USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1887 > Part 16
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$300 38
And by direction of Chief Engineer Combs the sum of 481 34
Total,
$781 72
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
The City stables, sheds, grain-house, shop and store-house are in good repair.
There has been expended outside of work done by the De- partment, $19.77.
CITY HALL.
The amount expended for repairs, fuel, gas, etc., for City · Hall, has been :-
For Janitor and Engineer,
$600 00
Watchman,
600 00
Fuel,
455 35
Gas,
318 63
Electric light, Council Chambers, Ante-rooms
and Mayor's office,
126 00
Painting outside of Building,
163 75
Repairs on Building,
367 84
New Furniture and repairs of same,
185 31
Removing snow and ashes,
86 24
Mats, brushes, brooms and ice,
102 95
Telephone, 40 00
273
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Clock Tower and Clock :- E. Howard Watch and Clock Co. Illuminated dials, and putting
up, with automatic apparatus for lighting, $525 00 Carpenter's stock and labor, 296 74
Slate, and repairs of slating,
73 89
Clock-weights and trucking, 13 58
Gas piping and fixtures,
29 50
$3,984 78
Cost of Tower and Clock complete, $938.71.
Revenue, $2,501 50
Total, less Revenue, $1,483 28
POLICE BUILDINGS.
Station No. 1 is in good condition, and the repairs needed are repair of gutters, relaying sidewalks, and the covering of the steam pipes in the basement which pass through Ward 3 ward- room.
Station No. 2 is in good repair. New closets have been put in at a cost of $54.68, and there has been expended :-
For other repairs of all kinds, $394 94
Making a total of $449 52
WARD 5-NEW STAIRWAY.
By order of the City Council an iron outside stairway to the second story, and a flight of wooden stairs upon the inside, to the Ward 5 ward-room, have been constructed, at the follow- ing cost :-
C. A. Vaughan, for inside Stairs, $144 93
H. C. Fish, outside iron Stairs, 145 00
A. G. Estabrook, painting, 31 74
Total,
$321 67
274
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 42.
ARMORIES.
The Amount expended for rent of Armories for Companies A and C, 2d Reg't Infantry, one year, and for Co. G, 9th Infantry, from May 1st to January 1st, 1888, Battery B, 1st Lt. Artillery, for one year to January 1st, 1888, has been, $2,240 50
For Coal and wood,
119 80
Gas,
175 00
Fixtures, Co. G, 9th Infantry, and repairs of furniture,
554 00
Rent of Rifle-range,
100 00
Total, $3,189 30
Amount allowed by the Commonwealth for rent
of Armories, 1,200 00
Net expense to City,
$1,989 30
PAUPER DEPARTMENT.
The several buildings at the City Farm are all in good condi- tion and repair, and to keep them in good condition requires that a certain amount of repairing should be done each year.
The amount expended for repairs of Buildings has
been,
$2,813 59
Repairs of Piggery, 381 46
$3,195 05
SCHOOL-HOUSES.
The number of school-houses remains the same as last year ; one added at Jamesville and one being sold at East Worcester, making the total number forty-nine. The most extensive repairs during the year have been upon the Dix-street school- house, which has been furnished with the Smead and Northcott heating and ventilating system and the J. D. Smead dry closets, and the whole building thoroughly put in repair. The cost of
275
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
heating and ventilating, and dry closet systems, and work con- nected with the same, has been $5,098.49, as follows :-
S. & N. heating and ventilating contract,
$2,518 20
S., two urinals, 41 81
1,763 95
Carpenters' stock and labor, dry closets,
66 heating,
388 64
Laborers,
87 09
Concreting,
85 70
Making the total cost of heating apparatus and dry closet system,
$5,098 49
Other repairs :-
Putting in new windows in roof,
$750 00
Slating roof and tinning gutters,
537 23
For Painting outside and inside,
407 58
Blackboards,
150 77
Plumbing,
110 92
66
Sewers,
136 95
66
Whitening and kalsomining,
92 00
Paving gutters, yard,
101 00
Grading yard, carting away rubbish, etc.,
105 12
Cutting in windows, basement,
14 70
Putting in gas-pipe,
25 75
66
Iron work,
26 23
Repair of tin, piazza roof.
17 42
Hack hire,
2 50
Painting fence,
3 75
Total,
$7,580 41
The total cost of the ordinary repairs ] of all the school-
houses, has been
$7,454 83
Repair of Stoves and furnaces,
1,349 29
" Steam heating apparatus,
206 05
" Furniture,
1,026 19
Total,
$10,036 36
Less revenue,
50 16
$9,986 20
Brick work and plastering,
213 10
276
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 42.
Permanent repairs of school-houses :-
New Furniture, " Windows, Belmont street, Care of school buildings and fuel :-
$679 65
184 67
Coal and wood,
$10,124 94
Janitors,
9,533 36
Cleaning houses,
816 56
yards,
928 16
vaults,
60 60
Mats, brushes, brooms, pails, etc.,
673 13
Insurance,
900 00
City water,
979 89
Gas,
339 96
Rent of office, Superintendent of Schools,
1,000 00
Rent of telephone,
40 00
$25,384 11
EVENING SCHOOLS.
Janitors,
$197 00
Gas,
99 60
Oil lamps, etc.,
11 25
Repairs,
208 58
of furniture,
10 13
New furniture,
4 00
$530 56
MATERIALS SOLD.
Old iron, City Hall,
$1 50
Old materials sold, School Department,
69 66
Old settees sold,
7 50
$78 66
Stock on hand at shop, 36 School street, lumber, glass, hardware, paint stock, etc.,
$495 80
Respectfully submitted.
CHAS. H. PECK,
Superintendent.
TABLE SHOWING THE LOCATION, SIZE AND VALUE OF THE SCHOOL-HOUSES AND SCHOOL-HOUSE LOTS BELONGING TO THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
LOCATION.
Material.
Stories.
Size.
No.of School
Rooms.
Condition.
Estimated
Value.
sq. feet.
Estimated
Value per.
foot.
Amount.
Total Value
of Houses
and Lots.
High
Brick.
3
130 × 87
16
Good.
$125,000
31,672
$1.30
$41,173
$166,173
Belmont Street
.
2
92 × 90
16
66
45,000
31,440
25
7,860
52,860
Dix Street
2
96 x 60
11
30,000
24,000
25
6,000
36,000
Sunnyside ...
66
2
107 x 53
10
29,000
25,000
20
5,001
34,001
Chandler Street .....
2
96 x 60
11
66
28.000
40,000
25
10,000
38,000
4
56
2
50 × 30
2
46
5,500
7,188
60
4,313
9,813
Ledge Street .....
2
96 × 60
18
6
30,000
40,670
20
8,134
38,134
Millbury Street .....
2
78 x 62
9
66
24,000
52,664
10
5,266
29,266
Millbury Street ..... Thomas Street .....
3
75 x 53
12
62 x 50
9
22,000
30,760
5
1,538
23,538
Walnut Street
....
€
3
52 × 50
10
30,000
17,200
1.25
21,500
51,500
Sycamore Street ....
2 2
90 × 62
8
9,000
14,900
15
2,235
11,235
Quinsigamond .
75 x 32
8 8
.6
27,100
36,527
15
5,479
East Worcester .....
2
52 × 30
4
5,000
9,060
50
4,530
9,530
Lamartine Street ...
2
96 x 60
12
27,000
48,040
20
9,608
36,608
Adriatic ...
62 x 51
6
15,000
25,000
10
2,500
17,500
Adriatic.
2
45 x 30
4
Fair.
3,000
13,400
30
4,020
17,520
Grafton Street ... .
64 x 52
4
2
Fair.
2,000
16,083
40
6,433
9,433
Brick.
2
62 × 50
4
Good.
12,000
12,555
40
5,022
17,022
Union Hill ...
2
38 x 28
2
Fair.
2,000
11,000
10
1,100
3,100
Mason Street ..
2
44 x 30
2
Good.
5,500
13,200
15
1,980
7,480
Northville
1
73 x 30
2
5,500
34,875
500
6,000
Tatnuck ...
2
43 x 32
2
1
Old.
300
5,050
75
375
Blithewood .
1
36 x 28
1
Good.
1,500
43,560
100
1,600
Bloomingdale ...
Old.
200
14,000
200
400
Bloomingdale ... .
66
40 x 32
1
1
31 x 28
1
40 x 32
1
Fair. 66
1,600
20,300
300
1,900
Chamberlain ..
.
66
2
44 x 30
2
Good. 66
6,600
29,440
100
6,700
Valley Falls
Wood.
28 × 22
1
Old.
500
4,988
100
600
Greendale ..
.
66
1
53 z 30
1
3,300
20,000
2
400
3,700
Total.
..
49
275
$764,950
25.42 acres.
$245,750
$1,010,650
66
2
75 × 43
4
13,400
30,000
8
2,400
15,800
Winslow Street .....
2
94 × 94
10
26,500
34,858
25
8,715
35,215
Woodland Street .... Woodland Street .... Washington Street.
Hall in French roof and three school-rooms, and Ward 4 ward-room in basement.
Addition built in 1880, 38x34 8, for 3 school-rooms. W. 1 w'd-rm & r'ms for eve draw'g s'h'l in this bldg. Ad'n b'lt in '80, 46.6x36.6 for sch'l-r'ms. W. 8 w'd- Two L's. [room in basement
L 40 x 33 and three school-rooms in French roof. L 51 x 38.
L 35 x 28.
277
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
[in 1881, 58 X 68, for six school-rooms. Ward 2 ward-room in basement. Addition built Hall in French roof and three school-rooms.
L 66 x 51.
Edgeworth Street ...
3
70 x 50
7
20,000
9,487
1.30
12,333
32,333
Oxford Street .....
75 x 52
S
20,000
12,625
15
9,468
29,468
Freeland Street .... New Worcester ..... South Worcester ...
2
50 x 36
4
75 x 32
9
20,000
29,184
10
2,918
22,918
Providence street ..
4
62 × 50
18,000
58,000
50
29,000
47,000 32,579
Gage Street.
2
94 × 94
10
59 x 51
6
Good.
13,500
15,000
24,897
15
3,704
18,704
Grafton Street
2
46 x 24
2,000
Summer Street ...
2
51 x 48
5
Poor.
3,000
5,000
11,500
300
5,300
Trowbridgeville
1
1
40 x 32
1
1
40 x 33
2
Good. .6
2,800
22,360
300
3,100
Burncoat Plain ..
.
.
Lake View ..
.
Valley Falls ..
Brick.
2
46 x 32
2
1
37 x 33
1
Good. 66
2,300
30,000
300
2,600
Jamesville ..
..
2
75 x 43
4
12,000
7,000
8
560
12,560
56
2
2
2
5
1,725
21,725
Wood. Brick.
Ash Street ..
3
2
Wood.
.
.
Brick. 66
66
Wood. 66
Adams Square .
.
66
"
2,500
21,500
200
2,700
North Pond ....
Wood. 66
1
38 x 22
1
1,200
21,780
100
1,300
2,950
15,684
400
3,350
Brick. 66
4,500
4,500
1
30 x 25
66
24,000
. 30,000
12%
3,750
27,750
33,000
23,433
60
14,060
47,060
10,000
2
69 x 41
10,000
Size of Lots,
REMARKS.
19
3
3,000
Salem Street ..
Wood.
20,000
34,500
.6
1
1
278
HOSE AND ENGINE HOUSES.
HOSE AND ENGINE HOUSES.
No. of feet of Land.
Value of Land.
Value of Buildings.
Total Value of Houses and Land.
REMARKS.
Steamer Governor Lincoln, No. 1, Bigelow Court Steamer S. E. Combs, No. 2, Cor. Beacon & Lagrange St.
5,310
$ 7,965 00 $ 12,000 00
$ 19,695 00
8,000
2,400 00
5,400 00
7,800 00
Steamer A. B. Lovell, No. 3, Prescott Street .
7,688
3,844 00
4,500 00
8,344 00
Hose No. 2, Cor. Grafton and Providence Streets .
4,000
00
4,000 00
Hose No. 3, Cambridge Street .
6,250
832 00
7,000 00
7,832 00
Hose No. 4, Exchange Street .
500
1,000 00
1,800 00
2,800 00
Hose No. 5, Myrtle Street . .
1,374
1,212 30
2,700 00
3,912 00
Hose No. 6, Cor. Pleasant and Winslow Streets
6,106
854 84
8,100 00
8,954 00
Hose No. 7, Cor. Lamartine and Meade Streets . Hose No. 8, Webster Street . .
6,827
1,024 05
5,000 00
6,024 05
Hose No. 9, Woodland Street
5,382
1,200 00
5,500 00
6,700 00
Hook and Ladder, No. 1, Bigelow Court .
Hook and Ladder, No. 2, Prescott Street .
1,837
918 00
4,000 00
4,918 00
Bell Tower, Cor. Pleasant and Oxford Streets
2,000 00
2,000 00
On sch'l-house lot.
Thomas Street. Used for storage . .
7,000
7,000 00
4,500 00
11,500 00
56,259
$28,750 19 $ 76,500 00
$105,250 00
·
.
.
CITY DOCUMENT .-- No. 42.
On Leased Land.
Hose No. 1, School Street . .
10,000 00
10,000 00
On sch'l-house lot.
500 00
500 00
Babcock Extinguisher, No. 1, John Street .
·
OTHER BUILDINGS.
OTHER BUILDINGS.
No. of feet of Land.
Value of Land.
Value of Buildings.
Total Value of Buildings and Land.
REMARKS.
City Hall, Cor. Main and Front Streets
City Hospital, Cor. Jaques Ave. and Queen Street
· · 163,836
$19,660 00
86,000 00
105,660 00
City Farm, Lincoln Street . .
85,000 00
85,000 00
City Stables, Salem Street .
51,331
16,609 25
10,050 00
26,659 25
Free Public Library, Elm Street . .
9,902
19,804 00
28,000 00
47,804 00
City Water Works Shop and Barn, Thomas Street . .
18,790
23,487 50
8,000 00
31,487 50
Police St'n, No. 1, & Cent'l Dist. Ct. Bld'g, Waldo St.
7,256
11,754 72
27,000 00
38,754 72
Police Station, No. 2, Lamartine Street
10,960
1,644 00
12,000 00
13,644 00
Ward 5 Ward-room in this building.
$92,959 47 $276,050 00
$369,009 47
$ 24,000 00
24,000 00
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
279
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
PARKS-COMMISSION.
To the Honorable
CITY COUNCIL :-
The PARKS-COMMISSION herewith submit "An Account of their Receipts and Expenditures for the Public Grounds, and shade trees thereon, and upon the Streets and Highways of Worces- ter," for the official year that ended on the Thirtieth day of November, A. D. 1887, as required by the Statutes of the Com- monwealth :-
Cr.
Labor, men and teams,
$4,078 45
Plants, trees, manure, and loam,
2,636 53
Grass seed, and grain for water fowls,
71 08
Blank books, type-writer, stationery, and postage,
124 90
Hardware and tools,
235 26
Carpentry and lumber,
369 84
Advertising, printing reports, &c., Parks police,
59 59
Engineer's Dept., surveys of University and Institute Parks,
107 88
Blacksmithery, and repairs to fountain,
15 26
Stone corners to University and Institute Parks,
168 62
Trucking, and freight on trees, &c.,
19 40
Settees, ladders, &c.,
35 94
Cement, powder and fuse (Lake Park),
153 60
$8,076 35
Dr.
To Annual Appropriation, $8,000 00
Received from "Incidentals " fund, on account of repairs to Bigelow monument, 96 30
$8.096 30
282
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 42.
This statement, agreeing with that of the Auditor, shows a balance unexpended of $19.95, that was transferred to the Sink- ing Fund. An exact record, however, would disclose that bills with vouchers in due form, covering Nineteen and 7% dollars, were presented by the Chairman of this COMMISSION, and, at first, disallowed. That amount included divers charges for sums actually expended by him to pay Republican vote distributors ; and also to defray the cost of printing exhortations to Demo- crats to " vote No ! and save the Common!" The Sinking Fund would thus have been richer by Twenty cents only. When the City Solicitor had promptly advised, and the Auditor finally determined that the charge was perfectly legitimate, the Chair- man had concluded to withdraw the bills. He had not hesitated to act in the emergency ; and, if the city had been saved from itself, he was willing to lose the cash and retain the credit.
A " Report of the acts and doings " of the COMMISSION, of the " condition of the Public Grounds, and Shade Trees thereon, and upon the Streets and Highways," exacted by the Statutes ; with such further considerations and views as naturally suggest them- selves in proper connection ; is also submitted in due sequence. A strict compliance with this legal requirement often imposes serious labor upon this COMMISSION; in its turn, demanding some patience from the community. At times it becomes absolutely essential to incorporate in their Annual Report documents that have already been published in the newspapers ; but which, in such fugitive shape, are soon forgotten, becoming difficult to recover or trace. In the present juncture, with the comprehen- sive system of Parks that awaits ultimate acceptance or rejec- tion by the people of Worcester, it has appeared expedient to gather together, so that they may be easily accessible and all the more intelligible because of such facile collocation, the various acts, letters, proposals, formal votes, &c., as they affect the sev- eral tracts of land recommended by the COMMISSION. There can be no permanent record of their " Acts and Doings " so service- able for ready reference; and the need of such an aid to the memory, and guide to consistent action, is ever present and inex- orably pressing.
283
PARKS-COMMISSION.
The Meeting-House of the First Parish has vanished from the Common, and one of the objects proposed to itself for attain- ment by the old COMMISSION OF PUBLIC GROUNDS is completely achieved. No triumph of art was manifested in the process of demolition, although the spirit of parochial parsimony became signally conspicuous when the house of God was put up at auc- tion. Not one of the congregation hankered for it at a fearful discount from the valuation established in court. But mutual concessions tended to terminate the case, lightening the burden upon the city, and softening the asperities of years which threat- ened to widen the gulf-yawning deep and broad-between Theology and Civism. Few mourners go about the streets, nor is the gnashing of teeth such as to attract notice. The people are once more in possession of that invaluable breathing space in the very heart of the city ; and it should be indeed a tempting mess of pottage that induces them to barter such birthright! It is richly worth all that it cost; and the gratitude of the entire community will yet be awarded to those by whose courageous initiative its exclusive ownership was finally resumed and secured.
The COMMISSION intend to lay it down to grass in the spring. After the lawn has been completed, it will devolve upon the people in general to exercise self-restraint, and to see to it that individuals, for a brief short-cut, are not suffered to deface and mar its appearance. In such matters of æsthetical restriction the law counts for little ; potency is latent in public sentiment, energetic enough when aroused, but of vision as defective as that of the Cyclops.
" If that section of the westerly side of Main street, from Pleasant street to Court House Hill, were called upon to defend itself, it would not now have 'a stump to stand on,' but nevertheless men have been at work, during the past week, trimming trees at the South End. 'Trimming' is hardly the word for the process, as large and apparently sound limbs have been lopped off in most ruthless fashion. The men who have done the 'trimming ' may believe in uniformity, and so are unwilling that the south end of Main street should have so much more foliage than the north end, but what seems far more probable is that they were paid for their work in wood."
The preceding rambling paragraph will serve to illustrate the carping criticism to which the PARKS-COMMISSION are continually
284
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 42.
subject. The ordinary presumption that they know their busi- ness is denied them. They are coolly assumed to abnegate their functions, which are then usurped by those who perform respon- sible and hazardous labor for the sake of a cord of elm branches ! Knowing little about Shade-Trees in cities, and unable to comprehend the needs that appeal to the COMMISSION, these hap-hazard censors " rush in" for the penny-a-line sensation. The owners of horse-cars, the drivers of hackney-carriages, citi- zens who control their own private teams, the Highway Depart- ment ; all may complain of interference, obstruction, impending danger, but the COMMISSION must pay no heed ! The vital roots of the Shade-Trees went when curb-stone, gutter, and side-walk came in and the abutter failed to prevent harm. If the tops are cut back, the roots have a chance to grow once more ; and there results the restoration of an equivalence that is absolutely essential to all healthy vegetation. Manifest a little patience- allow a little time-and the whipstalks of the coming year will develop into the over-arching branches, with greater pliancy and increased power to endure extraordinary burdens of ice or sleet.
May 6th, A. D., 1887.
MR. LINCOLN,
Dear Sir :
I am told this morning that all the trees on Main street are to be cut down. If that is so it will ruin my place as a home. Now I want to know if there is any way to prevent this outrage? If so, will you please inform me how it can be done. I cannot conceive of its necessity. Your answer will much oblige,
Very truly yours,
WM. DICKINSON.
7th May, A. D., 1887.
WILLIAM DICKINSON, ESQ., My Dear Sir :
I am in receipt of your letter of the 6th inst., in which you write that you have been " told that all the trees on Main street are to be cut down," and asking me if there is any way to prevent this "outrage," and if there is, requesting me to "inform you how it can be done."
In reply, I have to state that the City Council have approved the recom- mendation of the Highway Committee that " Main street be widened on the westerly side, between Sudbury Street and Court House Hill," by including in the travelled way so much land as shall be exclusive of a certain prescribed
285
PARKS-COMMISSION.
width for the foot-walk. This operation will necessitate the removal of many trees.
In this matter the Parks-Commission are without jurisdiction.
The opinion of Morton, J. (now C. J.), in the case of Edward W. Lincoln, et als. vs. Benjamin W. Dean, et als., must be accepted as conclusive in the premises. I do not perceive that I can add anything to this formal state- ment of my judgment in the matter submitted by you.
I remain very respectfully, EDWARD WINSLOW LINCOLN,
Chairman.
April 19th, A. D., 1887.
E. W. LINCOLN, Esq.,
Chairman of the Parks-Commission.
My Dear Sir :
The recommendations of the Committee on Highways and Sidewalks made to the City Council for widening Main St., on the westerly side, begin- ning at a point near Sudbury St., and running northerly to the foot of Court House Hill, has been adopted. The object of this movement being to open to public travel, in a place where it is much needed, a strip of land which hitherto has been unavailable. The plan when carried out will necessitate the removal of several old trees, which in times past have indeed been an orna- ment to that locality. But at present they exist only as a menace to life and limb of those who pass beneath their decayed branches; Main Street has in- deed outgrown her rural garb, and I trust that your uncommon good judg- ment will find a way to allow the improvements as proposed by the Committee, to proceed.
Yours with great Respect, E. B. CRANE,
Chairman of the Committee on Highways and Sidewalks.
14 June, A. D., 1887.
Alderman
E. B. CRANE, Chairman of Highway Committee,
Dear Sir: I have examined the metes and bounds set by the Engineers along the westerly side of Main Street and find the location to be such (it having been approved by the City Council) that objection by this Commission to the removal of the trees within that location would be factious and improper.
You will pardon the suggestion that the work should be commenced at the north where its expediency will commend itself and do much to disarm opposition.
Very Respectfully, EDWARD WINSLOW LINCOLN, Chairman.
286
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 42.
The American Cyclopædia says of the Vandals that, after their defeat by Belisarius, they disappeared from history. Ac- cepting that statement as true, it would seem scarcely credible that it was a detachment from that once powerful race which marched through North Main Street with axe and saw, last Autumn, felling trees as they came across them, and coming across them that they might fell .* Neither was it the PARKS- COMMISSION to whom that "fearful atrocity !" should be charged ; since their whole connection with the "ruthless outrage !" was, to confess that they knew no good reason why the location of Main Street, formally adjudicated by the County Commissioners, A. D. 1848, should not avail for the public benefit. The best part of the principal highway of the city had been surrendered to a pri- vate corporation that it might derive exclusive gain. The need of greater space for travel and traffic grew more pressing daily. The proper authorities perceived that the space, so strictly re- quired, could be obtained by putting in force that Decree of 1848, and it was not for the PARKS-COMMISSION under the circumstances to gainsay that conclusion. Now that it is done, the work carries with it its own justification. Of course, the gaunt poles that have intruded to disfigure Main Street, are no improvement æsthetic- ally, over dying or dead tree-trunks. But the latter are gone, and the poles can be removed as soon as the people determine that they shall no longer imperil the limbs and lives of firemen ; nor remain what they must be so long as tolerated at all, a direful menace to the very safety of the city. The decaying monarchs of vegetation simply maintained an immemorial easement. The ungainly monuments of usurpation "cumber the ground," in perennial witness of the weak concession by an easy-going com- munity to an aggressive private greed.
(Copy :)
Worcester, May 26, '87. Mr. EDWARD W. LINCOLN :
I would inquire if there exists any remedy for a nuisance in the shape of a huge pole in front of a dwelling-house, with three wires drawn across, not over, to beautiful trees, and one of those wires, a guy?
* In vindication of an ethnological scape-goat that has to carry all manner of hypothetical sins, it should be noted that the same Cyclopædia says :- "Many of the atrocities and cruelties of which the Vandals have been accused are probably fables."
287
PARKS-COMMISSION.
Are not individuals to be allowed to enjoy the trees of their own planting, without fear of destruction from Electric Light wires?
Yours Respectfully,
MRS. H. G. CHASE.
29 : High St. (Copy :)
PARKS-COMMISSION : Worcester, Mass. 28: May, A. D. 1887.
Mrs. H. G. CHASE,
My Dear Madam :
Your note of inquiry as to your personal rights, when they conflict with the convenience of a corporation, was duly received.
I was brought np to regard individual liberty, and the immunity of private right, as about all for which our forefathers fought that was worth the strug- gle. I have lived to find out the error of that early faith and to learn that the most tenacious law is that which is based upon audacious usurpation.
As a citizen I sympathize with you. As an official, who would gladly remedy your grievance, I confess myself powerless.
And I therefore conclude by subscribing myself, a fellow-voyager in the same boat.
Very Respectfully, EDWARD WINSLOW LINCOLN, Chairman.
Fresh instances of the attachment and suspension of electric, telegraph, and telephone wires, in direct violation of the Rules of this COMMISSION, as well as of the Municipal Ordinances and the Public Statutes, are constantly coming under observation. "If only you can avoid detection, do as you please !" appears to be the motto of the dull intellects that a compensation, not always exorbitant, induces to perform such destructive work. These and other forms of encroachment upon the community are fast arousing popular sentiment to the point of mutiny. Sooner or later the people will resume their own.
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