USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1894-1896 > Part 2
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 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
Committee recommended indefinite postponement. Voted. To do so.
24
Art. 63. To see if the town will vote to buy a hose wagon and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Committee reported that it was the opinion of experts that the present carriage was safe enough, and recom- mended indefinite postponement.
Voted. To do so.
Art. 64. To see if the town will appoint a committee to inquire into the advisability of the town owning horses for the fire and highway departments.
The committee recommended that the town appoint a committee to inquire and report at some future town meeting, which was accepted.
Art. 65. To see if the town will raise and appropriate seventy-five dollars to pay the superintendent of fire alarm for the ensuing year, or what they will do about it.
Committee recommended that $75 be raised for pur- pose named in this article and that in future the expense of this item be a part of the regular Fire Department Appropriation.
Voted. To accept and adopt this report.
Committee on articles 33, 34, 46, 60 and 75 reported, viz. :
Art. 33. To see if the town will have a street light placed at or near the junction of Railroad and Linden streets and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what they will do about it.
To indefinitely postpone.
Voted. To do so.
Art. 34. To see if the town will vote to place and maintain four street lamps on Oak street and appropriate a suffi- cient sum of money for the same, or what they will do about it; two lamps to be between the Atwood and
25
Holmes house, one near Mr. Hines', and one near Mr. Thomas Ward's.
Committee recommended the four street lamps.
Voted. $30, and to do so.
Art. 46. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money to locate three street lamps on Lowell street east of Vernon street, to be placed according to the discretion of the Selectmen.
Committee reported that three lamps were already located as asked for.
Motion to place three lamps as called for and to appropriate $15 for same was lost.
Art. 60. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money to place a street light on the corner of Turnbull avenue and Emerald street, or what they will do about it.
Committee recommended street light as asked for, and to appropriate $5 for same.
Voted. To adopt this recommendation.
Art. 75. To see if the town will place four street lights on Nahant street, and appropriate thirty dollars therefor.
Committee recommended that four street lights be placed on Nahant street, and that $15 he appropriated for the same.
Voted. To do so, and $15 for same.
Committee's report accepted and adopted.
Art. 17. To see if the town will grant the free use of the town hall to the Wakefield Home for Aged Women, three evenings.
Art. 35. To see if the town will grant the free use of the town hall to H. M. Warren Post No. 12, G. A. R., for the evening of Memorial Day, and to the Women's
26
Christian Temperance Union for six evenings during the ensuing year, and to the Richardson Light Guard for two evenings.
Voted. To take up these two articles together.
Motion to indefinitely postpone. Lost.
Voted. To grant the free use of the town hall to H. M. Warren Post No. 12, G. A. R., for the evening of Me- morial Day.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone any further action under these two articles.
Voted. To adjourn this meeting to Monday evening, March 20, 1893, at 7.30 P. M.
ADJOURNED TOWN MEETING, MARCH 20, 1893.
Voted. To take up articles 27, 32, 50, 51, 53 and 69.
' Article 27. To hear and act upon the report of the Road Commissioners relative to laying out a town way ( now known as Stedman street) running from Chestnut street, first southerly, and then westerly, to Summit avenue.
Committee recommended that the report be accepted and adopted.
Voted. To accept and adopt the report.
Art. 32. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of seven hundred dollars to repair the roadbed and sidewalks on Bennett street, or what they will do about it.
Committee recommended to refer this article to the Road Commissioners.
Voted. To do so.
Art. 50. To see if the town will provide a suitable place
27
to store gravel for winter use on icy sidewalks, or what they will do about it.
Committee recommended to indefinitely postpone.
Voted. To do so.
Art. 51. To see if the town will purchase a small lot of land and erect a building on same for a store house, or what they will do about it.
Committee recommended to indefinitely postpone.
Voted. To do so.
Art. 53. To hear and act upon the report of the Road Commissioners on laying out a town way (now known as Park avenue) running from Chestnut street south- westerly to Summit avenue.
Report presented. Committee recommended to accept and adopt the report.
Voted. To accept and adopt the report.
Art. 69. To see if the town will cause to be placed at the junction of Salem and Lowell streets a stone watering trough, and appropriate a sum sufficient to furnish water for the same.
Committee recommended indefinite postponement. Voted. To do so.
Art. 18. To hear and act upon the report of the committee elected October 3d, 1892, to investigate and report the cost of cleaning the Saugus river of obstructions from Water street to the town line.
Committee presented their report.
A motion to refer back to the same committee the report, with instructions to inquire if the town has any right to clean the river, was rejected.
Voted. To accept the report.
Motion to adopt the report was lost.
28
Voted. To take up article 7. relating to the salaries of Town Officers.
Voted. That the salary of the Board of Assessors be in- creased $400, to include clerical services, making $800 in all for services.
Voted. To take up article 8.
Voted. That all action under article 8 be reconsidered. Yes, 79. No, 44:
Voted. That a committee of three be appointed by the chair to retire and report on best method of collecting taxes. Chair appointed Richard Britton. C. F. Wood- ward and E. A. Upton, who reported as follows :
" All taxes shall be due and payable on the fifteenth day of September, 1893. A discount of two per cent. shall be allowed on all taxes paid on or before Sept. 15, 1893. Interest at the rate of six per cent per annum shall be charged on all taxes remaining unpaid October 1,1893."
Voted. To accept and adopt the report.
Motion to reconsider was lost.
Art. 45. To see if the town will cause to be prepared a map of the town for use of the Assessors, showing all the different ownerships of land, as a basis for a revised valuation.
Art. 66. To see if the town will appropriate money for the clerical services of the board of Assessors.
Art. 67. To see if the town will appropriate money for plans for the use of the Assessors.
Voted. To take up articles 45, 66 and 67.
Committee on above articles reported and recom- mended as follows, under article 45 : That a map of the town, in sections, be prepared from reliable surveys,
29
under the direction of the Assessors, for the use of the town, showing all the different ownerships of land, as a . basis for a revised and more uniform valuation, at an expense not exceeding $1000.
Motion to accept report was lost.
Motion to reconsider was lost.
Under article 66 : That no action be taken, the sub- ject matter of this article being covered by other action of the town.
Voted. To take no action under this article. Under article 67,
Voted. That $100 be appropriated to procure copies of ex- isting plans of house lots in the town, and that they be suitably bound under the direction of the Assessors.
Art. 22. To see if the town will raise and appropriate twen- ty-five dollars to pay the expenses of the Fish Commit- tee for the ensuing year.
Voted. To raise and appropriate $25. -
Art. 36. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of three hundred dollars to pay for the preliminary plans of the Lincoln school building, as authorized by vote of the town August 4, 1890.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 37. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of four hundred and ninety-five dollars to pay for the con --- tract for collecting swill for one year within the centre 1 of the town, or what they will do about it.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 38. To see if the town will order the Overseers of the Poor to contract with the Board of Health to collect the swill in the centre of the town and raise and appropriate money to pay for the same, or what they will do about it. Voted. To indefinately postpone.
30
Art. 39. To see if the town will, by their vote, forbid the Selectmen from approving or paying any bills in excess of the appropriations for the different departments, or what they will do about it.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 40. To see if the town will rescind the vote passed in 1892, whereby it voted that nine hours should consti- tute a day's work, and two dollars for a day's pay, or what they will do about it.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 41. To see if the town will purchase a new school lot in Greenwood and raise and appropriate money therefor, or what action they will take in the matter.
Voted. To refer this article to a committee of five to report at a future town meeting.
Chair appointed A. H. Thayer. T. E. Balch, Peter S. Roberts, H. H. Savage and Everett Hart.
Art. 42. To see if the town will reimburse Mrs. Linda Junkins, administratrix of the estate of Charles H. Jun- kins. for money paid to the town of Wakefield for taxes on lot No. 100 on north side of Oak street near Bartlett street, paid by mistake, or what they will do about it.
Voted. To refer this article to the Selectmen, with power to act, and any"expense incurred to be taken from the miscellaneous fund.
Art. 43. To see if the town will choose an appropriation committee to consider the matter of appropriations for the year 1894. and report in the town report of that year.
Voted. To choose an appropriation committee to consider the matter of appropriations and report in print in the Town Report for 1894.
31
The following committee were elected : William G. Strong, Everett Hart, S. W. Flint, Solon O. Richard- son, Thomas Hickey, William F. Young, Richard Brit- ton, Waldo E. Cowdrey, W. K. Perkins, H. H. Savage, W. E. Rogers, A. L. Mansfield and Michael Low.
Art. 48. To see if the town will choose a committee in respect to the purchase of water works of the Wakefield Water Company, to investigate the situation, confer. with Stoneham committee and the Water Company,. and report at future meetings, or what they will do. about it.
Voted. That a committee of seven be appointed in respect. to the purchase of the water works of the Wakefield Water company, by the towns of Wakefield and Stone- ham, to investigate the situation, confer with the Stone- ham committee and the Water Company, and report to- the town at some future meeting, with such recommend- ations as they may deem expedient.
Voted. That a committee of three be appointed to retire and nominate the committee of seven. Chair appointed. William F. Young, J. F. Emersou and John S. Sanborn,. who reported as follows the committee of seven :
E. C. Miller, S. O. Richardson, H. H. Savage, Wil- liam G. Strong, Thomas Hickey, J. F. Emerson, Peter. S. Roberts. And the above seven were elected.
Art. 49. To hear and act upon the report of the committee- to whom was referred the location for a new burial ground and also to report in regard to prohibiting any further burials in the Old Burial Ground.
Committee on this article presented their report.
Voted. To accept the report.
Voted. To lay the report upon the table
Voted. To take up article 46.
32
Voted. That the action of the town while acting under this article be reconsidered.
Voted. That three street lights be placed on Lowell street and to appropriate $15 therefor.
Motion to reconsider was lost.
Art. 56. To act upon the report of the committee on By- Laws. .
Voted. To adopt the report of the committee on By-Laws.
Voted. That the Selectmen be instructed to present the By- Laws to the court for approval.
Voted. To take up article 31.
Voted. To reconsider this article.
Voted. To refer this article to the Road Commissioners.
Voted. To take up article 72.
Art. 72. To see what action the town will take in reference 10 the claim of Dennis Daly for injury to his horse and wagon at the corner of Vernon street and Fitch court, on account of a defect in the highway, or what they will do about it.
Voted. To refer this article to the Selectmen with power to act.
Art. 57. To see what action the town will take with refer- ence to the extermination of insect pests.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
Art. 73. To see if the town will raise and appropriate money for repairs on Town Hall.
.
Motion to appropriate $1000 was lost.
Voted. To appropriate $300.
Art. 74. To see what action the town will take in relation to the appointment of a clerk and messenger for the School Committee and raising money to pay for the same.
Voted. To indefinitely postpone.
33
Art. 76. To see if the town will vote to ask the Road Com- missioners not to place more than one road cart of any citizen or commissioner to work on the highway, or what they will do about it.
Voted. That the town ask the Road Commissioners not to place more than one road cart of any citizen or commis- sioner to work on the highway.
Voted. That the thanks of the town be extended to the Moderator for his able and efficient services, and that he be paid $20.
Voted. To dissolve this meeting.
TOWN MEETING, APRIL 25, 1893.
FOR THE ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS.
Pursuant to a warrant duly drawn and served, the voters assembled at six o'clock in the forenoon to bring in their votes for a Representative to Congress from Congressional District Number Seven, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to fill a vacancy in said office by reason of the election and . qualification as a Senator in the Congress of the United States of Henry Cabot Lodge, who had been duly chosen a Repre- sentative to Congress from said District.
The polls will be opened at six o'clock in the forenoon and will remain open at least four hours, and as much longer time as the majority of voters present shall by vote direct.
The meeting was called to order by S. K. Hamilton, Esq., Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Prayer was offered by Rev. L. L. Greene.
The chair announced the following appointments :
Tellers, to count votes : Fred S. Hartshorne, Charles W. Locklin, J. Wesley Jenkins and Michael Low.
34
Ballot Clerks : E. M. Southworth, James F. Garraty, Cor- nelius Donovan and Charles E. Walton.
To work at Ballot Box : William W. Bessey and Hoyt B. Parker.
On Check List : Richard J. Cuff and J. Wallace Grace.
All above sworn in by S. K. Hamilton, Esq.
The chair then declared the polls open for reception of ballots.
Voted. To keep the polls open until six o'clock, P. M., and that they be closed at that hour.
The polls were closed at six o'clock P. M. and the Chair- man announced the
RESULT OF BALLOT.
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, SEVENTH DISTRICT.
Louis A. Banks of Hyde Park .
had
16
William E. Barrett of Melrose .
·
556
George H. Carey of Lynn
·
17
William Everett of Quincy
66 481
.
18
Blanks
Voted. To dissolve the meeting.
A petition for a recount was received and the recount re- sulted in no change.
STATE ELECTION, NOVEMBER 7, 1893.
Pursuant to a warrant duly drawn and served, the voters assembled at six o'clock in the forenoon then and there to bring in their votes for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary, Treasurer and Receiver General, Auditor, and Attorney General of the Commonwealth ; for Councillor for the Sixth Councillor District; for a Senator for the Sixth Middlesex Senatorial District ; for a Representative to the
-
35
General Court to represent the Thirteenth Middlesex Repre- sentative District ; for one County Commissioner and a Reg- ister of Probate and Insolvency for Middlesex County ; and also to bring in their votes, upon the same ballot, on the following proposed Article of Amendment to the Constitu- tion, to wit :
Article of Amendment to the Constitution Relative to the Payment of Mileage to Members of the General Court.
So much of article two of section three of chapter one of the Constitution of the Commonwealth as is contained in the following words, "the expenses of travelling to the general assembly and returning home, once in every session, and no more, shall be paid by the government, out of the public treasury, to every member who shall attend as seasonably as he can, in the judgment of the House, and does not depart without leave" is hereby annulled. The form of the ballot shall be as follows :
Shall the proposed amendment to the constitution relative to the payment of mileage to members of the General Court be approved and ratified ? Yes-No.
The votes for all the above named officers and for the article in the amendment to the constitution shall be upon one ballot, and received according to the provisions of Chap- ter 417 of the Acts of 1893, entitled, "The Election Act of Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-three."
The polls will be open for the choice of the above named officers at 6.15 o'clock in the forenoon and will remain open for four hours at least, and for such longer time as the ma- jority of the voters present shall by vote direct, not later than the hour of sunset.
Meeting called to order by S. K. Hamilton, Chairman of Selectmen. Prayer was offered by Rev. A. H. Herrick.
The following election officers were appointed and sworn by the moderator :
36
Tellers : J. Fred Parker, James F. Garraty.
Check List at Gate : E. M. Southworth, Cornelius Dono- van.
Ballot Box : Hoyt B. Parker, W. W. Bessey.
Check List at Ballot Box : J. Wallace Grace, Richard J. Cuff.
Counters : Fred S. Hartshorne, A. W. Flint, George W. Kimball, T. J. Ringer, Charles A. Dean, Charles E. Walton, J. C. Oxley, James A. Hickey, P. J. Kelley, C. W. Locklin. Voted. That the polls be kept open till 4.30 P. M. and closed at that time.
At 6.15 A. M. the polls were declared open.
RESULT OF THE BALLOT.
GOVERNOR.
Louis Albert Banks of Hyde Park
had
22
George H. Carey of Lynn
23
Frederick T. Greenhalge of Lowell
66 778
Patrick F. O'Neil of Boston
66
4
John E. Russell of Leicester
.
520
Blank
38
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
James B. Carroll of Springfield
had
498
Joseph K. Harris of Haverhill .
.
.
25
Morris E. Ruther of Holyoke
66
4
Henry C. Smith of Williamsburg
66 25
Roger Wolcott of Boston
66 777
Blank
.
· 56
SECRETARY.
James W. McDonald of Marlborough . had
476
Frederick A. Nagler of West Springfield
5
William M. Olin of Boston
.
773
.
.
.
.
.
37
Samuel B. Shapleigh of Boston
. had
26
Isaac W. Skinner of Waltham .
.
27
Blank
.
.
78
TREASURER.
Wilbert D. Farnham, Jr. of Somerville
. had
24
Henry M Phillips of Springfield
755
Squire E. Putney of Somerville
5
Eben S. Stevens of Dudley
482
Thomas A. Watson of Braintree
29
Blank
90
AUDITOR.
Alfred H. Evans of Ashburnham
. had
21
Bordman Hall of Boston .
492
John W. Kimball of Fitchburg .
749
Hermann J. Koepke of Pittsfield
4
Maurice W. Landers of Pittsfield
66
26
Blank
ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
Hosea M. Knowlton of New Bedford
. had
763
Charles S. Lilley of Lowell
481
Daniel Lynch of Boston
8
Robert F. Raymond of New Bedford
24-
Conrad Reno of Boston
27
Blank
82.
COUNCILLOR-Sixth District.
William A. Hyde of Woburn .
had 526.
Luman T. Jefts of Hudson
754
Blank
·
105
REGISTER OF PROBATE AND INSOLVENCY.
Middlesex County.
John F. Carroll of Framingham Samuel H. Folsom of Winchester ·
had 495-
.
788
Blank
. .
. 102:
.
.
.
.
·
·
.
.
93
38
COUNTY COMMISSIONER-Middlesex.
J. Henry Read of Westford .
had 784
William A. Read of Lowell
.
· 496
Blank
· 105
SENATOR-Sixth Middlesex District.
Charles F. Brown of Reading
had 763
Norman F. Hesseltine of Melrose
.
. 537
Blank
. 85
REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL COURT.
Thirteenth Middlesex District.
Edwin C. Miller of Wakefield . · had 784
Edward H. Walton of Wakefield ·
555
Blank
46
Shall the proposed amendment to the constitution relative- to the Payment of Mileage to Members of the General Court be approved and ratified ?
Yes
433
No
. . Blank . . . 313
639
The total number of votes cast in this election was 1385.
At seven o'clock of the same evening the Chairman read that portion of the warrant relating to town business.
Article 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
William N. Tyler, Esq., was elected Moderator.
Voted. That this meeting, so far as relates to town busi- ness, be adjourned. to Monday evening, November 13, 1893, at 7.30 o'clock.
·
39
ADJOURNED TOWN MEETING, NOV. 13, 1893.
The meeting was called to order by the Moderator.
Voted. To refer articles 10, 11, 12, 13 to an adjournment of this meeting.
Voted. To take up article 26.
Article 26. To hear and act upon the report of the commit- tee chosen by the town to investigate the subject matter of the purchase of the Wakefield Water works.
The committee made the following report:
WATER COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
The committee chosen March 20, 1893, to investigate in respect to the purchase of the water works of the Wakefield Water Company, by the towns of Wakefield and Stoneham, herewith submit their report as follows :
Your committee find that the contract of the Water Com- pany with the town of Stoneham provides for the right of the towns of Wakefield and Stoneham to purchase the water works by the following clause in it :-
" This Company further agrees that the town of Stone- ham may, at any time after ten years, and not later than fifteen years from the completion of the works herein agreed to be performed, purchase those portions of said company's works constructed for the purpose of supplying the town of Stoneham with water, together with the franchise of said company, covering such proportional parts of said company to the waters of Crystal and Quannapowitt Lakes and their sources of supply, at such price as may be agreed on ; and, if no agreement can be reached, at such valuation as may be fixed by a commission to be appointed by any person who shall at the time be a judge of probate for the county of Middlesex or of Suffolk, provided that the town of Wake- field shall agree and vote to do the same in regard to the
·
40
portions of the franchise and works constructed to supply water for that town; and the company hereby agrees, if both towns of Wakefield and Stoneham shall so vote, then the town of Wakefield shall have the same right to purchase the portion of the works constructed to supply water for that town, together with the franchise of said company covering such proportional parts of the right of said company to the waters of Crystal and Quannapowitt Lakes and their sources of supply."
This contract was confirmed by legislative act, and pub- lished in Stoneham town report of February 28, 1883.
A number of conference meetings of the Wakefield and Stoneham committees have been held, at one of which a sub- committee of three from each town was chosen to confer with the Wakefield Water Company, to see if they would name a price for the plant and franchise for a sale of the same to the two towns.
Mr. E. C. Miller, as chairman of that committee, wrote a letter to the company as follows :-
BOSTON, MASS., July 21, 1893. S. K. HAMILTON, ESQ.,
President Wakefield Water Company :
DEAR SIR,-At a joint meeting of the committees ap- pointed by the town of Wakefield and the town of Stoneham, to examine into the question of the future supply of these towns, and the advisability of purchasing the plant of the Wakefield Water Company. a special committee was appointed, consisting of three members from each town com- mittee, to confer with the Wakefield Water Company in regard to purchase by the two towns. The committee under- stand that the company has been authorized by the legisla- ture to issue $300,000 worth of bonds at five per cent, and have also issued $125,000 worth of stock. They would like to know if the company is ready to name a price at which
41
they will sell the property to the towns any time before December Ist, next, the towns to assume the debts of the 1 company. In this case the committee would like to know
how many of the bonds have been issued, when payable and at what rate of interest, and also the nature of any other debt they would be called upon to assume. In order to ar- rive at a conclusion of the reasonableness of the company's offer the committee would like to know of what the property consists, the number of miles of pipe laid, the different sizes, etc. Also, in order to be able to properly advise the two committees, they would like to know the ordinary annual running expenses and expenses of repairs, and the gross income the company is earning at the present time.
As the contract between the two towns and the Water Company expires next winter, and the committee wishes to present the matter fully to the two towns in season for a proper consideration of what is best to do, an early reply will oblige.
In answer to the letter of inquiry the following letter was received from the Water Company :-
BOSTON, MASS., July 27, 1893. E. C. MILLER, EsQ.,
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.