Connell, - 8 00
Martin Glynn,
25 00
Thomas Hanley, 11 00
Patrick Donahue,
43 00
Michael Foley, 12 00
Timothy Toomey.
58 63
Thomas Haverty, 12 00
John Gallant, 10 00
James Eager, 29 00
James Regan,
4 00
W. G. Strong, 30 00
James Graham,
8 00
James Weary, 2 00
Frank P. Hoyt,
40 00
A. L. Mansfield, 28 00
John Lee,
20 00
Dennis Mahoney,
4 00
TEAMS ON HIGHWAY AS PER PAY ROLL.
Henry Davis,
$274 58
George E. Mears,
$260 94
Windsor M. Ward,
223 60
Andrew Young,
269 50
81
Howard Hart,
$15 00
Frank P. Hoyt,
$40 00
Arthur Greenough,
206 75
John Lee,
20 00
Thomas Flynn,
38 01
W. L. Griffin, 15 00
Edward M. Bryant,
88 05
N. H. Dow, 15 00
John Flynn, 38 00
D. W. Hunt,
12 00
John Toomey,
98 00
E. M. Doyle,
23 63
D. C. Wright,
89 00
G. P. Haley,
5 00
George H. Hathaway,
102 00
Michael Maloney,
5 00
H. N. Winslow,
218 00
A. D. Phinney,
143 00
William Welch,
38 00
Michael O'Connell,
12 00
A. A. Mansfield,
44 00
G. F. Connell,
8 00
Francis Lunt,
16 50
W. G. Strong,
30 00
Henry N. Oliver,
46 00
Patrick Muse,
4 00
S. M. Gates,
20 00
James Eager,
4 00
S. H. Nickerson,
1 00
Fred Neiss,
3 50
J. H. Emerson,
3 00
Frank A. Heath,
3 51
Patrick Kalaher,
4 00
A. L. Mansfield,
39 00
The streets receiving the largest expenditures are as follows : Main, Gould, Green, Albion, Cedar, Emerson, Murray, Dell ave. and Spring.
Owing to running several sections at the same time, we are una- ble to give the exact amount of expenditure on each street ..
Other streets have received attention, and smaller amounts expended thereon.
The road scraper has been run the past season fifty-seven days on the streets, and most of them have been scraped.
Four sand catchers have been built, this last season, at a cost of $100.
A special appropriation of $200 was made for cleaning out brook from Water street to Vinton street and repairing bridge over Vinton street.
The sum expended was as follows :
As per pay rolls,
$102 88
Lumber,
14 86
Printing,
.
·
1 40
Hardware,
.
56
$119 70
11
82
A special appropriation of $700 was made for repairing Vernon street.
The amount expended was as follows :
As per pay rolls,
$629 73
Gravel, .
70 36
$700 09
A special appropriation of $200 was made for repairing High- land street.
The sum expended was as follows :
As per pay rolls,
$164 25
Gravel, .
10 60
Sharpening tools,
88
$192 38
A special appropriation of $100 was made for repairing Maple street.
The sum expended was as follows :
As per pay rolls,
$92 50
Gravel, .
7 50
$100 00
A special appropriation of $500 was made for repairing Pros- pect street, as per order of County Commissioners.
The sum expended was as follows :
As per pay rolls,
$274 46
Concrete (gutters),
225 54
$500 00
A special appropriation of $300 was made for the building a sidewalk on Water street.
The sum expended was follows :
As per pay rolls,
$256 93
Gravel, .
42 48
$299 41
.
.
A special appropriation of $200 was made for repairing Morri- son avenue.
83
The sum expended was as follows :
$192 58 As per pay rolls, . .
Powder and sharpening tools, .
7 42
$200 00
A special appropriation of $300 was made for repairing Rail- road street. As per vote of the town it was let out to the lowest bidder. The delivering of the gravel on said street was awarded to N. H. Dow, he being the lowest bidder.
The sum expended was as follows :
Gravel (by contract),
$213 50
As per pay rolls,
145 31
$358 81
A special appropriation of $600 was made for building new streets on Cedar Hill avenue.
As per vote of the town it was let out to the lowest bidder. The building of said streets was awarded to Henry Davis and Windsor M. Ward, they being the lowest bidders.
The sum expended was as follows :
Contract,
$590 00
Labor (on fence), .
1 94
Lumber (for fence),
1 92
$593 86
A contract for building a stone bridge across Foundry street was awarded to George W. Killorin by the Board of Road Com- missioners of 1890, for the sum of $150.
The acceptance of the said became our duty to perform.
Upon examination of said bridge, we found it short in length and narrow in width, according to contract. We informed the contractor that he must comply with said contract or make a suitable deduction. The deduction was made and the bridge was accepted by the Board.
A contract for building a stone bridge across Nahant street was awarded to N. H. Dow, for the sum of $150. It was built satisfactorily to the Road Commissioners, was accepted and bill approved by the Board.
84
The improvements on Main street near the Junction necessi- tated the cutting down of eight large trees.
The sum expended was as follows : Labor and tools,
$103 75
Credit by three chopping-blocks,
3 00
Total cost, $100 75
The stone crusher has not been run this last season, for the following reasons :
That in our judgment it would not be safe to run it where it now sits.
And it is our opinion that crushed stone can be delivered in the central part of the town for less expense than the town can crush it, unless the crusher can be removed down onto the street, and run in the winter season, when the cost of labor would be very much less than in the summer season.
There has been $1,000 expended by contract for macadamizing part of Main street.
CONCRETE.
At the annual meeting $1,000 was appropriated for concrete work. At a special meeting $500 more was appropriated, making a total of $1500.
The contract for concreting was awarded to T. Bert Pratt, for 54 cents per yard for sidewalks, and 60 cents per yard for gutters and crossings.
The sum of $2,151.23 was expended for concrete, as per con- tract. $488.29 has been received from abutters. Amount due the town, $226.63.
CASH RECEIVED FOR CONCRETE.
J. A. Sederquest, $13 77
James A. Gatez,
$24 21
Julia M. Skinner,
14 76
Joshua Eames, 16 90
M. W. Boardman, 15 42
Cutler Bros., 46 52
D. G. Walton, 22 95
Mrs. Taylor Emmons, 9 66
B. & M. R. R.,
12 15
Mrs. Ann E. Eaton, 17 80
W. K. Perkins,
20 87
C. Wakefield Estate,
196 20
H. N. Flint,
62 11
Mary V. Brown,
14 97
$488 29
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CONCRETE BILLS UNPAID.
Wm. Batchelder,
$29 43 1 Ellen M. Gardner, $63 72
E. N. Sweetser,
58 16
Joseph Cartwright, 26 79
A. G. Sweetser,
26 66
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Bean, 21 87
$226 63
Due from Henry Peck for street scrapings,
$13 75
GUIDE BOARDS.
The guide boards are in good condition at the present time. Having found quite a number down, and a large number of streets without them, we have had 37 made and put up.
The list of town property remaining in our hands is as follows : 1 road scraper, 1 road roller, 1 battery and lead wires, 8 snow plows, 3 triangle snow plows, 12 picks, 2 shovels, 3 rakes, 2 grub hoes, 1 iron bar, 10 drills, 2 potatoe diggers, 1 striking hammer, 1 ledge hammer, 2 axes, 1 hoe, 4 forks, 1 spirit level, 1 chopping block (town house cellar), 2 lanterns, 1 covering stone for sand catcher.
For further details we respectfully refer you to the financial reports.
The Board has had five special and thirty-four regular meetings since it was organized.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY DAVIS, WINDSOR M. WARD, Road Commissioners.
86
BOARD OF HEALTH REPORT.
The citizens, at the annual election, saw fit to continue in office the same Health Officers who served last year, and the organiza- tion of the Board has remained the same, so that this year's work has been a continuance of the line laid out for last year. Our results have been as satisfactory as the composition of the Board would lead us to expect, but it has not at all times been as com- . plete as we would like, because it was impossible for the members to give the time to the needed work, without neglecting to a large extent, their own private business. We have failed to undertake a number of improvements that are needed, and that would be for the sanitary benefit of the town, because the time could not be spared to carry then out properly.
Chap. 80, Sec. 6, of the Public Statutes gives the Board authority to establish the pay of all persons who are employed by it to enforce its regulations, and this leads us to make this
SUGGESTION.
That future Boards of Health employ a health officer or in- spector, whose business it shall be to patrol the town, especially during the summer months, and inspect the sanitary condition of cesspools, privies, etc., and to rigidly enforce the regulations, and, if necessary, prosecute all persons neglecting or refusing to comply with the rules of the Board.
This suggestion is the result of our experience in endeavoring to enforce the laws of the health department, and is the only practical means by which the town can be kept in a proper sani- tary state. . Human nature is the same in sanitary matters as in other things, and people will backslide if they get a chance, and unless they are compelled to do a thing it is pretty sure to remain undone. Now, it is the business of the town to protect its citi- zens against sanitary backsliders, just as it would against legal
87
offenders, and by the present system this has not been done. It is not that people are malicious in their breaches of sanitary laws, but it is the fatal indifference that saps the strength of the best regulations. We think if we had an effective inspector who would enforce the law, prosecute a few delinquents, and show the people that he meant business, for a year or two, that we would create a sanitary conscience that would take care of those things without much further watching.
DEATHS.
The number of deaths in town this year has been the largest ever recorded, there being 143 persons in all who died in Wake- field, beside 8 others who died in hospitals out of town. The average death rate for many years has been about 110, and there is no apparent cause for the large increase this year. Consump- tion has a larger percentage than usual to its credit, there being usually about 15 deaths annually from this cause. Seven persons died of typhoid fever, the result of the endemic last fall, whereas there are usually no deaths from this cause. The variety of causes is only slightly increased and presents no remarkable feature.
Below is given the list of causes and number of deaths from each :
Consumption,
21
Apoplexy,
4
Heart Disease,
10
Diphtheria,
3
Pneumonia,
8 Marasmus,
3
Meningitis,
8 Peritonitis,
3
Typhoid Fever,
7
Convulsions,
3
Scarlet Fever,
6
Congestion of Lungs,
2
Diseases of Brain,
5
Old Age,
2
Still Birth,
5
Accident,
2
La Grippe,
5
Membranous Croup,
2
Paralysis,
4 Inanition,
2
Immaturity,
4
Entero-Colitis,
2
Bronchitis,
4 Diarrhea,
2
Burns,
3 Bright's Disease,
2
Septicæma, Gastric Cancer, Gangrene, Congenital Syphilis, Liver Disease, Rickets, Erysipelas, Cancer, Tetanus, Ovarian Tumor,
88
Tabes Mesenterica, Unknown, Cholera Infantum, Congestion of Brain, Tuberculosis, Colitis, Hydrocephalus, Enteritis, Aneurism, Hemorrhage, Cystitis, 1 each.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
During the spring an epidemic of measles occurred, but was harmless in its results, there being no deaths from it, as it took on a mild form. The cases of scarlet fever in this year's report formed the close of the severe run that started in the fall of last year. There has been very little diphtheria we are glad to say, and hope the town may always be as free from this unwelcome visitor. But if it is n't one thing, it is another; and this year we have to report an unusual number of cases of typhoid fever, which is regarded as a contagious disease, and which kept the Board very busy while it was with us. It is a good many years since so many cases of this disease occurred in Wakefield, and it amounted to an epidemic, or rather an endemic, as it was confined to one locality. Why we should have it now more than before was a question that puzzled the Board, and we gave a good deal of time to its solution, but with no satisfactory results.
The first case occurred in April, on Nahant street, and the next on Railroad street near the gas works, and then one on Lafayette street. These, however, were unimportant, as they seemed to have no connection with the others that followed.
The endemic really commenced about the 20th of August on Melvin street, where a case was reported the 25th. This was fol- lowed by three cases in one family on Bateman court, a short street leading off Melvin street. Next came a case on Richardson street, only a short distance away ; and, until Sept. 7, every case reported, fourteen in all, were in this same district, within a stone's throw of each other. After that it seemed to have left for new fields, the next case being reported from Valley street, followed by others from Wiley place, and one each from Pearl and Salem streets; and then it returned to Melvin street and vicinity the last of September, where it stayed until the first of November.
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