USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1894-1896 > Part 20
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We respectfully refer our citizens to the reports of other municipal officers for details of the departments of which they have charge.
BOYNTONVILLE.
Soon after the annual meeting the petition of certain citi- zens of Boyntonville to be annexed to Melrose were given leave to withdraw by the Committee on Towns of the Leg- islature.
We sincerely trust that its contention will not be renewed for our town cannot afford willingly to submit to a loss of any part of its territorial limits, and we also believe that our beautiful and fast growing suburb will find it vastly more to its advantage to direct its energies towards securing sub- stantial residential growth, rather than towards litigation for separation and annexation to another municipality, and it can rest assured that the intelligent voters of the town, while discriminating between needs and wants, will ever meet their urgent necessities of municipal life in a spirit of sympathetic conciliation.
STREET RAILWAYS.
In the latter part of March the Stoneham and Wakefield Street Railroad Company petitioned the Board of Selectmen for an extension of time for the completion of its line of tracks (then nearly completed) to Saugus town line, and also for a franchise to extend its line of tracks to Reading town line. In the former matter the time was extended to May first then next ensuing, and upon April 18, 1894, the first car passed through to Lynn. In the matter of the new
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franchise legal notice in compliance with statutory provisions for a hearing was given and hearing had on the thirteenth day of April, 1894, and continued to sixteenth of April, 1894, to fully hear petitioners and remonstrants.
A large number of citizens were present and took part in presenting their views. All seemed to desire electrical car communication with Reading, the only contention being as to route. Three of the Selectmen personally favored the Pleasant street route were private interests only to be con- sidered, but the greater part of the public expression fa- vored the route prayed for by the Company.
The Board of Selectmen took the matter under advise- ment and finally granted the prayer of the petitioners, as follows :
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD, MASS ..
In Board of Selectmen, April 18, 1894.
In the matter of the petition of the Wakefield and Stone- ham Street Railroad Company for leave to extend its tracks on Main street from Albion street in the said town of Wake- field to Lowell street, thence through Lowell street to the boundary line of the town of Reading.
Upon the foregoing petition, after proof of notice as or- dered, and a hearing thereon had this eighteenth day of April. A. D. 1894, it was voted by the Selectmen as fol- lows :
That said Company be, and hereby is, granted the privi- lege of extending its tracks on Main street in said Wake- field from Albion street to Lowell street, thence through Lowell street to the boundary line of the town of Reading in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massa- setts, and of erecting poles and running wires in connection therewith for the purpose of constructing and operating an electric railroad as prayed for. The said privilege is granted subject to the laws of said Commonwealth now in force, or which may be hereafter enacted relative thereto, and subject to any use to which the town of Wakefield as a municipality
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may wish to put said streets, and also subject to the rights of the Wakefield Water Company, and the Citizens' Gas Light Company of Reading, South Reading and Stoncham in said streets.
Said Company shall run its tracks from Albion street aforesaid to the middle of said Main street, so that its tracks running northerly shall pass the Rockery and public Com- mon there situate on the casterly side thereof, and the west- erly side of said Main street, and thence on the westerly side of said Main street to Lowell street in said Wakefield, ~ and thence on the westerly side of said Lowell street to the boundary line of said town of Reading.
Said Company shall complete its road to the boundary line aforesaid, and have the same in operation on or before Octo- ber 1, A. D. 1894.
In case of failure to complete said road and operate the same within the time named this grant shall become void and of no effect.
Said Company shall pave with square blocks of granite, the line of its tracks, and also pave as aforesaid cighteen inches on each side of the portion of said Main street occu- pied by its tracks upon the outside thereof from Albion street to the southerly end of said public Common, and also the crossings at Pearl street and Church street at the inter- section of said last mentioned streets with said Main street, and also to pave in the manner aforesaid its tracks, in the streets heretofore and herein named, which the town of Wakefield aforesaid shall hereafter macadamize, and at the time of such macadamization.
The width of sidewalks and gutters, and also the exact lo- cation of said tracks, shall be determined by the Board of Road Commissioners of said town of Wakefield.
The said Company shall be liable for any loss or injury that any person may sustain by reason of the carelessness, neglect or misconduct of its agents and servants, in the con-
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struction, management and use of its tracks, and shall hold said town of Wakefield harmless therefor.
The Company shall in said streets use for car rails, T rails weighing not less than forty-eight pounds per running yard per rail, both in first construction and also subsequent re- pairing, and said Company at all times shall keep in good repair the surface of its road between rails, and the space of eighteen inches next to, and outside of its line of road in said streets, aud permit only such portions of its rails to re- main above the surface of the streets over and through which it is operated and maintained, as is necessary for the passage of its car-trucks thereon. The said Company in construct- ing its roadbed upon the westerly side of Main street, be- side Lake Quannapowitt at a point nearly opposite to the en- trance and driveway into the grounds of the estate there situate, and known as the Beebe estate, to wit : At Beebe's cove, so called, shall build a stone wall on the westerly line of said Main street as said Main street is there laid out by the County Commissioners of said County ; the length of said wall to be determined by the said Road Commissioners, and said wall shall be of kind, quality and height there to retain and protect filling of any kind after being there placed from any action of the waters of said lake; and said Com- pany shall therein fill the space thus enclosed with earthy filling and gravel out to said wall ; the said Company fur- nishing all of the filling material, and also to furnish all la- bor and tools necessary to the full, thorough and workman- like construction and completion of said Main street to the westerly line thereof at said point, to wit: at the Cove aforesaid as there laid out by the said County Commission- ers, and the whole of such wall and filling upon its final completion to the acceptance and approval of the Road Com- missioners aforesaid, but said Company is not required to build any sidewalk thereon.
All filling with earthy material and gravel at other points along the line of said tracks to complete its roadbed, shall
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be done by said Company, who shall furnish all materials, tools and labor therefor.
The said Company shall construct, maintain and keep the portion of all of said highways used by it, reasonably safe for travel ; and at all times in such condition as the authori- ties of said town of Wakefield having charge of highways shall direct.
The Company shall not suffer snow removed by it from its tracks to overlay the streets and highways there in such a manner'as to obstruct public travel thereon, or in any way to create a nuisance at common law ; and shall at all times forthwith remove it, if existing as such obstruction, when- ever the authorities of said town of Wakefield having charge of highways shall direct.
The said Company shall also at its own expense defend all suits brought against said town of Wakefield for, or on account of any injury to persons or property on account of any alleged defect in said highway caused by it, or any suits arising from the carelessness, neglect or misconduct of its agents and servants in the construction, management and use of its tracks, and shall hold the said town of Wakefield harmless therefor, and shall also hold the said town of Wake- field harmless from any injury occasioned by said Company to the fire alarm system of said town of Wakefield, or any telephone or telegraph system now in lawful occupation of its streets and highways.
All poles to be erected by said Company for the purpose of running wires thereon, shall be of hard pine, squared and neatly finished.
In witness whereof, the Selectmen of said town of Wake- field have hereunto set their hands this twenty-third day of April, A. D. 1894.
Signed, OTIS V. WATERMAN, STILLMAN J. PUTNEY, DANIEL EVANS, CHARLES E. WALTON, G. W. HARRINGTON, Selectmen of Wakefield.
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TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE,
WAKEFIELD, MASS., April 26, 1894. Acceptance of the above named location received and placed on file in this office at five o'clock and fifteen minutes P. M.
CHARLES F. HARTSHORNE,
Town Clerk.
The line was rapidly completed to the Reading line, was finely equipped in rolling stock and opened før public trav- el on " Settlers'" day, May 29, 1894, and has proved a marked success from the start.
DRUGGIST LICENSES.
In May all the druggists in town petitioned the Board of Selectmen to grant them licenses of the sixth class to sell in their respective stores intoxicating liquors for medicinal, mechanical and chemical purposes only, and the same were duly advertised as the statute provides.
A petition was also received from many of our citizens desiring that a public hearing upon the granting of the prayer of the druggists should be given by the Board before deciding upon it, which was complied with, and time and place fixed upon.
It was held in the town hall and very largely attended by all classes of citizens, and expressions of public sentiment freely manifested by those favoring and opposing ; the drug- gists being represented by George H. Towle, Esq., as counsel.
The sentiment of the board was also divided, but after a long discussion the druggists were given leave to withdraw, and we have no reason to doubt that the druggists of Wake- field, as good citizens, have strictly complied with the wishes of the town.
HYDRANT SERVICE.
The offer of the town to pay twenty-five dollars per
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annum for each of the fire hydrants furnished by the Wake- field Water company for the use of the town, was rejected · by the company, and the company then notified the town in a written communication bearing date of March 30, 1894, that at the end of thirty days from the expiration of their contract terminating March 31, 1894, they would disconnect its hydrants and cease to furnish any water for fire purposes to the town of Wakefield. This communication the Board of Selectmen caused to be published in the local press, so that the town could be fully informed in the premises.
The subsequent failure of the town and water company to agree upon a price, resulted in the company's dismantling on the ninth day of May, in the night time, some of its fire hydrants.
The Board of Selectmen immediately notified the Board of Engineers to look after the reservoirs and hold themselves and fire apparatus in readiness to quickly respond with ser- vice should occasion demand, and the association in charge of the Yale were similarly instructed.
The Selectmen were divided in opinion as to the advisa- bility of forthwith calling another town meeting, but finally united in favor of applying to the court for an injunction to restrain, temporarily, the company from further similar action, pending further negotiations. G. H. Towle, Esq., acted in the town's behalf, and service of the order of Court was made upon S. K. Hamilton, Esq., president of the company.
While this action of the board obligated the town to pay for hydrant use theretofore accepted and also while the company was so enjoined, yet the Board of Selectmen were unwilling (with the fact of an impending celebration near at hand, and for other reasons,) for the town to run the risk of fire, or impaired insurance on town or private property, perhaps endless litigation, and increased insurance rates, hoping that more satisfactory conditions would soon be obtained. Mean- while ten citizens requested another town meeting to be
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called, which was done by the Selectmen, and the Water company's offer of thirty-five dollars per hydrant upon a ten years' contract, was rejected by the town, and the Selectmen instructed to make a contract for one year with the Water company for hydrant use for fire protection, on the best, terms obtainable. This the Selectmen forthwith did, but could get no better rates than those theretofore paid, and the contract thus made expires April 1, 1895. All other hydrants voted for at the annual meeting have been placed in position, and the town is now paying for 60 hydrants at $50 each and for 56 hydrants at $40 each, per annum, making 116 hydrants in all.
The gravity of the situation demands that something be done so that the substantial interests of our town do not suf- fer, and we recommend that at the annual meeting a small committee be raised to take the matter of hydrant rentals in charge, and report their recommendations either at an adjournment of the meeting or a special one called soon after.
METROPOLITAN PARK COMMISSION.
Early in April the Board of Selectmen was served with notice to appear at a hearing to be given by the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth, relative to the ap- pointment of Commissioners to fix the apportionment and assessment on certain' cities and towns of an annual state tax (not to exceed in any one year an excess of a sum equal to one half mill of its valuation) to be levied upon all the cities and towns in the Metropolitan Park district, embraced in the act, being twelve cities and twenty-five towns.
The board deeming the matter of a tax rate to be im- posed as an important factor in our municipal future, author- ized George H. Towle, Esq., to appear in the town's behalf, and secure as low a tax rate and appointment of proper Com- missioners, as possible.
There have been several hearings at which the cities and towns were represented by counsel, but as yet the Park
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Commissioners have disclosed no plan of action and there will be no further hearings until April next.
CHURCH STREET.
The widening of this street was consummated in the sum- mer by the town's acquisition of the Burrage Yale property there situate, and subsequent sale by auction of the dilapi- dated dwelling house upon it. The street is thus widened at a needed point, and contiguous estates substantially benefitted thereby.
OUR QUARTER MILLENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.
The towns of Reading, North Reading and Wakefield, under authority of town meetings and votes expressing the will of the people, made great preparations to properly cel- ebrate the occurrence of this event.
A large general committee of the whole was selected and subsequently divided into many sub-committees, and it was finally arranged that our town should on Monday, May 28, 1894, celebrate " Settlers' Day "; on the succeeding 29th, Reading and North Reading should celebrate " Incorpora- tion Day," and the 30th being by statute designated Memo- rial day in memory of those who died that Liberty might live, should be its completion ; and that literary exercises, with service of song, and gemmed, with the best mental gifts of the descendants of a worthy ancestry, should take place in our own town hall, with parades in each town, culminat- ing in a great public banquet in Reading.
This programme was substantially carried out by the peo- ple of each municipality with great enthusiasm.
On the 27th, the Sabbath preceding, Religion's noble voice was heard in the magnificent anniversary exercises of the First Parish, commemorating and celebrating its two hun- dred and fiftieth birthday.
Wakefield and Reading were both honored by the pres- . ence and speech of His Excellency the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth, Hon. Frederic T. Greenhalge, and His
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Honor, Roger Wolcott, Lieutenant-Governor of the old Bay State, and the presence and voice of very many other dis- tinguished guests graced the occasion. The towns were pro- fusely decorated with emblems of joy and of patriotism.
The best of order prevailed, and each and all performed the part assigned them with fervor. zeal and discretion. Hospitality, public and private, abounded. Joy and Hope found each their resurrection day. The recollections of tra- dition were given ; landmarks of usage exhibited ; lessons of history recited and brightest mental gifts unveiled.
For Wakefield, all nature smiled, and her day was perfec- tion, redolent with the breath of May, but rain, until noon, marred Reading's festivities ; but when the war of elements ceased, her disappointed sons fully made up for it; rekin- dling the fires of patriotism on the altars of the forefathers, and in spite of the rain leaving the embers bright and glow- ing, in the hope that their fervent heat would warm the hearts of the future, uniting us with them in patriotic bonds of kinship and unity. +
Wakefield in every way, and at every point, proved that she was worthy. Her physical beauty entranced every eye and her praises blossomed on every lip. Selfishness, ashamed of herself, hid, unable to exist in an atmosphere charged with love and thoughtfulness for others, and thirty thousand vis- itors realized that we were living our corporate life for noble purpose.
The world was made to know that we had inheritances quite apart from wealth and property, and also that we had made good use of the glorious liberties with which we were endowed at the start. Taken altogether, the events of the joint celebration have passed into history with credit to ourselves and our great Republic, and can be happily re- called from memory's storehouse as an event which we en- tered into with joy, conducted with honor, and can be looked. back upon without a regret.
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NEW ARMORY.
Early in the year we received notice from the State that the premises used for an armory for Company A, Sixth Reg- ment, M. V. M., was reported unsafe, and requesting us to have them inspected. This was done, and resulted in con- demnation, and the State ordered the company to vacate the premises and we received notice that no further allowance to the town, from the State for rent would be approved.
It then devolved upon the town to furnish new quarters or it might lead to the disbanding of the organization.
The Board made diligent search for a new armory, and after a long and careful examination of different prem- ises, found none that fulfilled requirements, and finally were obliged to permit a certain portion of the town hall building to be used under certain restrictions, and a removal of the State's property and furniture and fixtures of the company took place.
At a subsequent town meeting, the citizens very patrioti- cally voted the sum of twelve thousand dollars to purchase a lot of land and erect a suitable armory building, choosing a committee to put its vote into execution. This has been faithfully performed and the committee have earned the thanks of the town thereby.
We are glad to record that our fellow-townsmen met the emergency in such a manly way.
The militia, either in war or peace, stands for law and order. and is a perpetual guarantee of that universal peace resulting from thorough organization based upon honor and courage, and not upon cowardice, and it has earned and re- ceived the gratitude of the people. Our town honored it- self, its favorite military organization and the Commonwealth as well, besides adding to its own store of substantial wealth, by erecting this fine armory in its midst, and we all unite in the hope that its occupants will find it ever a convenient, pleasant and happy military home.
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TELEPHONE SERVICE.
In the summer we received a petition from the New Eng- land Telegraph and Telephone company for permission to erect poles and run wires in our streets for the purpose of establishing a new Central Exchange in our town, and also for repairing trunk lines. After many interviews this we finally granted, but with certain municipal reservations for the benefit of our town, and which were acceded to by the company, and we also had assurances from them that it would result in lower rates for subscribers.
The Exchange is now established ; has proved its conve- nience; and the town has been financially benefitted by the utilization of some of the company's poles for electric light service. The grant is the subject of revocation, should the town ever deem it necessary.
PERAMBULATION.
In June the boundary line between Saugus and Wake- field was perambulated by representatives of each town and boundary marks found to be in good condition, save one in Greenwood, which has been restored.
STREET LIGHTING.
After a long, tedious and expensive litigation our town has emerged from darkness into light and the town has put its hand deep into its pockets to pay for the privilege.
Whether we have drawn a prize, a blank or neither, time alone· will determine.
The report of the Municipal Light Board must be relied upon to illuminate the darkness of the subject, and it will doubtless shed further municipal light on the whole business. We can, however, all thank our lucky stars that we are no longer nightly illuminated by the requirements of the almanac. When nature veils her lanterns in the sky, the magic of the electrician's wand lights the darkened pathway of our century.
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The naptha lights of the Globe Lighting company fur- nished their odorous illumination until late in the year, and Thomas M. Ward took charge of the street oil lamps under contract expiring May 3, 1895. When the latter contract was made it was impossible for any one to foresec just when the prolonged litigation would finally come to an end, so the contract, at a very low price, was made in consonance with his bid, which was for one year. As his lights were reduced in number from 125 to 22 in the month of December, an equitable compromise was effected for the remaining time. called for in the contract, and the same cancelled.
The Municipal Light board, by the town's vote, has now the entire control and management of its street lighting. Our town is certainly well lighted, and upon the gentlemen com- posing our Municipal Light Board has devolved a task to. perform of no small proportions.
The salaries attached to the several offices have not been established, and come up for action at the annual meeting, and we suggest they should be fixed at sums commensurate with the responsibility and importance which the offices. demand.
NEW VOTING PRECINCTS AND PRECINCT OFFICERS.
The town took measures last year to divide the town into voting precincts, and the previous board of Selectmen not having sufficient time before their term of office expired to perfect the same, its completion was a legacy to the present board.
After hearings given to those dissatisfied with the first boundaries published, the following was finally established by the present board, and accepted and adopted by the town, as follows :
DESCRIPTION OF NEW VOTING PRECINCTS IN THE TOWN OF WAKEFIELD, MASS.
Precinct No. 1 shall include all the territory and all the voters north of a line commencing at a point at the inter-
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section of Green street and Main street in said Wakefield and thence running westerly and following the southern shore of Crystal lake to the stone bound at the angle of the town line of Stoneham and Wakefield at said lake, and from said point of beginning at the intersection of said Main street and Green street, the line runs casterly to the north- westerly corner of Atwood's meadow, so called, which is near to Oak street in said town of Wakefield, and thence * running southeasterly to the " three-county heap," so called, consisting of a stone monument marked S. R. and S., sur- rounded by a heap of stones, being the three-county mark of the Saugus town line, and contains 1492 registered male voters, according to the registration made for the preceding annual election.
Precinct No. 2 shall include all of the territory and all the voters south of said described line and contains 138 regis- tered male voters according to said registration.
The place for voting in Precinct No. 1 is the town hall. The place for voting in Precinct No. 2 is the Greenwood hose house.
OTIS V. WATERMAN, STILLMAN J. PUTNEY, GEORGE W. HARRINGTON, DANIEL EVANS, CHARLES E. WALON, Selectmen of Wakefield.
Wakefield, July 19, 1894.
The establishment of voting precincts rendered necessary the appointment by us of precinct officers.
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