USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1862-1866 > Part 26
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As for the bridges, there are fourteen across the stream in the territory under consideration. Three of these the city had no agency in building. The one at Temple street was located and built by the city. The one at Front street was also probably built by the public, and in rebuilding a few years since, the present permanent structure is said to have been built much more narrow than its original width. Of the re- maining nine, it is believed nearly, if not all of them were at first built by private enterprise, and since the city has assumed their supervision and maintainance, nothing has been done by the public, except to enlarge and improve them.
These bridges though they may possibly hinder the unin-
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terrupted flow of the stream, yet there is not one of them that has ever been known to be overflown.
It is charged that its present bed has been much filled up through the faults of the city. 'Tis true the stream is very much filled up; but a very slight examination of the contents of the present bed, will reveal the fact that the citizens living upon its banks, have for years made it the grand receptacle of every conceivable cast off rubbish, of the household and the workshop. The question then comes to this; here are obstructions in and upon this stream which impede the free flow of large quantities of water at certain seasons of the year, in such manner as to damage and injure the property of individuals located and doing business in this vicinity. This section contains a large amount of our wealth, and of our wealth-producing instrumentalities, and by the enterprise of these agencies, and the easy carelessness of individuals living along its borders, these very obstructions have been accumula- ted and are constantly accumulating, independent of any public action whatever. To remove all these, and so improve the stream as to effectually prevent and guard against any damage to private property from all extraordinary flows of water here- after, the city is called upon to come in and remedy what private forethought and prudence had before failed to do, through, perhaps, want of unity of action in the matter. Shall this be done wholly and solely at the public expense ?
Tis true this stream is and will remain the great natural common sewer of the city, and to relieve it of that important service by an adequate system of artificial sewerage capable of the same effective draining power, would incur an expense which would be a burden upon our citizens.
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As has been said the portion of the city most exposed to its bad influences by overflowage during freshets, lies along the low ground on its banks between Exchange and School streets. Between these points the stream is narrow and winding in its course, and only of capacity in its banks to carry aver- age high water.
The distance in the thread of the stream from a point in the stream on the west side of the Worcester and Nashua Railroad, to the point in the rear of the foundry of Wm. A. Wheeler, is about 1,775 feet, while the direct distance follow- ing directly along the westerly line of the railroad, is only about 850 feet, nearly 100 feet less than one-half the distance. The ground along this line is entirely above high water.
A careful examination of the subject, and a connection with the matter in a professional character, more or less intimate for the past ten or twelve years, leads to the conviction that this direction should ultimately be given the stream, thus re- lieving the section of the city west of it of all bad effects of its freshets. This project will have its objections and its claims. Its claim is, that by shortening and making a direct course for the water, together with the deepening and walling of the stream below this point would relieve this section of the evils now complained of. The main objections will be, taking the water from the estates which now have the use of it, the expense and the sewerage. The diversion cannot sub- ject the contiguous estates to so much loss as the annual over- flow. The sewerage would have to be supplied by extending the School and Thomas street sewers to its new location, and by suitably providing for the sewerage of Central and Ex- change streets.
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The matter of expense would not be much different from enlarging, walling and settling damages upon the present stream, providing the arrangement for the new channel should be so made with the parties owning the land through which it would pass, that the channel be allowed to be built over by these several parties. In the event of making the change the city would have two bridges less to maintain than at present.
As the adjustment of this matter must sometime be made, and probably at no distant day, these suggestions are made to direct the public attention to this form of solving the difficulty. Should these suggestions be deemed worthy of consideration, in order to carry them into effect, it would become necessary to apply to the Legislature for the passage of an act conferring full power upon the city to act in the premises, and also for the full control of the entire stream afterwards, as well as for appointment of an able commission of persons not residents of the city to whom all questions arising under the act should be referred for their adjudication ; among the most important of which questions would be, the division of the expense of making the improvement between individuals directly bene- fited thereby, and the city.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
It is a matter of gratitude, that this eminently important and valuable protective department is represented as never more harmoniously or effectively organized and equiped, than at the present time.
The constant calls of the government for men during the year has been met so patriotically by the firemen, that much effort has had to be displayed by the Engineers and leading men in the department to keep the companies filled. This
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however by their tact, skill and energy they have successfully accomplished.
The department is composed of 272 men including the Board of Engineers, organized into eleven companies consist- ing of four hand engines, two steamers, two hook and ladder, and three hose companies.
The entire department has just been re-organized for the first time under an alteration of the charter changing the financial and official year from May to January in each year, so that now the department commences its year with the beginning of the year like all the others. During the year some new regulations have been made by ordinance which are said to be of much benefit in the management of the organization.
The engine house on Front street has been enlarged which gives ample accommodations for the two steamers. The cost of this enlargement will be about $6000.
The engine house in Lincoln square needs repairing. This building is rented of the Worcester Gas Light Co. for a long term of years. The proposition has heretofore been discussed to terminate the lease by an equitable arrangement, and then build a house in this vicinity to supply the deficiency.
Heretofore at and about the City Hose House on Main street, there are and have been certain nuisances committed, much to the annoyance of the Company, to which your at- tention will be called with a view to the removal of the same. Aside from thesc matters and the purchase of 1000 feet of new hose, which the Board of Engineers will recommend, there is little else for your attention in the department outside of the ordinary and customary duties demanded by the usual wants required in its legitimate maintainance.
There has been thirty-two alarms since June 1864, the
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same destroying property to the estimated value of $39,700. The appropriation for its maintainance and for 1000 feet of new hose has been, $19,450 For new house, 5,500
Amount appropriation, $24,950
Expenditures are about the amount of the appropriation, which includes the pay of the members from May 1st, 1863, to January 1st, 1865.
CHARITIES.
The expenditures for these form no small item in the annu- al expenditures of the City; giving us a practical illustration that the poor we have always with us.
In 1864 the City Council appropriated $9000 for these purposes. Receipts from all other sources $2976.38. Total $11,976.38. And the expenditures of the Board of Over- seers amounted to $13,618.07. The income from the sale of farm products not required for the support of the family and inmates and the members of the Truant School, have been $1752.73, which is the largest amount realized from the sales of its products in any single year since the establishment of the Alms House. The average number supported upon the farm for the past year has been twenty-seven.
The outbuildings have been much improved the past year which accounts for the large expenditure of the department, by the erection of a new piggery and woodshed, at a cost of $1300, most of the material for which has been taken from the farm and much of the labor has been furnished by the inmates, and hence those buildings have not drawn largely upon the appropriations made for its support.
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The farm is now said to be in most excellent condition and much improved within the two past years.
The amount of means expended in aid of the destitute within the city not residents of the Alms House for the year has been $7457.21, and has been furnished to 2110 persons.
This branch of the charitable duties are most delicate, and in some instances very embarrassing, requiring at times keen perceptions and a nice discrimination, coupled with patient inquiry and investigation, to defeat the designs of the impos- ter, and so to relieve real want as neither to offend the quickened sensibility, or degrade the true self respect of the applicant.
HOPE CEMETERY.
The present mode of conducting the financial affairs of this department is to set aside the entire proceeds of sales of lots to form a fund from which such sums may be annually drawn as are sufficient for the careful keeping and improvement of these sacred grounds. This form of conducting its affairs seems to commend itself to the principles of sound wisdom, and to be of such value as to merit permanency in all its future management. The accumulated fund now amounts to $2086.71, which is the amount which has been set aside since 1862. The number of lots sold last year was sixty-nine. Amount realized and added to the fund $1033. The amount drawn by the Commissioners for expenditures has been about $550.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The appropriation for this department the
$9,000.00
past year was,
1,834.30
Earnings of Assistant Marshals,
371.20
Witness fees of Watchmen,
125.00
Amount received for special services,
Amount, $11,330.50
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EXPENDITURES.
Salary of Marshal, 1,500.00
" Assistant Marshals, 1,646.75
Pay Roll of Watchmen,
7,133.25
Pay Roll of Extra Police,
69.00
Miscellaneous Expenses,
376.90
Amount,
$10,716.90
Leaving an unexpended balance of $613.60.
The whole number of arrests made during the year have been 1420, being 106 less than those made in 1863. Of this number 972 have been complained of before the Police Court, being 52 less than in 1863.
At the station during the year there has been furnished food and lodging to 631 poor persons.
The Police force now consists of a Marshal and two Assist- ants, a Captain of the watch and eight watchmen.
The salaries of the Marshals and pay of the entire police force has been raised the past year in accordance with the recommendation of my predecessor in his inaugural one year ago. The reason then given for the recommendation in order "to fairly compensate the talent and services and high charac- ter which are required for these responsible trusts" as applied to the Chief Marshal and his assistants, and "to correspond with the present high rates of living" and that all their time might belong to the City whether by night or by day, as ap- plied to the police seems based upon sound principles of busi- ness transactions and I can see no reason for any change.
In looking over the Inaugurals of many of my predecessors there is found a remarkable degree of unanimity of opinion upon the objects to be aimed at in the administration of the
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Police department, and relative to the character of the men who should be placed there as the agents by, and through which its affairs should be conducted.
These correct and just opinions are summed up in few words. The protection of individual and private rights, the certain detection, correction, prevention or punishment ·of crime as the object; and as to the agent that he shall be a man of such respectability and integrity that he shall have no sympathy with the wrong-doer, and that in private life his conduct shall not reproach his official acts. To these general propositions every fair minded person must assent.
But the effectual attainment of the objects for which the appointments are made, is found most difficult amidst all the weaknesses and frailties to which human agents are subject. On reflection it cannot be surprising that our Police force are sometimes remiss in the performance of their customary du- ties in a community where sometimes the highest talent are at times engaged in questionable causes, the conscience being quieted by the advantage gained or the remuneration offered. And may not much of the difficulty of getting true men for these places, be attributed to the influence of that unhealthy moral sentiment which pervades the community, that a man may be and is often justified in a wrong act if he is only paid for it. Here gentlemen there is a difficulty, but we must do the best we can with such materials as we can reasonably command. And in these appointments, like my predecessors, my sole aim will be to fill the offices with men who are best suited to the duties devolving upon them, and with none others. And if unsuitable men are selected it will be because I either misjudge or am deceived by the information upon
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which I base the nomination. And further, no man will re- ceive an appointment by my direction in whom I have not confidence that he will cheerfully and willingly execute the laws of this commonwealth against wrong doers in that spirit of equity and justice between man and man, and for those moral ends for which the Statutes were framed.
FINANCES.
The appropriations made for city purposesin 1864, amounted to $173,500, being $33,129.25 over those of 1863.
The State tax for 1864, was $47,784. The County tax for 1864 was $19,454.44 The entire valuation of the City is now $16,382,000 ; upon that valuation was assessed in 1864, a City, County, and State tax of $227,556.47, being $13,240.67 over the tax assessed in 1863.
Of these appropriations $120,350 have been applied to the ordinary expenses of the government ; the remaining $31,500 to its special and extraordinary expenses.
Balance remaining in the Treasury at the commencement of the year, $9,966.60.
Income during the year from rents, water rates, licenses, city farm and pauper department, school fund, &c., about $10,000.
Received from uncollected taxes of previous years, about $2700.
There now remains on hand in the City Treasury an unex- pended balance of about $9,000.
Amount of uncollected taxes from all previous years, con- sidered good, about $5,500.
The Treasurer has had to borrow $149,700 during the year. Of this amount $89,000 has been to pay for the construction
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of Lynde Brook Aqueduct. This has all been secured at the lowest market rates.
The City debt stands now as follows :
City debt proper,
$89,140.07
War debt, -
160,705.77
Water script,
- 88,701.79
Library debt, - - -
2,637.07
Deposited for recruits
-
1,525.00
Temporary loan, ·-
21,650.00
Amount, $364,459.70
Due from State for State Aid, $51,000
Recruiting account, deposited, 1,625
Corporation Tax, due from State,
21,500
$74,125.00
Debt, $290,334.70
Gentlemen of the City Council :- Such is a brief outline of the present state of municipal affairs. To these duties we are called by the generous confidence or acquiescence of our fellow- men, who expect of us candor and fairness of administration for the public good. You are asked to go to these duties with a single aim and purpose to perform them for the great end for which all human government is established, according to your best judgment and ability. Remembering always that acts, not words make up the great staple of human his- tory, and that either our good or bad acts in a public capacity will long outlive in their consequences for good or evil in kind the brief term of our present office. Let us strive, hindred by no party rivalry and petty jealousy, to obey the great law of human progress, and leave the municipal affairs if we can, one year better than we found them.
ADDRESS OF HON. D. WALDO LINCOLN, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF WORCESTER,
ON TAKING LEAVE OF THE CITY COUNCIL,
SATURDAY EVENING, DEC. 31, 1864.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL:
In taking leave of those with whom I have been so inti- mately and pleasantly associated in office during the last two years, I but follow the custom of my predecessors, if I briefly review the leading measures that have engaged our attention during that time. The circumstances under which, at the municipal election in 1863, the Mayor, the whole board of Aldermen, (with the exception of a single member who de- clined a re-election), and a majority of the members of the council were re-elected to office, by an almost unanimous vote of the people, and the identity of policy which has been pursued by the government, have made our two years of administration, one in everything except the tenure of office. Most of the important measures which have occupied our time and atten- tion during the present, were commenced and planned in the preceding year. I need not call to your recollection the urgency of the work of recruiting in January last, which was
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scarcely interrupted to permit the ordinary formalities of the inauguration of the new government to take place; nor the manner in which the great scheme of water supply, which has been executed this year, was planned and prepared for execu- tion by ourselves during our first term of office. Never in the history of our municipal government, have so few chan- ges been made of our public officers, either by election or ap- pointment, as in the present year. We entered upon our second term of public service in an era of good feeling. I am hap- py to learn that here at least, nothing has occurred to disturb that harmony and confidence and mutual attachment, which have been strengthened with every new day of official inter- course. My review of the acts of our administration will almost necessarily include some of the measures of both years.
Our most important and responsible duties have been those relating to the war. During the two years that the govern- ment has been in our hands, our city has furnished, including re-enlistments, sixteen hundred men to the military and naval service of the country, exclusive of the general naval credits which have been assigned to it, being our proportion of the four calls for 1,200,000 men. Thirteen hundred of them have been raised during the present year. The amount paid by the city in bounties during the year, has been $55,885. The sum paid by the city for recruiting, for the reception of our returning regiments, and other expenses growing out of the war, has been about $4500. In addition to this, there are the voluntary contributions of our citizens and of the en- rolled men, for the purpose of filling our quotas, which amounted in January last to $10,817, and in July to $51,242. There is still to be added the bounties paid by sixty of our
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citizens to substitutes, averaging not less than $500 each, and making $30,000. The gross contributions of our city and citizens for the war, during the year have been thirteen hun- dred men, and $152,474. One thousand and fifty of these volunteers were the young men of our own city, only two hundred and fifty having been obtained abroad. Your appro- priations for war expenses, and the moneys received applica- ble thereto, during the year, have been $33,544, so that the war debt has only been increased the moderate sum of $28,000 or $30,000. It is owing to your generous appropriations, and to your firm and steady refusal to over-step in your official action the limits and restraints of the law, that this gratifying result has been obtained. Fifty thousand dollars have been advanced as state aid, being nine thousand dollars more than in 1863.
This simple statement of facts is the best tribute I can render to your fidelity to your duties and to the patriotism of our people. I feel it my duty to say here, that in the prompt- ness with which our young men have responded to the call of their country, and rallied around its flag; in the zeal, the personal efforts and pecuniary sacrifices which our people have so generously and so cheerfully made, I have seen no differ- ence in members of the different sects or parties. The blood of all has alike flowed and their treasure has alike been poured into one common fund for the general good.
The liberal provision made by you in 1863 for the erection of new school houses has prevented any extraordinary outlay in the school department during the present year. You have been called upon to increase the salaries of the teachers, to correspond in some degree with the increased cost of living,
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and have not hesitated to do that act of justice to this impor- tant class of our public servants. The additional expense of the department for salaries, has been about $4500.
An important change was made at the close of the last year in the organization of the fire department, which had long been desired and often recommended. From the fact that the administration which should effect the change, would voluntarily assume the payment of eight additional months' service of the firemen, it was a measure more apt to be rec- ommended than adopted. It was sufficient for you to know that the change was a wise one, and demanded by public policy, to secure your favor. The additional expense thus imposed upon the government this year, has been about $4500. You have purchased a lot and built a house at a cost of $6000, for the new steamer which was purchased and paid for by you in 1863. The pay of the firemen has also been increased. A new hose carriage and 1000 feet of new hose, costing to- gether about $1800 have also been bought and paid for. By these extraordinary demands, the expenditures of the depart- ment have been swelled to the large sum of $25,000. Butit is a gratifying fact, that never has the department been in more wise, prudent and vigorous hands, nor has there ever been more entire harmony and cordiality between all its mem- bers and every other branch of the government. A wilfully false alarm of fire has scarcely been known during the last two years.
The highways of the city have received their ordinary care, the greater necessity for extraordinary expenditures in the other departments, having been considered a sufficient reason for not engaging in any very expensive improvements upon
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our streets. The purchase of a valuable gravel pit in 1863, the pavement of Pleasant street to West street commenced last year and completed the present season, the pavement of a portion of Carlton street, extensive alterations and a new bridge on Beaver street, are among the more important permanent improvements which have been effected.
The claims of the poor have received the careful attention of the proper officers. Two large and valuable buildings, one of them designed for a granary and piggery, and the other for a wood-house have been erected at the alms house during the year, and have supplied a want long felt at that establishment. The cost of these buildings would not have been less than $1200 or $1300, if the materials had all been purchased. The addition of from twelve to fifteen truant boys to the fami- ly, and the greatly increased cost of every article of consump- tion, have necessarily increased the expenses of the establish- ment. Its management has, in my judgement, been faithful and satisfactory. It will be recollected that a tract of valua- ble wood-land, connected with the city farm, which had not been entered upon for many years, was brought to light dur- ing the last year. It is somewhat remarkable, that another treasure trove of a similar character, has been discovered the present year. An order was passed by the Board of Alder- men in 1863, directing the city clerk to collect all the deeds in which the city was a party as grantor or grantee, and to copy them in a book of city records, in which all future deeds given or received by the city, should also be recorded. The wisdom of that measure is sufficiently apparent. One of its results is the discovery of a tract of fourteen acres of young wood-land in the town of Shrewsbury, of which no person
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connected with the alms house or the city government seems to have had any knowledge, and which is worth from $500 to $700.
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