USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1867-1870 > Part 60
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Ward 7 .- WARDEN, Calvin L. Hartshorn. CLERK, Jas. E. Benchley. INSPECTORS, Henry H. Merriam, James R. Fish, George J. Morey.
Ward 8 .- WARDEN, A. D. Pratt. CLERK, Charles F. Herrick. INSPECTORS, William E. Starr, B. W. Potter, Woodbury C. Smith.
BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR 1870.
R. M. GOULD, Chief, Samuel H. Day, Clerk.
Wm. Brophy,
Assistant Engineers.
Wm. Knowles,
Alzirus Brown,
Samuel H. Day.
FIRE COMPANIES.
Rapid Engine Co. No. 2, William A. Tracy, Foreman, 40 men.
Hook and Ladder Co. 1, John W. Loring,
20 “
No. 2, Jeremiah Hennesy, 66 20
City Hose Co. No. 1,
Gilbert N. Rawson,
10 «
Ocean Hose Co. No. 2,
James Keegan, 10
Eagle No. 3,
Wm. Flynn,
10
Niagara No. 4,
Samuel Knowlton,
10
Yankee No. 5,
Daniel Hall,
10
Steamer Gov. Lincoln, 1,
Charles J. Guild,
12
Col. Davis, 2,
Patrick H. Carroll,
12
A. B. Lovell, 3,
Edwin Fisher,
12
Engineers,
5
171
City Document, N
R 352.07443 ADDRESS W9220 1870 OF
HON. HENRY CHAPIN,
MAYOR, AD INTERIM, OF THE
CITY OF WORCESTER,
JANUARY 2, 1871,
WITH THE
ANNUAL REPORTS
OF THIE
SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
FOR THE
MUNICIPAL YEAR ENDING JANUARY 2, 1871.
R
ER
A
TOWN
EBY.29.1848
UL.
UNE 14
14.172
WHITECMORE
WORCESTER : SNOW BROTHERS, CITY PRINTERS, 410 MAIN STREET. ·
1871.
CITY OF WORCESTER.
IN CITY COUNCIL, Jan. 9, 1871.
Ordered, That the City Clerk be, and he is hereby authorized to cause to be printed and bound fifteen hundred copies of "City Document." to be numbered 25, to contain the Mayor's Address, together with the An- nual Reports of the several Departments of the City Government. Attest,
SAMUEL SMITH. City Clerk.
--
CONTENTS.
*1. Mayor's Address,
Finanees 8; Schools and School Houses 9; Highways 12; Sidewalks 15; Mill Brook 16; Sewers 17; Water 19; Fire Department 19; Poliee 21; Charities 22; Taxation 24; Union Railroad Depot 26; Election of Mayor 27; General Remarks 27.
2. City Schools,
List of Committees for 1870 37; Superintendent's Report 41; Statistics,-I. Population. II. Valuation. III. School Houses. IV. Schools. V. Teachers. VI. Pupils. 42-44; New Buildings 46; Report on Meelianie Street Burying Ground 48; Ventilation 51; Sehools 55; School for Special Instruction 57; Report of Special Committee on Indus- trial and Mechanical Drawing 59; Teachers 64; Pianos and Libraries, 66; Attendance 67; Attendanee Compulsory 68; Massachusetts School Fund 71; In Memoriam 73; In Conclusion 73; Truant School Report and Rules 75; SECRETARY'S REPORT .- Re- sources and Expenditures 82; Number and Attendance in Schools 86; Nationality of Parents of Scholars 93; Absence and Tardiness 97; Schools, their Grade, Teachers and their Salaries 99; Number of Schools, Teachers and Salaries, and the expense for same from 1850 to 1870, 103; Location and Description of School Houses and Lots 104; Other Sehool Property 105; Cost of each School, the Average Cost per Seholar for Tuition only, and for Total Ordinary Expenditures 106; Roll of Honor 112; List of Committees for 1871, 123.
3. Free Public Library,
Report of Directors 7; Report of Committee on the Library 17; Report of Committee on the Reading Room 43; Report of Committee on the Building 45; Report of Treasurer of Reading Room Fund 47; Report of Finance Committee 49; Green Library Fund 51.
4. Overseers of the Poor.
5. Fire Department.
6. Shade Trees and Public Grounds.
7. Hope Cemetery.
8. Highways.
9 Police.
10. City Engineer.
11. Water Commissioner.
12. City Physician.
13. Report of Committee on Finance.
14. City Treasurer.
Schedule of City Property. City Government, 1871.
* Each Report is paged separately ; these figures indicate the order in which they occur in the Document.
'CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY.
TREASURER'S OFFICE, CITY OF WORCESTER, APRIL, 1871. TO PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY.
Bills presented for the action of the Auditor of Accounts, must specify what the article or arii- cles 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.
AGPALL 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 inquire to what department the charge shall be made, and should also know that the per- son 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 chapter 3. Revised Ordinances (below,) they can be left at the Treasurer's or Auditor's Office, before 2 o'clock P. M., on or before the THIRD DAY of each month, except bills at the close of the year, which must be left on or before Dec. 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 C.ty Officers, and Teachers in the permanent Schools, on the first day of each quarter.
Families of Soldiers, on the 24th day of each month.
Watchmen, on the first day of each month.
Firemen on the 15th of July and January.
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 TIIE DAY DESIG- NATED.
GEORGE W. WHEELER, City Treasurer.
PARTICULAR NOTICE.
AUDITOR'S OFFICE, APRIL, 1871.
All persons having claims against the City, are hereby reminded, that agreeably to an estab- lished 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 THIRD day of each month, except the closing bills of the year, which must be left on or before Dec. 25tli, 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.
CHAPTER 3, REVISED ORDINANCES. AUDITOR.
"SECTION 2. No Account or Claim against the City. other than Judgments of the Judicial Courts, shall be received or acted upon by him, unless such account or claim shall be accompa- nicd by a certificate of the Mayor, Committee, or other proper certifying officer of each depart- ment anthorized on behalf of the City to make the contract or cause the expenditure to be made, that the same is correct."
OFFICE NO. 1 CITY HALL.
CHAS. MARVIN, Auditor.
MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR, AD INTERIM,
HON. HENRY CHAPIN,
DELIVERED AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE CITY GOVERN- MENT, JANUARY 2, 1871.
Gentlemen of the Board of Aldermen and Gentlemen of the Common Council :-
Since the organization of the city, no city government has held its first meeting under circumstances like the present. At a time of unexampled prosperity and of remarkable unan- imity in the feeling of the people, when an election has been recently held which resulted in the choice of one in whom all hearts were united, and who was our confidence and our pride, we are called upon to organize the city government for the year 1871 amid the drapery of mourning, while the mourners go about the streets. When Mr. Blake was so triumphantly elected on the second Monday of December last, no one who knew him doubted that he would present at this time, a full and elaborate statement of the affairs of the city, and of the policy to be pursued during the year upon which we have entered. His views were so clear and well defined, and so peculiarly his own, that it is not to be expected that one who has taken the office merely ad interim, and in the midst of other engage- ments, can avail himself of the facts and circumstances suffi- cient to enable him to throw much light upon the various departments of the government. Indeed, I entertain very serious doubts as to whether it is desirable for me to make any attempt to address you at this time, further than to com-
8
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
plete the organization. Still I know there are many persons who may desire some general statement of the condition of our affairs, and by the aid of those who have been most immedi- ately connected with some of the important departments of the city government during the past year, I venture to make this brief address.
The first subject which naturally presents itself to us is our monetary condition.
FINANCES.
The rapid growth of the city during the last few years has created a demand for increased expenses in the administration of the government, which has been cheerfully met by our peo- ple. The convenience and safety of public travel, the means of public education, the protection of the health and morals of the people, the care of the poor, the introduction of pure water, the removal of Fox's Pond, the walling and arching of Mill Brook, the splendid system of sewerage which does so much for the sanitary condition of the city, the building of numerous school houses, an expensive and more efficient police, and our abundant charities for the poor and suffering ones, have, of course, made demands for large expenditures of money. It is a consoling reflection, in this connection, that the city is in a condition to meet these demands promptly and cheerfully, and that its improvements, although expensive and laborious, have not been more than commensurate to the increased wealth and population of this municipality. The financial condition of the city appears in the following statement :
City indebtment-
Bonds and notes, for sewers, water, railroad, and other departments, as near as can be given at this time, $1,900.020
And for the following purposes. [These items
are estimated in part. The Treasurer's report will show them in full. ]
Sewers, Interest on same,
$832,000
30,000 1 $862.000
9
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
Water,
655,000
Boston, Barre and Gardner railroad,
104,880
War, military and state aid,
72,000
School houses,
85,000
Main street (cutting down),
22,500
Union street (extension of )
14,000
Other streets,
20,500
Street lamps (new),
10,000
Old debt,
54,140
Total,
$1,900.020
City assets-
Real and personal estate belonging to the city,
$1,872,917
Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad Stock,
104,880
Due from the state,
18,000
Due for Main street school house, 19,000
Estimated as due from betterments on streets,
25,000
Estimated sewer assessments,
450,000
Total,
$2,489,797
Estimated value of property, debts and assess- ments, over and above the indebtedness of the
city, $589,777
A very large portion of the credits will not be very soon or very readily converted into cash.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES.
The hope of the future is in the children of to-day. Those upon the stage may keep the machinery of government in motion, but the time will come when the present generation will pass on and leave to those who are now the children the shaping of the institutions and the moulding of the destiny of the city. Impressed with the importance of true culture, the fathers of New England nurtured and put into successful ope- ration a system of free schools which are justly our pride and our hope. Year by year the expenses of the department of education have increased, and the standard has been elevated. Our school houses are becoming more and more worthy of the great cause to which they are consecrated, and we have every
10
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
reason to hope that, as the result of increased care and ex- pense, the children who are educated here will demonstrate that the money is not thrown away, and that the care and la- bor which are devoted to this department are not spent in vain. Within a few years the system of training schools has been very successfully adopted, and is a source of much encourage- ment to those most immediately connected with our educational interests. The School of Industrial Science, of which we are all so proud, and which is so full of hope and promise for this city, bids fair to raise the standard of practical education far higher than it has ever yet reached, and when the state shall establish here a normal school for the education of teachers, which sooner or later she will be sure to do, if she has not for- gotten the great doctrine of demand and supply, we feel that in the department of education we may at least congratulate ourselves that our position will be equal, if not superior, to that of any other town or city.
The following statement shows the operations of this depart- ment during the past year :
RESOURCES.
Appropriated by City Council,
$105,000 00
Received from state school fund,
1,051 18
for articles sold, 519 56
from non-resident scholars, 10 00
for books collected in taxes,
99 04
$106,679 78
ORDINARY EXPENDITURES.
Salaries of teachers,
$85,316 19
of Superintendent and Secretary,
3,800 00
Fuel,
6,089 21
Books and apparatus,
1,739 83
Janitors and cleaning,
4,108 II
Repairs,
2,366 53
Furnishings,
617 17
Furniture,
872 94
Printing and advertising,
891 94
11
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
Rents, Miscellaneous,
322 50 756 62
$107,381 04
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURES.
Furnishing new school houses,
$7,548 26
Furnishings for new school rooms,
255 00
Water closets and connections with sewers, Pleas- ant, Ash, Sycamore and Walnut streets, 2,397 24
Furnishing school-rooms at New Worcester,
24 26
New Painting, coloring, &c., at Providence and Orange streets, and Northville, 553 20
Grading school-house lots on Ledge, Woodland and Lamartine streets, 568 12
New fence at New Worcester lot,
150 44
Finishing off two school rooms in Lamartine street, hall, (in part) 154 35
Ventilators-Thomas, Ash, Sycamore, Pleasant and Dix Streets, 500 90
Stage and ante-rooms in Lamartine street hall,
119 90
New fence at Sycamore street,
85 95
Raising Woodland and Edgeworth streets out- buildings,
66 II
$12,423 73
Books and apparatus for new schools,
575 00
$12,998 73
The whole number of children who have received
instruction the whole or a part of the year, is, 9,420
Being a gain of 471 over last year.
The average number belonging to the schools the entire year, was 6,385
The average daily attendance was
5,73I
The whole number in actual attendance at the close of the year was
6,650
A gain of 239 over the previous year.
This last number was the number belonging at the close of
12
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
the last term, Nov. 19. Several hundred more have been ad- mitted to the schools since that time.
The whole number of teachers employed in the public schools, excluding the teachers of the drawing school, and including seven teachers of the evening schools, is 146, show- ing an increase of eleven over the number of the previous year. The present number of public schools is 127.
The average cost per scholar on the total ordinary expen- diture was $16.74. The cost for each scholar was increased by reason of the small pox panic during the last spring and summer, which materially reduced the average attendance of the schools, as well as the average number reckoned as be- longing to the schools, because the cost of carrying on the schools is as much when the schools are half filled as when the schools are full.
During the past year there was appropriated for new school houses, $90,000.
Expenditures for new school houses during the year :
Belmont street school house,
$30,000
Ledge
ce
21,644
Woodland ee
7,33 75
High
ce
70,000
$137,977 75
Amount expended over and above the appropria-
tions,
$47,977 75
HIGHWAYS.
You are probably aware that there is in the charge of this department, about one hundred and fifty miles of streets and roads to be kept in repair, all the paving, sidewalks, bridges, crosswalks, curbstones, causeways, gutters, cesspools and every other kind of thing which relates to the public travel upon the highways and streets of the city. It is a department which not only calls for large outlays of money, but it is con- stantly coming into contact with some radical or conservative plan of some tax payer of the city. When we reflect upon the almost multitudinous upheavings of our streets during the last few years, by excavations for laying gas pipes, water
13
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
pipes, sewers, paving, sidewalks, curbstones, etc., when things have changed so rapidly that at times one hardly felt safe in going to his home after sunset without an insurance against accidents, instead of being surprised that there has been so much friction between this department and the citizens, I have wondered that there has been so little, and instead of being surprised that the streets have been kept in such poor condi- tion, I have wondered that they have been kept in as good condition as they have been. The amount to be expended in this department is so large, its judicious application so impor- tant, and the interests of so many persons are visibly affected by it, that we need honesty, skill and attention on the part of those who have its multifarious details in charge, and their acts should be able to bear the test which a vigilant commu- nity will be likely to apply to them.
The following statement shows the operations of this de- partment from Dec. 25, 1869, to Dec. 26, 1870 :
EXPENDITURES.
Salary of Commissioner,
$1,900 00
Pay roll of men,
43,827 82
Live stock,
1,802 50
Hay, grain and straw,
5,600 41
Shoeing,
714 74
Tools and repairs,
2,924 II
Lumber,
2,076 04
Labor,
11,937 98
Use of fire department teams,
1,992 48
Curbstones,
10,234 19
Flagstones,
1,405 94
Round corners,
1,626 43
Cobble stone,
3,077 27
Block stone,
22,564 53
Brick,
8,088 73
Freighting,
10,276 74
Paving,
19,492 55
Powder, fuse, &c.,
85 25
3
-
.
14
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
Stone work for Belmont street wall,
1,608 40
Incidental expenses,
1,218 39
Total expenses,
$152,454 50
RECEIPTS.
Appropriations :
Sidewalks,
$30,000 00
Block paving,
35,000 00
Common repairs,
28,000 00
Total appropriations,
$93,000 00
Stock, labor, &c, :
Sidewalks, private,
$28,190 57
Live stock,
706 50
Manure
300,00
Street railway company,
2,379 00
Water department,
1,138 19
Sewer department,
979 82
School department,
IIO 20
Public grounds,
361 00
Labor and material,
2,510 66
36,675 93
Appropriations for new streets :
Beacon street,
· $172 00
Corbett street,
222 3I
Plantation street,
665 20
Mechanic street,
1,216 4I
Lamartine street,
826 40
Winter street,
493 20
Oak avenue,
580 40
Madison street,
567 50
Belmont street,
3,988 70
Bellevue street,
233 00
Bloomingdale street,
515 92
Shrewsbury street,
1,468 37
North street,
322 00
New Worcester hill,
2,047 55
13,318 96
Total receipts,
$142,994 89
15
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
BLOCK PAVING.
Main street has been paved with small granite blocks, from Park street to Austin street, at an expense of $22,522 25, amounting to about $4.32 per square yard. Deducting the amount agreed to be refunded by the Worcester street railway company, $1700, leaves the cost to the city $20,822 25.
'Main street, from Wellington street southerly, an area of 1720 square yards, has been paved with small blocks at an expense of $6,297 15, amounting to $3.66 per square yard. The cost of raising and repairing the railway tracks was as- sumed by the company and is not included in the above esti- mate.
Southbridge street, from Main street to the Norwich and Worcester railroad track, an area of 1851 square yards, has been paved at an expense of $7,172 10, amounting to $3.87 per square yard.
Mechanic street, from Main street to the Norwich and Wor- cester railroad, an area of 867 square yards, has been paved at an expense of $3,447 21, amounting to $3.97 1-2 per square yard.
The net cost to the city for block paving has been $37,738 71. During the past year there have been 28,861 feet or 5.47-100 miles of streets located, 33,721 feet or 6.38-100 miles of streets surveyed, and 39,424 feet of sidewalks laid out by the city government.
SIDEWALKS.
There have been laid, for 249 different parties, 374 sidewalks and driveways, using 17,000 pressed brick and 834,456 common hard-burned bricks. Number of square yards of brick walk laid, 18,349; cost, including driveways $28,190 56; bills of which have been returned to the City Treasurer for collection.
There are now on hand for use in this department another year, and paid for, cobble stones, granite blocks, new and old curbstones, large block stone, short and long corners, pressed brick, and hard burnt brick, amounting in value to $10,040.
Curbstones, gutter and crosswalks have been laid on thirty- two different streets, as follows :
4
:
.
:
16
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
Amount of new curb,
19,052 feet 4,998 ce
ce
return "
1,223 ce
Total curb set,
Amount of cobble paving, new,
545 feet
ce
relaid,
7,850
"
ce
crosswalk, new,
3,055
ce ce relaid,
1,487
ce
ee
gutter paving, new,
7,770
ce
Total cobble paving laid,
5,573 lineal feet
Number of short corners ee long
I33
ee
99
A part of the return curb and corners have been used for private parties, and the balance for the city, and have been charged accordingly.
MILL BROOK.
The walling up and arching Mill Brook has been substan- tially completed, in one method or the other, from the Fox Dam to Lincoln Square. It requires the construction of only about 285 feet of arching to complete this extent. This can- not be completed until the buildings now standing upon the location of Union street are removed. When the work shall reach Lincoln Square, the distance of 150 feet, extending across Lincoln Square, will require a new arch. Upon the north side of Lincoln Square, at the time of the extension of Prescott street, the brook will require arching 650 feet, mak- ing in all 995 feet necessary to complete the work in a north- erly direction. The work during the past year has been done more successfully than in previous years. The dryness of the season, among other causes, has tended largely to this result. The work thus far completed is as follows :
In 1867 by Adam Dawson & Co., 1,364 feet 820 "
1868 by E. B. Walker,
ce
ce relaid,
2,745
3,452 " Amount of flagstone
25,272 feet
old
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
In 1869 by E. B. Walker, 1870 by E. B. Walker, 1870 by Dawson, Tank & Fugerson,
1,571 feet 380 " 1,7652 "
Total,
5,9072 "
Of this amount 2,238 feet have been walled in open trench, and 3,669 1-2 feet have been arched.
The cost of construction has been as follows :
Paid the Fox heirs,
$36,000 00
"' on contract of 1867,
53,456 53
e.
1868, 43,170 92
1869, 101,048 15
1870,
148, 543 62
Total,
$382,219 22
In the above amounts some small sums paid as damages, are not included. Certain matters relating to claims for damages made by two or three individuals, will need the prompt atten- tion of the city government.
The expenditures for the year have been as follows : Paid E. B. Walker, $29,730 05
Dawson, Tank & Co., 31,500 00
for moving buildings, pumping and contin- gencies, 18,942 92
damages, 18,942 62
Total, $99,115 59
A new location of Mill Brook, from Green Street to Cam- bridge street has been made. The distance from Green street to Cambridge street by the new location is 3,750 feet, while the distance between the two points by the old channel is 6,650 feet. It will undoubtedly be desirable to complete this section, in order to carry out successfully the system of sewerage which has been commenced.
SEWERS.
In order to have a full statement of the condition of the sewers, and the extent to which the same have been con- structed, you are referred to the full and elaborate report of
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
the city engineer, which will soon be presented to the city government. From that report you will learn that the whole amount of sewers, from the commencement of the work in the year 1867 to the present time is as follows :
Date. Feet of Sewer built. Man-holes. Catch basins.
1867
5,839
19
1868
15,863
III
68
1869
24,303
202
5I
1870
43,308
333
I39
The total number of private drains now entering the public sewers is as follows :
Entered previous to 1867,
129
Entered in 1867,
6
I868,
107
1869,
210
1870
364
Total,
816
The report of the city engineer will show the cost of laying the sewers which have been laid, and the locality, a schedule of sewers under contract and not completed, a schedule of sewers laid in 1870, and a schedule of those yet to be laid in order to complete this system which has been put into opera- tion, and which has been considered necessary for the health and cleanliness of the city.
The introduction of water from Lynde Brook seemed to make it necessary that some means should be devised for its disposition, in order that what was designed for a blessing might not prove to be an evil in disguise. When the system contemplated shall be consummated, and we are relieved of the danger which threatens us, another and vastly important question will present itself, which is even now extensively agitated. That question is, cannot there be some method de- vised by which the sewerage of the city may be utilized? Enough fertilizing power goes to waste in the usual method of sewerage of our cities to furnish the means of enrichment to the surrounding country. I hesitate not to prophesy that the
ADDRESS OF THE MAYOR.
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