USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1856-1861 > Part 38
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161
1856.
MAYOR, Isaac Davis.
ALDERMEN, Benj. F. Heywood, Joseph P. Hale," Henry Prentice, James S. Woodworth, Samuel V. Stone, Calvin Willard,t Calvin Foster, Wm. S. Lincoln.
CITY CLERK, Samuel Smith.
1857.
COMMON COUNCIL.
Ward 3,
Ward 6,
PRESIDENT,
Henry D. Stone,
George M. Rice.
Calvin E. Pratt.
Henry Earl,
Ward 1,
Ward 4,
Austin Flint,
Charles B. Pratt,
Henry P. Nichols,
Rufus O. Williams,
Charles H. Ballard.
Elisha F. Witt.
Ward 2,
Ward 5,
Oran A. Kelley,
John S. Gustin,
Ransom M. Gould, IT
Daniel Tainter.
Patrick O'Keefe, Samuel V. Stone.
CLERK, William A. Smith.
1858.
MAYOR, Isaac Davis.
COMMON COUNCIL.
Ward 3,
Ward 6,
PRESIDENT,
Samuel C. Richards, John S. Gustin,
Elijah B. Stoddard.
Lyman Brown.
ALDERMEN, Benj. F. Heywood, Draper Ruggles,
Ward 1,
Ward 4,
Charles H. Ballard,
Elisha F. Witt,
T. W. Hammond,os F. C. Bigelow.tt
Samuel Hathaway, Alvan Allen.
Aury G. Coes, Edwin Morse.
Ward 2,
Ward 5,
Joshua M. C. Armsby,Levi Barker,
Moore M. Chaffin, George H. Ward,
Lucius W. Pond. Samuel V. Stone.
CLERK, Wm. A. Smith.
1859.
MAYOR, Alexander H. Bullock.
COMMON COUNCIL,
Ward 3,
Ward 6,
ALDERMEN,
Alexander Thayer, Joshua M. C. Armsby, Jonas Bartlett,
Ward 1,
Ward 4,
Pliny Holbrook, .
Henry P. Nichols, William Adams,
Isaac Goddard,
Ransom M. Gould. Appleton Dadmun.
Lorin Coes,
D. Waldo Lincoln, David S. Messinger.
Ward 2,
Ward 5,
Lucius W. Pond,
A. B. R. Sprague, John Barnard.
John Simmons, Henry Murray,1 Samuel V. Stone. CLERK, William A. Smith.
CITY CLERK, Samuel Smith.
PRESIDENT,
Henry D. Stone,
George M. Rice.
Charles Bowen.
Ward 1,
Ward 4,
David Hitchcock,į
Austin Flint, George H. Tufts.
Ward 2,
Ward 5,
Ransom M. Gould,
John S. Gustin,
George Spaulding, Oran A. Kelley.
Levi Barker, George H. Ward.
Ward 6,
Dana H. Fitch, Lorin Wetherell, Thomas Pierce.
Ward 7, George M. Rice,
Albert P. Ware, John C. Jaques.
Ward 8, William Dickinson, Charles W. Freeland, Joseph P. Cheney.
CLERK, William A. Smith.
MAYOR, Geo. W. Richardson.
ALDERMEN,
William A. Wheeler, Henry Prentice, John P. Southgate, Francis Strong, Albert Curtis, Charles White, Henry Goulding.
CITY CLERK, Samuel Smith.
Edwin Draper, Sylvanus Pratt, Joel Davis.
Ward 7,
George M. Rice, Aury G. Coes, Horatio N. Tower. Ward 8, William M. Bickford, Joshua M. C. Armsby, Samuel H. Leonard.
James H. Wall, Joseph Boyden, George S. Barton. Ward 7, Elijah B. Stoddard,
Henry Prentice,|| Pliny Holbrook, Wm. B. Fox, Jr., Thomas Pierce, D. Waldo Lincoln, David S. Messinger.
Ward 8, Henry C. Rice, Joseph D. Daniels, Martin Lathe.
CITY CLERK, Samuel Smith.
Lyman Brown,
PRESIDENT,
James E. Estabrook,
John W. Wetherell. Walter Henry.
Timo'y W. Hammond, Charles B. Pratt,
Edwin Draper, George S. Barton, Dana H. Fitch. Ward 7, Edwin Morse, Aury G. Coes, Samuel R. Heywood. Ward 8, John W. Wetherell, Geo. A. Chamberlain, William Greenleaf.
" Resigned, Edward Lamb elected. 1 Declined, James H. Wall elected. ¿ Resigned, Henry Earl elected. TNot filled. ||Resigned, Jonas Bartlett elected. 00 Ransom M. Gould elected. tt Resigned, Pardon W. Aldrich elected.
16
COMMON COUNCIL. Ward 3,
Jason Temple,
Samuel D. Harding, Charles B. Pratt, Moses Taft.
Jason Temple,
ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1860.
LEONARD R. HUDSON, Chief Engineer. ALVIN T. BURGESS, Clerk.
ASSISTANT ENGINEERS, Israel N. Keyes, Alvin T. Burgess, Alonzo M. Barrows, Smith Quimby, Alzirus Brown, Silas J. Brimhall.
ENGINE.
FOREMAN.
1ST ASSISTANT.
2D ASSISTANT.
CLERK.
1.
R. M. Gould,
L. W. Sturtevant, John Gunn,
S. E. Combs,
J. Q. Adams. Austin Ward. P. English.
3,
S. A. Goodspeed,
G. N. Rawson,
C. Russell, G. F.Gill,
G. F. Newton. J. B. Alden.
6,
E. B. Fairbanks,
E. A. Harkness, Wm. Lawrence,
J. M. Wood,
HOSE.
1,
2,
3,
E. Combs, Wm. Kickam, T. Painter,
C. P. Woodbury, E. L. Holcomb, D. D. Allen,
T. Burdick. H. Quimby. W. H. Eldred.
HOOK & LADDER. 1. 2,
O. W. Tucker, Wm. A. Swallow,
C. Odlin, M. Russell,
J. McCombe. A. S. Putnam.
2,
F. White,
J. L. Sutton,
5,
F. W. Townsend,
City Document, Ho. 15.
R
352044INAUGURAL ADDRESS W 922c 1860 OF
HON. ISAAC DAVIS,
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WORCESTER,
JANUARY 7. 1861.
WITH THE
ANNUAL REPORTS.
OF THE
SEVERAL CITY OFFICERS,
FOR THE
MUNICIPAL YEAR, ENDING JAN. 7, 1861.
WORCESTER: PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL. 1861.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
The Mayor's Inaugural Address, -
5
Mayor Rice's Valedictory Address, 26
Report of the City Treasurer, - - 33
Account of Receipts and Expenditures, - 39
Schedule of the City Property, -
Amount of City Debt, - -
72 77
High School Medal Fund, - 77
Free Public Library Scrip, - 77 Report of the School Committee, 79 -
List of School Teachers, with their Salaries, - 110 -
Report of Directors of Free Public Library, - 112
Report of the Commissioners of Hope Cemetery, - 121 -
Report of Commissioner of Highways, -
-
129
Report of the Chief Engineer, -
132
Report of the Aqueduct Commissioner, 140
Report of the City Marshal, 142
Report of the Overseers of the Poor, 145
Government and Officers of the City of Worcester,
148
Members of the City Council from 1848 to 1860, - 156
CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY.
TREASURER'S OFFICE, CITY OF WORCESTER, APRIL, 1861. TO PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY.
Bills presented for the action of the Auditor of Accounts, must specify what the article or articles sold were for- when for labor, where it was performed, number of days and price per day, unless otherwise agreed upon. When there are charges belonging to different departments, separate bills must be made, including only charges belonging to each department.
FALL BILLS MUST SPECIFY THE DATE OF THE SEVERAL CHARGES.
Claimants should carefully note the name of the person who orders the article or service, and should enquire to what department the charge shall be made, and should also know that the person is duly authorized to make contracts. Unless this is done, the claimant will be put to the trouble of making out his account the second time, and run the risk of losing it.
When bills are certified to, as per Ordinance 70 (below), they can be left at the Treasurer's or Auditor's Office, before 2 o'clock, P. M., on or before the first Saturday of each month, except bills at the close of the year, which must be left on or before December 25th.
Those who attend to the above, will find their bills audited and ready at the Treasurer's Office, who will pay them promptly at the times designated below.
TIMES OF PAYMENT.
Salaries of the City Officers, and Teachers in the permanent Schools, on the first day of each quarter.
Salaries of Watchmen, on the first day of each month.
Salaries of Firemen, on the 15th day of May.
All other bills on the 10th of each month.
When the above days come on Sundays, payment will be made the next day.
And persons having claims are requested to call promptly for their money ON THE DAY DESIGNATED.
GEORGE W. WHEELER, City Treasurer.
Treasurer's Office in City Hall Building.
" PARTICULAR NOTICE. A
AUDITOR'S OFFICE, April, 1861.
All persons having claims against the City, are hereby reminded, that agreeably to an established rule, all bills, in order that they may be ready for payment on the 10th, must be left with the Treasurer or Auditor, on or before the first Saturday of each month, except bills at the close of the year, which must be left on or before December 25th, before 2 o'clock, P. M. Those who fail to comply with this rule, will have to wait till the following month before their bills will be ready for payment.
PART OF ORDINANCE 70.
"SECTION 2. No account or Claim against the City, other than judgments of the Judicial Courts, shall be received or acted on by the Auditor on Accounts, unless such account or claim shall be accompanied with a certificate of the Mayor, Com- mittee, or Agent of the proper Certifying Officer of each department, as the case may be, certifying the same to be correct ; otherwise, the same shall not be received nor acted upon by him."
GILL VALENTINE, Auditor.
Office corner Main and Park streets.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
.
Gentlemen of the Board of Aldermen,
and Gentlemen of the Common Council :
OUR Fellow Citizens have selected us, by their suffrages, to assume the administration of the municipal affairs of the city, for the current year. We have taken the oaths required by the charter, solemnly pledging ourselves before God, to the faithful performance of the duties of our respective stations. The duties and responsibilities, which we have assumed, will require much time, prudence, energy and wisdom, in order that we may discharge them with fidelity, and to the satisfaction of our constituents.
At the commencement of a new year, the first sentiment which impresses itself upon the mind, is gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the continuance of the blessings of his Providence upon the inhabitants of our beloved city. During the past year, the earth has yielded her increase, manufactures and the industrial pursuits have been prose- cuted with vigor and success, and have afforded a fair re- muneration for the capital invested. Yet within a few weeks confidence is shaken, business is paralyzed, our monetary system is deranged, the merry shuttle is ceasing to dance to the music of our water-falls, the busy hum of industry is dying away in the shops of mechanics and arti-
2
6
zans, many industrious citizens are thrown out of employ- ment and exposed to chill penury and want, and we are threatened with Bankruptcy, and all its attendant evils. This gloomy condition of affairs, is not confined to our city, but exists in a greater or less degree in our sister cities throughout the Country. If we seek for the cause of these sudden and disastrous results, we shall find it attrib- utable to the fact that our glorious Union is in danger of dissolution. The causes which have brought our Country into this position, it would not be proper here to discuss. But if we would see again that prosperity which was so apparent and real a few months since, we as citizens, as patriots, irrespective of all party considerations, should take the Constitution, the charter of our liberties, for our guide, the peace, prosperity and happiness of all the citi- zens of our beloved Country, for our aim, and in the spirit of conciliation, seek to preserve and perpetuate the best Government a kind Providence ever bestowed on any people.
Gentlemen of the City Council :
It has been customary on occasions like the present, for the chief Executive officer of the city, to present to the two branches of the City Council some of the principal subjects which will, in the performance of their official duties, claim their careful consideration and thorough in- vestigation.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The history of our Commonwealth informs us that the system of free schools was sustained for nearly two cen- turies, directly by the people without special care or direct aid from the State. In consequence of great changes in
7
the population, and in many cases, a neglect to avail them- selves of the advantages of education, patriotic and good men became alarmed, and the Legislature in 1834 estab- lished the School Fund, and in 1837 the Board of Educa- tion. In the last twenty years much has been done, by aid of the State, to elevate free and universal education in the Commonwealth. Our free schools, so important to the prosperity, good order and well being of our city, must be provided for with a liberal hand, in order to com- mand the best instruction. The profession of a Teacher is a noble one. A Teacher who has the skill and power to unfold the human mind, and give it full development, is entitled to, and will command, high regard and a liberal compensation. I recommend appropriations to be made for this department, sufficient to command first class teachers, in order that all the youth of the city, as they rise into manhood, may be fully qualified to exercise un- derstandingly, the great rights of citizenship in a free Goverment. Wise and good men of the State were so strongly impressed with the importance of fully preparing all the youth of the State for the great duties of good citi- zens, that they by solemn enactment incorporated the duties of Teachers into the Statutes of the Commonwealth. If Teachers and Instructors of youth in our Public schools would sacredly and religiously observe, and carry into full effect, the requisitions of Law, we should have less occa- sion for Reform Schools, Prisons and Penitentiaries, and we might reasonably expect soon to see a marked improve- ment in the peace, harmony, and good order of our city, and a more exalted and elevated patriotism among our citizens.
The city has now twenty-three school-houses, most of which are thoroughly and substantially built, and are fitted
8
up with all the modern improvements, and will accommo- date comfortably about 3700 scholars.
The average daily attendance for the year 1859 was 3140. The average daily attendance for the year 1860 was about 3500. The City Government have hired a school-house the past year in Temple Street at an annual rent of $300. This lease will terminate in September next. It may be necessary for the accommodation of all the scholars in some portions of the city, to make further outlays for school accommodations. Although the average daily attendance for the past year has been but about 3500, still the number of scholars upon the Registers of the schools has been about 5000. Owing to the great extent of our city, there are and will be, school houses in certain localities, which are not filled by scholars living within reasonable distance, while others are crowded with scholars in the immediate vicinity, and are too small to afford accommodations to all who may desire to attend.
The appropriations and expenditures for the Public schools, and the number of minors between the ages of 5 and 15 years, for the three years last past, are as follows :
Appropriation.
Expenditures.
No. of Minors between 5 and 15 years.
1858,
$28,000
$30,504
4078
1859,
30,000
35,390
4160
1860,
33,000
about 33,500
4820
By this table it appears that in three years, the minors between the ages of 5 and 15 years, have increased 742, and this increase has been principally in the Centre district, where there has been no school-house erected for four years. Should it be necessary to construct a new school house for the accommodation of the scholars in the Centre district, I recommend one to be erected on the lot owned by the city on Salem Street. This lot of land fronts on
9
Salem and Orange Streets, and contains between 12,000 and 13,000 square feet of land. A house erected upon this lot for the accommodation of four schools, with two en- trances on Salem Street and two on Orange Street, might be constructed for $6,000, or $7,000, relieving in a great measure the present pressure for room. Another year it may be necessary to make an enlargement to the school house on Walnut Street, and also to build a school house in Pleasantville for the accommodation of two schools.
Should this suggestion receive your favorable considera- tion, I recommend your immediate attention to this subject, in order that a school house may be finished by the first of September next, to take, the schools which are now in a leased building, which must be surrendered at the ter- mination of the lease.
It appears by the foregoing table, that the expenses of schools the past year, exceed the appropriation only about $500. This is a gratifying fact. Much credit is due to the Superintendent for the order, system, and economy which he has introduced into the prudential affairs of the schools in the city. Reform is needed in the Salaries or the Teachers, not however to interfere with the salaries of present Teachers. The system now is to give a new and untried Teacher the same Salary as one who has ex- perience, and who is known to be well qualified. All new Teachers should enter upon their duties with a less salary, until they have fully shown, by actual experiment, that they are fully qualified. This system is adopted in many of our sister cities with eminent success.
The liberal endowment made by the Hon. Alex. H. Bullock in 1859, to be set apart for the encouragement of merit in scholarship, and deportment, in the High School in Worcester, is already producing most satisfactory re-
10
1
sults. From the income of this fund, the School Com- mittee have established
Four medals for excellence in
Four 66 66 66 66
Four 66
66
66
66
Four 66 66
66
Deportment. Classical Studies. Mathematics. English Studies.
66 Also medals for excellence in Composition, Declama- tion, Reading and French. These medals have excited a laudable ambition among the pupils, and given a new impetus to their progress in the different branches of study.
Our Public schools necessarily require a large outlay, and appropriations should be made sufficient to give that amount of mental and moral culture to the youth of our city, which will enable them to discharge understandingly their social and civil duties.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
We have in our city the library of the American Anti- quarian Society, containing 30,000 volumes, among which are many rare and valuable works. This is a library of consultation. We have, also, many large private libraries of great value. Our Free Public Library is of recent ori- gin. On the 21st of November, 1859, Doct. John Green, a native of the city, and for many years a distinguished and eminent physician, presented to the city his valuable library, now containing over 8,000 volumes. On the same day, the directors of the Lyceum and Library Association made a present of their library to the city, containing about 3,500 volumes. Since then, the liberal donations of individuals and the purchases of the city have increased the books about 3,000 volumes, making the library to con- tain at the present time between 14,000 and 15,000 vol-
11
umes. This library is now mostly in the large hall in the Bank Block on Foster street.
Thus, in the short period of little more than a year, the city is possessed of a large and valuable library, open to all, high or low, rich or poor, native or foreign, under the rules and regulations of the Directors.
A lot on Elm street was purchased and paid for by the City Council, in 1859, for a site for the library building, at an expense of $5,000. The City Council, early in the past year, contracted with Messrs. H. & A. Palmer for the erection of a library building at a cost of $19,040. The exterior of the building is nearly completed,-and the in- terior is to be finished by the first of June next. There have been various alterations, so that there will be extra bills, as I am informed by the contractor, of $1200. Then the shelving and furniture will cost from $2,000 to $2,500 more,-making the cost of the land and building about $27,500.
The new library building should have been constructed to have answered the purpose for at least thirty or forty years to come. Its arrangement is such that the books now owned by the city will nearly fill that portion of the building appropriated to the library. In looking over the plan of the building, I see that rooms are appropriated for the following purposes : a large room for a Vestry, a room for the Assessors, a large room for the Medical So- ciety, two rooms for the Society for Natural History, and one room for the Agricultural Society,-making six rooms, which take up nearly one-half of the building ; and these rooms are mostly separated by brick walls, which are necessary for the support of the building, so that if further accommodations for the library should, at a future day, be required, an enlargement would be very
12
difficult and expensive. The library accommodations seem to have been, in a measure, sacrificed to favor other societies which have never asked of the city accom- modations. If a building had been built simply for the library, and for its wants, till it had accumulated to 50,000 volumes, it might have been accomplished for about half the cost of the present building, and made fire-proof, and thus have saved a large outlay at the commencement, and the annual expense of insuring the library.
In April last, the City Council adopted an order author- izing the City Treasurer to issue bonds of the city, with cupons attached, for the sum of $16,000, towards defraying the expenses of erecting the library building. Subse- quently, the Council appropriated $4,000 towards accom- plishing the object. These bonds are redeemable, $4,000 this year and $4,000 each succeeding year till this library debt is extinguished. By this arrangement a debt against the city, in another name, is created for the sum of $16,000. In order to carry into effect this plan, projected by the wisdom of our predecessors, you will have to pro- vide for the $4,000 of the scrip, for interest on the library debt, and, also, for shelving and furnishing the library rooms,-making in all about $7,500 towards the library building this year, you having no voice in the plan or style of the building.
I recommend to you, gentlemen, that in all the contracts you make, to provide the means for their full execution, by paying the money or borrowing it, and adding it to the city debt, and thus assume the whole responsibility of the enterprise, so that your successors will have full opportu- nity, without being trammelled with your contracts, of managing the affairs of the city according to their best judgment.
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This subject, so far as providing the means for furnish- ing the library, will call for your early attention. For sustaining and upholding a good public library for the benefit of all the citizens, I recommend ample appropria- tions. The Directors of the Library will furnish you with a full and detailed report relative to the library.
WATER.
Plans for bringing water into the city have been agi- tated, more or less, in every City Council for the last eight or ten years. Various sources of supply have been sug- gested. Engineers have been employed, surveys have been taken and estimates made-much time and money expended without any practical results. Citizens in their individual capacity have made greater progress than the City Governments. In the vicinity of Union street, where good water could not be obtained by sinking wells in the usual form, enterprising citizens have sunk artesian wells and found copious supplies of pure and excellent water, at much less expense than it would cost to take the water from the City Aqueduct. These experiments demonstrate the fact that all the boilers to the engines in the vicinity of Union street could be supplied with pure water from artesian wells at a much less sum than they could be supplied from the City Aqueduct, at its present prices.
Among the various plans and projects which have been suggested to supply the city with water, are the following :
First. To take the water from Kettle Brook and Hen- shaw Pond in Leicester. The estimates to accomplish this object, made by a skillful engineer, were as follows : Distribution, $275,500 00 .. .. .. ..
Work at Henshaw Pond, ..
..
..
..
..
$8,820 00
Engineering and Contingencies,
..
..
..
..
28,680 00
Making, .. 3
..
..
..
..
. .
$313,000 00
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To be added, the cost of the site on Kettle Brook, and of Henshaw Pond, and consequent damages.
Second. To take the water from East Brook and Ket- tle Brook :
Distribution,
..
..
$230,000 00
Main from Kettle Brook and Outlets,
..
..
. .
44,000 00
To Gate House at Brook and Fixtures,
..
..
..
1,500 00
Reservoir at East Brook,
..
..
..
..
7,500 00
Engineering and Contingencies,
..
..
..
. .
28,000 00
Making, .. .. .. ..
..
..
..
$311,000 00
To be added, the cost of site and damage to mill owners.
Third. To take the water from Lake Quinsigamond :
Engine, Fixtures, &c., ..
..
..
..
..
$62,500 00
Pipe to Bell Pond, .. ..
..
..
..
..
39,750 00
Reservoir, . . ..
3,000 00
Pipe to Washington square, ..
16,940 00
Distribution,
232,500 00
Raising Dam at Quinsigamond,
..
..
. .
..
1,100 00
Engineering,
.. ..
..
..
..
..
35,210 00
Making, .. .. ..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
$391,000 00
Fourth. A bond was procured in June last, by the past City Government, of Edwin Waite, of Leicester, for the purchase of his farm, containing 130 acres, on or before the first day of April next, for the sum of $10,000. On this farm, it was contemplated to construct a dam across a small stream, called East Brook, and save from the water- shed of this stream sufficient water to supply the city of Worcester. The estimates for supplying the city with water from this source have never been fully completed.
These are the most prominent sources of supply of wa- ter, with estimates,-and to these estimates there should be added land damages and damages to mill owners. It should be borne in mind that we live in a section of the country where every waterfall is occupied to its fullest
15
extent. I am frank and free to say to you, gentlemen of the City Council, that I shall not recommend any of the above plans or projects ; still I have no doubt that at no distant day, water will be brought into our city if it con- tinues to prosper.
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