USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1901-1905 > Part 19
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North of New York the web worms breed but once in the season and do but little damage.
The trees in several parts of the town are in need of judicious trimming ; this, however, cannot be done until the town sees fit to make an appropriation covering the cost of the work.
The laws relating to public shade trees are again published for the public convenience.
CHARLES J. WILLIAMS, Tree Warden.
NOTE .- Upon application to the tree warden or to a deputy tree warden by persons desiring to cut trees growing within the limits of a public way along their lands and outside of village limits, such trees as the Town desires to permanently retain will be marked, and a permit given to cut the remainder.
71
TOWN OF ACTON.
REVISED LAWS.
CHAPTER 53.
Section 12. The tree warden may appoint and remove deputy tree wardens. He and they shall receive such compensations as the town determines, or, in default thereof, as the selectmen allow. He shall have the care and control of all public shade trees in the town, except those in public parks or open places under the jurisdiction of the park commissioners, and of those, if so requested in writing by the park commissioners, and shall enforce all the provisions of law for the preservation of such trees. He shall expend all money appropriated for the setting out and maintainance of such trees. Regulations for their care and preservation made by him, approved by the selectmen and posted in two or more public places, imposing fines and forfeitures of not more than twenty dollars in any one case, shall have the force and effect of town by-laws. All shade trees within the limits of a public way shall be public shade trees.
Section 13. Public shade trees outside the residential part of a town, as determined by the selectmen, shall not be cut or re- moved, in whole or in part, except by the tree warden or his deputy or by a person holding a license so to do from the tree warden. Public shade trees within said residential part shall not be cut, except for trimming by the tree warden, nor shall they be removed by the tree warden or his deputy or other person without a public hearing at a suitable time and place, after notice thereof posted in two or more public places in the town and upon the tree and after authority granted by the tree warden therefor. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall forfeit not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars to the use of the town.
CHAPTER 208.
Section 102. Whoever wantonly injures, defaces or destroys an ornamental or shade tree in a public way or place, or negligently or willfully suffers an animal, driven by or for him or belonging to him, and lawfully in a public way or place, to injure, deface or destroy such tree, or whoever, by any other means, negligently or
72
ANNUAL REPORTS
willfully injures, defaces or destroys such tree, shall forfeit not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars, one-half to the use of the complainant and one-half to the use of the city or town in which said act is committed ; and shall in addition thereto be liable to said city or town or other person interested in said tree for all dam- ages caused by said act.
Section 103. Whoever negligently or willfully suffers an animal, driven by or for him or belonging to him and lawfully on the highway, to injure, deface or destroy a tree which is not his own, standing for use or ornament on the highway, or whoever, by any other means, negligently or willfully injures, defaces or destroys such tree, shall forfeit not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars, one-half to the use of the complainant and one-half to the use of the city or town in which said act is committed ; and shall in addition thereto be liable in damages to the owners or tenant of the land in front of which the tree stands.
Section 104. Whoever affixes to a tree in a public way or place, a playbill, picture, announcement, notice, advertisement or other thing, whether in writing or otherwise, or cuts, paints or marks such tree except for the purpose of protecting it and under a written permit from the officers having the charge of such trees in a city or from the tree warden in a town, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars for each offence. The tree warden shall enforce the provisions of this and the preceding two sections in towns.
73
TOWN OF ACTON.
Report of the Cemetery Commissioners
FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904.
The Town at its last annual meeting appropriated $500 for the care of cemeteries.
The amount of this appropriation expended was $441.55.
Mt. Hope Cemetery, $226.35 ; Woodlawn Cemetery, $211.70; and North Cemetery, $3.50.
The amount received and paid to the Town Treasurer for lots sold in Woodlawn Cemetery was $115, and for lots sold in Mt. Hope Cemetery $72.
The fund for the perpetual care of lots has been increased the past year by three deposits, amounting to $275, making the amount of funds now deposited with the town $4,425.
As a part of our report we present a schedule showing the amounts of the several funds for the perpetual care of cemetery lots, and the income and payments on account of each fund during the past year.
From the income of the Cemetery fund, $166.02 has been ex- pended on the several lots, as shown in the schedule. We recom- mend that the town adopt some rules and regulations for the gov- ernment of its cemeteries.
In our last annual report we submitted to the town, for its approval, certain rules and regulations which seemed to us necessary and proper for the best government of its cemeteries.
We trust the Town will give them due consideration and adopt such of them as they approve.
We recommend the same amount be appropriated for Ceme- teries as last year, $500.
JULIAN TUTTLE, HERBERT T. CLARKE, HORACE F. TUTTLE, Cemetery Commissioners.
Acton, March 1, 1904.
CEMETERY FUNDS FOR CARE OF LOTS. WOODLAWN CEMETERY.
O Z
Date of Deposit.
NAME OF FUND.
LOTS.
Amount
Deposited.
On hand
Mar. 12, 1903
Income.
Expended.
On hand
Mar. 12, 1904
1 Dec. 30, 1899 Hepsabeth Piper.
1 S. Prospect.
$ 50
$ 50.25
$ 1.75
$ 2.00
$ 50.00
2 Feb. 13, 1890 Frederick Rouillard
11 W. Grove .
100
101.50
3.50
4.50
100.50
3 Aug. 3, 1892 William W. Davis.
10 N. Prospect.
100
100.00
3.50
2.50
101.00
4 Dec. 30, 1892 Jedediah Tuttle. .
50
50.25
1.75
1.50
50.50
5 Apr. 10, 1893 Mary Skinner .
200
207.21
7.00
8.56
205.65
6 Apr. 10, 1893 Nancy K. Handley .
S. Prospect ..
500
517.50
17.50
30.45
504.55
7 May 12, 1897 Mary Severance ..
11 S. Forest . .
100
102.00
3 50
3.00
102.50
8 June 5, 1897 Mary W. Chaffin.
53 S. Forest .. .
100
102.00
3.50
3.50
102.00
9 May 13, 1898 Warren Robbins.
6 W. Forest.
100
102.50
3 50
4.50
101.50
10 Apr. 29, 1899 Henry Loker ..
S. Prospect
100
103.75
3.50
6.21
101.04
11 June 23, 1899 Henry O. Lothrop .
26, 27, 28 N. Prospect.
200
205 00
7.00
10.14
201.86
12 Oct. 20, 1899 Luther W. Piper ..
100
102.00
3.50
4.00
101.50
13 Feb. 12, 1900 James Temple . .
33 N. Prospect.
100
102.00
3.50
4.00
101.50
14 May 30, 1900 Fidelia Wheeler ...
100
103.75
3 50
6.68
100.57
15 Oct. 24, 1900 Wm. H. Chapman
100
101.00
3.50
3.00
101.50
16 Jan. 12, 1901 Mary A. Robbins.
100
100.00
3.50
3.50
100.00
17 July 29, 1901 Daniel Wetherbee
100
102.10
3.50
2.50
103.10
18 May 19, 1901 James Tuttle.
100
106.40
3.50
6.13
103.77
19 Sept. 24, 1901 Julia Morrison.
20 N. Forest
75
76.13
2.62
4.50
74.25
20 Feb. 20, 1902 Elbridge J. Robbins
3 N. Pine : . .
100
101.50
3.50
3.00
102.00
21 June 20, 1902 William Jennings ..
100
101.60
3.50
1.00
104.10
22 Aug. 15, 1902 Adeline Weston Blood
100
102 02
3.50
105.52
23 Oct. 18, 1902 Irving V. Whitcomb.
100
101.70
3.50
3.50
101.70
24 May 13, 1903 Lewis B. Goodnow.
13 N. Forest
100
2.92
102.92
25 Feb. 6, 1904 John Fletcher .
|10 N. Forest
100
.33
100.33
26 Feb. 27, 1904 |W. E. Faulkner ..
7 N. Central. .
75
.17
75.17
.
.
ANNUAL REPORTS
74
6 S. Forest .
N. E. cor. Forest & Ellsworth. .
S. W. cor. Grove & Prospect.
20 S. Pine. .
.
MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY.
1|Mar. 8, 1895 Eliza A. Whitcomb ..
75
75.00
2.62
2.80
74.82
2 Mar. 23, 1900 Phineas Wetherbee ..
1 share F.R.R.
*6.00
7.00
3.75
*9.25
3 Aug. 27, 1901 S. Lizzie Hayward ..
100
103.65
3.50
2.80
104.35
4 Aug. 31, 1901 Frank C. Hayward.
500
509.33
17.50
+17 50
509.33
5 Nov. 4, 1902 George C. Wright ..
.5 lots.
500
505.50
17.50
15.00
508.00
6 Nov. 4, 1902|George C. Wright. .
Davis birthplace ..
50
50.55
1.75
52.30
NORTH CEMETERY.
1|Jan. 12, 1903|Samuel Temple. .
50
50.29
1.75
2.00
50.04
2 Jan. 12, 1903 Francis Hutchinson.
50
50.29
1.75
1.75
50 29
3 Jan. 12, 1903 | Henrietta Anderson
50
50.29
1.75
1.75
50.29
$4.425 $4,243.06 $155.66 $166.02 $4,507.70
*Unexpended income. +Paid to F. C. Hayward.
.... .
TOWN OF ACTON.
75
76
ANNUAL REPORTS
Report of the Trustees of Acton Memorial Library.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
LUTHER CONANT, President.
MOSES TAYLOR. D. J. WETHERBEE, Secretary.
HIRAM J. HAPGOOD.
WILLIAM D. TUTTLE.
ADELBERT MEAD.
DELETTE H. HALL.
CHARLES J. WILLIAMS.
L. A. HESSELTON.
The Trustees of the Acton Memorial Library take pleasure in presenting their 14th Annual Report. At a meeting of the Trustees on March 12th, 1904, the following communication was received :
ACTON, MASS., March 12, 1904.
To the Trustees of the Acton Memorial Library : -
" I hereby respectfully offer for your acceptance for the Library the enclosed First Mortgage West Shore R. R. Registered Four Per Cent. Bond, No. M. 28360 for the sum of one thousand dollars, guaranteed by the New York Central & Hudson River R. R. Co. of New York. This bond has four hundred fifty-seven years to run and upon its maturity Jan. 1, 2361, I trust our successors - the then Trustees-of the Acton Memorial Library will re-invest the proceeds in some safe and conservative security for the perpetual service of the institution. I request the Trustees to expend the income from this bond for the purchase of books, magazines, or for such purposes as the Trustees may think best.
"I am impelled to do this in the hopes that it may in some degree keep fresh the memory of one who was always interested in the Library, who, by her natural kindness of heart, deep affection and unselfish devotion to me and ours, made our home in no small measure an earthly Paradise.
77
TOWN OF ACTON.
"It is my desire that this may be known as the Mrs. Susan Augusta and Luther Conant Fund, and so entered on the records of the Library. "
Very respectfully, LUTHER CONANT.
MEMORIAL LIBRARY, ACTON, March 12th, 1904.
The Trustees of the Acton Memorial Library hereby gratefully acknowledge the very generous gift to the Library from the honored President of its Board of Trustees, Mr. Luther Conant, of one thou- sand dollars ; the sum named to constitute a fund to be known as the Susan A. and Luther Conant Fund, the annual income of which is to be devoted to the purposes of the Library, under the direction of the said Trustees.
WILLIAM D. TUTTLE,
Secretary pro tem.
On the expiration of the present term, Mr. William D. Tuttle declines further service on the Board of Trustees. Mr. Tuttle has served fourteen years, and all of that time has been on the Library Committee, whose duty it is to purchase new books.
Having been on that committee with Mr. Tuttle, I think it only a matter of simple justice to him, to state that almost all the labor has fallen on him. How well he has performed this duty, those who have enjoyed the privileges of the Library can best appreciate. I cannot help saying that he has given to the performance of this duty the same faithful care and conscientious effort that he has to a'l his Public service during a long life to Church, Town and State.
With possibly one or two exceptions, every town in Massachu- setts now has a free Public Library. The appreciation of the value of these institutions constantly expands and many of the ablest and deepest thinkers are laboring to make its benefits still more general and if possible to reach people who have hitherto failed to come under its influence. Here the young acquire a taste for useful read- ing, and to many who have enjoyed but scanty opportunity for ob- taining an education, a broad field is opened. To those who have
78
ANNUAL REPORTS
been more fortunate in securing a general or even liberal education, the Public Library offers a chance for a post-graduate course, so all, if they choose, may have their minds enriched if they but improve the opportunity that such an institution affords.
We ask the Town to vote the same appropriation, $200 for new books, and $400 for current expenses, as in years past.
Respectfully submitted,
LUTHER CONANT, For the Trustees.
79
TOWN OF ACTON.
14th Annual Report.
Accessions : Number of volumes in the library March 12th, 1903, 8,073 ; number of volumes in the library March 12, 1904, 8,530 ; increase by purchase, 401, of which 44 were obtained by binding magazines ; increase by gift, 56.
Circulation : Number of days library was open, 102; number of volumes circulated, 6,192 ; daily average circulation, 61; largest daily circulation, 110, on April 18th and March 28th ; smallest daily circulation, 20, on April 22.
Amount received from fines and catalogues, $17 62
Expended for postage, etc. 60
$17 02
Gifts of books have been received from the following sources : U. S. Government, 9; State of Massachusetts, 33; City of Boston, 1; Town of Concord, 1; James M. Barnard, 1; W. R. Buxton, 1; Luther Conant, 2; Mrs. Luther Conant, 1; Miss Charlotte L. Conant, 1; Harper & Bros., 1; James S. Munroe, 1 ; S. L. Phillips, 1; A. E. Pillsbury, 1; Universalist Pub Co., 1; Charles H. Vail, 1. Periodicals in the reading room : Book Lovers Magazine, Cas- sells, Century, Chatauquan, Child's Hour, Cosmopolitan, Country Life in America, Everybody's, Harper's, Harper's Weekly, Masters in Art, McClure's, Munsey's, National, New England, Our Paper, Reformatory, Outing, Review of Reviews, Scientific American, Scrib- ner's, St. Nicholas, Success, Worlds Work, Youths Companion.
A. F. DAVIS,
Librarian.
67th ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
AND THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OF THE
TOWN OF ACTON, MASS.
.
FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904.
RATED
OZNI
- 1735.
ACTON ..
PELECYAGO
MARLBOROUGH, MASS .: THE ESTABROOK PRESS, PRINTERS AND BINDERS, FRYE BLOCK. 1904.
School Committee, 1903-1904.
Charles J. Williams, Chairman,
Term expires 1905
Frank R. Knowlton,
66 1904
Horace F. Tuttle, Secretary,
66
1906
Superintendent of Schools.
Herbert E. Richardson, Residence, Littleton, Mass.
Truant Officers.
James Kinsley, Moses A. Reed, George C. Turner.
STANDING RULES.
*RULE 1. Children under five years of age shall not be admitted to the public schools.
RULE 2. Pupils shall be promoted from grade to grade and school to school, according to merit. Thorough and satisfactory work will be required of pupils in a lower grade or school before entering a higher grade or school.
RULE 3. Children who have not previously attended any school shall be admitted to the public schools only at the beginning of the fall term.
RULE 4. Pupils will be held responsible for books loaned to them until such books shall have been returned to the teacher.
RULE 5. No repairs shall be made upon the public property in the care of the school committee except by their authorized agents.
*When the birthday of a child falls on or before the 15th day of the month it is reckoned as falling upon the first day of that month.
4
SCHOOL REPORT
School Calendar 1904-1905.
High School-40 Weeks.
Fall term begins September 6th. Fall term closes November 23d.
*Winter term begins November 28th. Winter term closes March 17th.
Spring term begins March 27th. Spring term closes June 23d.
Common Schools-38 Weeks.
Fall term begins Sept. 6th. Fall term closes Nov. 18th.
*Winter term begins Nov. 28th. Winter term closes March 17th. Spring March 27th. Spring “ " June 16th.
*Recess of one week, December 25th to 31st.
5
TOWN OF ACTON.
EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES.
REVISED LAWS.
CHAPTER 43.
Section II. The several school teachers shall faithfully keep the registers of attendance daily, and make due return thereof to the school committee, or to such person as the committee may designate. No teacher of a public school shall receive payment for services for the two weeks preceding the close of any term, until the register, properly filled up and completed, is so returned. All registers shall be kept at the schools, and at all times during school hours shall be open to the inspection of the school committee, the superintendent of schools, the truant officers and the secretary and agent of the board of education. In reckoning the average member- ship and the percentage of attendance in the schools, no pupil's name shall be omitted in counting the number of persons belonging to the school and the number of absences of such persons until it is known that such pupil has withdrawn from the school without inten- tion of returning or, in the absence of such knowledge, until ten consecutive days of absence have been recorded ; but the foregoing provision for computing the average membership and the per centage of attendance shall not affect proceedings against habitual truants, absentees or school offenders, or other persons, under the provisions of section one of chapter forty-four and sections three, four and five of chapter forty-six. A pupil who is not present during at least half of a session shall be marked and counted as absent for that session.
CHAPTER 44.
Section I. Every child between seven and fourteen years of age shall attend some public day school in the city or town in which he resides during the entire time the public day schools are in session, subject to such exception as to children, places of attendance and schools as are provided for in section three of chapter forty-two and sections three, five and six of this chapter. The superintendent of
6
SCHOOL REPORT
schools or, if there is no superintendent of schools, the school com- mittee, or teachers acting under authority of said superintendent or committee, may excuse cases of necessary absence. The attendance of a child upon a public day school shall not be required if he has attended for a like period of time a private day school approved by the school committee of such city or town in accordance with the provisions of the following section, or if he has been otherwise in- structed for a like period of time in the branches of learning required by law to be taught in the public schools, or if he has already acquired such branches of learning, or if his physical or mental condition is such as to render such attendance inexpedient or im- practicable. Every person having under his control a child as de- scribed in this section shall cause him to attend school as herein required ; and if he fails for five day sessions or ten half day sessions within any period of six months while under such control to cause such child, whose physical or mental condition is not such as to ren- der his attendance at school harmful or impracticable, so to attend school, he shall, upon complaint of a truant officer and conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty dollars. Whoever induces or attempts to induce a child to absent himself unlawfully from school, or employs or harbors a child who, while school is in session, is absent unlawfully from school shall be pun- ished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
Section 6. A child who has not been vaccinated shall not be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certificate signed by a regular practising physician that he is not a fit subject for vaccination. A child who is a member of a household in which a person is ill with smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever or measles, or of a household exposed to such contagion from another household as aforesaid, shall not attend any public school during such illness or until the teacher of the school has been furnished with a certifi- cate from the board of health of the city or town, or from the attend- ing physician of such person, stating that, in a case of smallpox, diphtheria or scarlet fever at least two weeks, and in a case of measles, at least three days, have elapsed since the recovery, removal or death of such person, and that danger of conveying such disease by such child has passed.
7
TOWN OF ACTON.
CHAPTER 46.
Section 3. Any child between seven and fourteen years of age who wilfully and habitually absents himself from school contrary to the provisions of section one of chapter forty-four shall be deemed to be an habitual truant, and, upon complaint of a truant officer and conviction thereof, may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years and, if a girl, to the state indus- trial school for girls, unless such child is placed on probation as pro- vided in section seven of this chapter.
Section 4. A child between seven and sixteen years of age who may be found wandering about in the streets or public places of any city or town, having no lawful occupation, habitually not attending school, and growing up in idleness and ignorance, shall be deemed an habitual absentee, and, upon complaint by a truant officer or any other person and conviction thereof may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years or to the Lyman school for boys, and, if a girl, to the state industrial school for girls, unless such child is placed on probation as provided in section seven.
Section 5. A child under fourteen years of age who persistently violates the reasonable regulations of the school which he attends, or otherwise persistently misbehaves therein, so as to render himself a fit subject for expulsion therefrom, shall be deemed to be an habitual school offender, and, upon complaint by a truant officer and conviction thereof, may, if a boy, be committed to a county truant school for not more than two years or to the Lyman school for boys, and, if a girl, to the state industrial school for girls, unless such child is placed on probation as provided in section seven.
Section 13. Truant officers shall inquire into all cases arising under the provisions of sections one and six of chapter forty-four and sections three, four and five of this chapter, and may make com- plaints and serve legal processes issued under the provisions of this chapter. They shall have the oversight of children placed on pro- bation under the provisions of section seven. A truant officer may apprehend and take to school, without a warrant, any truant or ab- sentee found wandering about in the streets or public places thereof.
8
SCHOOL REPORT
CHAPTER 106.
Section 28. No child under the age of fourteen years shall be employed in any factory, workshop or mercantile establishment. No such child shall be employed at work performed for wages or other compensation, to whomsoever payable, during the hours when the public schools of the city or town in which he resides are in ses- sion, nor be employed at work before six o'clock in the morning or after seven o'clock in the evening.
9
TOWN OF ACTON.
67th Annual Report of the School Committee.
To the Citizens of Acton :
In our report for last year we stated that the South primary school was seriously overcrowded. During the spring term following the publication of that report there were in this school, distributed in three grades, fifty-six pupils, a much greater number than one teacher can properly instruct or care for under such conditions and a number which occupied every available inch of floor space in the room.
It was impossible to relieve the situation, either by the em- ployment of an assistant or by the establishment of another school, since the school building was already fully occupied, while suitable accommodations for another school outside of the building were not to be had. With these conditions confronting us at the beginning of the fall term there seemed open but a single course, viz., to re- strict the numbers of the entering class, and this course was adopted. No first-grade pupils under the age of six years were admitted to the school in September, yet with numbers thus restricted there were present during the opening days of the term forty-one pupils-an attendance which has been since maintained-while fifteen or six- teen children of five years of age were necessarily and regretfully ex- cluded from school privileges which they should rightfully enjoy and which children of like age in other parts of the town do enjoy.
The lack of accommodations for the schools at South Acton has engaged the attention of your committee and has been made the subject matter of their reports at more or less frequent intervals for . many years.
In their report for 1898 they wrote as follows :
" The great number of pupils in the Primary school at South Acton, seconded by an urgent and unanimous appeal from the par- ents of the pupils attending this school, compelled the appointment of an assistant teacher in January of this year.
10
SCHOOL REPORT
An Intermediate school should be established in South Acton, thereby permitting a reduction in the number of grades in the several rooms of the common schools, but no action in this direc- tion can well be taken until the necessary accommodations shall have been provided.
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