USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1895-1897 > Part 18
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TRUSTEES OF ELBRIDGE FARMER FUND.
WM. E. PARMENTER, EDWIN S. FARMER,
WILLIAM G. PECK, JOHN Q. A. BRACKETT,
WILLIAM E. WOOD, JOHN H. HARDY.
CONSOLIDATED BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF ROBBINS FUND, SOLDIERS' MONUMENT FUND AND CEMETERIES.
WARREN A. PEIRCE, for three years, WILLIAM G. PECK, for two years, FRANCIS S. FROST, for one year, B. DELMONT LOCKE, ex-officio.
6
TOWN OFFICERS.
PARK COMMISSIONERS.
S. FREDERICK HICKS, for three years, JOHN Q. A. BRACKETT, for two years, W. WASHINGTON KIMBALL, for one year.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS.
WILLIAM H. PATTEE,
WALTER CROSBY,
WILLIAM A. FITZPATRICK, B. DELMONT LOCKE.
AUDITORS.
CLARENCE T. PARSONS, LEANDER D. BRADLEY.
CONSTABLES.
GARRITT BARRY, JOHN DUFFY,
ALONZO S. HARRIMAN, DANIEL M. HOOLEY, ANDREW IRWIN.
UNDERTAKERS.
JOHN H. HARTWELL,
CHARLES T. HARTWELL, DANIEL W. GRANNAN, JAMES P. DALEY.
FENCE VIEWERS.
JOHN H. HARTWELL, MATTHEW ROWE.
MEASURERS OF WOOD.
OMAR W. WHITTEMORE,
LUCIAN C. TYLER, EDWARD I. MCKENZIE.
7
TOWN OFFICERS.
TOWN WEIGHERS. LUCIAN C. TYLER, WARREN A. PEIRCE, WILLIAM N. WINN.
FISH PRESERVER. DANIEL WYMAN.
ENGINEERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CHARLES GOTT, Chief.
ASSISTANTS.
GEORGE HILL, FRANK P. WINN.
POLICE.
Chief, ALONZO S. HARRIMAN,
Sergeant, GARRITT BARRY, GARRET J. CODY, JOHN DUFFY, DANIEL M. HOOLEY,
ANDREW IRWIN,
JAMES E. WHITTEN,
CHARLES H. WOODS.
REPORT
OF THE
SELECTMEN.
The Selectmen have the honor to submit the following as their report for the year ending December 31, 1896.
Every year is an important one, and each brings its own peculiar burdens to bear, and problems to solve ; the past year has been no exception to the rule.
By the death of Mr. George D. Tufts, which occurred on the nineteenth of June, the Board lost an earnest and valued member and the town a faithful and able official.
His long term of office, extending over a period of four- teen years, rendered his services peculiarly valuable. Ap- propriate resolutions were passed at a special meeting of the Board. It was voted that a copy be sent to Mrs. Tufts, and that they be spread upon the records of the town. The vacancy was filled at a special town meeting held November 30, 1896, by the election of Mr. George I. Doe for the remainder of the term ending in March, 1899.
Two weeks after the death of Mr. Tufts, our Superintendent of Streets, Mr. Samuel E. Kimball, received a severe injury by breaking his leg above the knee, while engaged in di- recting the placing of a heavy curbstone at the Robbins Library. In spite of his suffering, Mr. Kimball continued to direct the work that was in progress on the streets, although confined to his bed most of the time for many weeks. He was able to do so through the valuable aid of his brother, Asa Kimball, and his son, R. C. Kimball.
10
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
The demand for new and better streets and sidewalks, paved gutters and curbing, has largely increased the duties of the Superintendent of Streets and we desire to express our appreciation of Mr. Kimball's long and valuable services to the town in this position. We also wish to acknowledge the faithful efforts of all those connected with the highway department during Mr. Kimball's absence. The full details of the work on the streets will be found in the Super- intendent's report.
The extended work on Massachusetts avenue, which has been in progress for some time, we are pleased to report as being practically completed. Efforts are being made to obtain from the State Highway Commission some assistance toward the care of this avenue.
The sewer has been built in the avenue as far as the junction of Lowell street, and the West End Street Railway Co. has extended its line of double tracks to the same point ; this extension insures to the citizens of the town a very satisfactory service.
On the first of May last, the Company established a five cent fare from Boston to Arlington Heights, a distance of eight and one-half miles, with free transfers at Harvard Square to other points on their system. This concession made, without any solicitation on the part of the town, is a very gratifying evidence of the fairness which has always been exhibited towards our town by the West End Com- pany.
STREET SIGN BOARDS.
The replacing of street sign boards with new boards giv- ing more information regarding distances to neighboring towns, has been commenced by the erection of new signs at the following points on Massachusetts avenue :- corner of Mystic, Medford, Pleasant, Forest and Lowell streets. This work will be continued as rapidly as possible, until all neces- sary points are provided with proper signs.
11
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
GRADE CROSSINGS.
Under the existing laws of the Commonwealth ninety per cent. of the cost of separating the grades of highways and steam railroads is borne by the State and the railroads ; the remaining ten per cent. is paid by the towns and appor- tioned in the State Taxes ; acting under this law, your Board of Selectmen petitioned the Superior Court for the separation of grades on the following named streets :- Park avenue, Bow street, Forest street, Brattle street and Grove street. A commission has been appointed and a hearing on them is expected at an early date.
CONTRACTS.
Full particulars of the contracts awarded for the construc- tion of the sewer will be found in the separate report of the Commissioners. The contract for coal for the Schools, Fire Department and Town Buildings was awarded to the Peirce & Winn Company at the following prices :
Furnace, Egg and Stove, at $4.67 per ton
Honey Brook Lehigh, at 5.17 " 66
George's Creek Cumberland, at 3.72 .
STREET LIGHTING.
This completes the first year of the three years' contract. with the Somerville Electric Light Company. The service has been satisfactory throughout the year with but few exceptions. The lighting of the streets every night, instead of twenty nights each month, has proved very acceptable to the public. It is impossible to entirely prevent the burning of the limbs of trees by the electric light wires, especially in wet and stormy weather. In this respect, much care has been taken the past year, and fewer complaints than usual have been received. The entire care of the trees on the
12
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
streets should be placed in the hands of one person with authority to do all that is necessary for their proper pro- tection.
At present there are on the streets of the town 81} Arc and 124 Incandescent Lights. The following have been added during the past year :
2 Arcs
on Jason Street,
2 66
" Hillside Ave.,
1
66
" Wollaston Ave.,
1
" Addison Street,
2
" Massachusetts Ave.,
3 Incandescents
" Oakland Ave.,
2
" Grove Street,
1
66
" Lowell Street.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Chief shows the excellent work that has been accomplished the past year. The addition of two patrolmen, as authorized at the last annual meeting, has secured for the town a uniform service which has given very general. satisfaction. The placing of a telephone at Grove street, as requested by the Chief, would still further increase the efficiency of the force.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The citizens of the town have good reason to be proud of our Fire Department. The equipment is complete and the Engineers are to be commended for the good judgment shown in purchasing the new apparatus, also for the excel- lent organization of the various companies. The appropri- ation made at the last annual meeting for this Department will prove to be a good investment.
ALMSHOUSE.
This Institution is in excellent condition. In the past year a complete electric lighting system has been installed
13
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
throughout the buildings, including the stable. New floors have been laid in the lower hall, dining room and kitchen of the main building. Iron bedsteads, with new mattresses, have been placed in all the rooms and additional ventilation provided for the sanitary arrangements. Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Durgin continue in charge of the institution and its in- mates to the satisfaction of all.
At present there are eight persons provided for-four males and four females. Two deaths have occurred during the year.
TOWN HOUSE.
The appropriation for the repairs on this building proved to be inadequate, partly for the reason that the rentals of the hall have been less than usual, but more particularly from the fact that the condition of the building was much worse than was expected. The large hall, anterooms, stair- ways and lower corridor were thoroughly cleaned, painted and the walls tinted ; all the fastenings for the busts on the walls were replaced and the figures themselves repaired. The electric lighting was entirely rearranged and new lights and new gas fixtures added.
Some new furniture was purchased for the platform, a new floor was laid the whole length of the lower hall and the entire sanitary outfit was replaced. The building will be connected with the sewer early in the spring. Some other minor repairs were made and the building is now in good condition.
The accumulation of valuable documents and plans, in the office of the Town Treasurer and Clerk, has exceeded the capacity of the two vaults now provided for their pro- tection and it is necessary that additional accommodations should be made for their safety. The Assessment Plans of the Sewer Department alone represent several thousand dollars in value. The needs of the various executive de-
14
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
partments of the town have outgrown the accommodations of the present building. A new Town Building will soon be a pressing necessity.
The indebtedness of the town has been increased in the past year by the issuing of the following Bonds :
$100,000, 4 per cent., 40 year Sewer Bonds at 1.0794 5,000, 4 per cent., 30 " Water " " 1.065
The premiums obtained on these Bonds provide a sub- stantial sum for the sinking fund. The entire bonded debt of the town now amounts to $583,100.
While the recent large expenditures have, for the time being, increased the rate of taxation, the advantages fur- nished by them cannot fail to result in a reduced rate in the near future. Situated, as our town is, in close proximity to the chief city in the Commonwealth, there is every reason why a liberal policy should be maintained towards the devel- opment of our territory and general improvements. A wise and liberal expenditure of money in any community is the greatest public economy-it arouses enthusiasm among the inhabitants and attracts the most desirable class of citi- zens-those who seek for pleasant and healthy surroundings rather than cheap lands.
It is admitted by all that a uniform rate of taxation from year to year is most desirable for the welfare of a town. In our opinion much could be accomplished in that direction if the appropriations for the large Highway expenditure, which partakes of the nature of permanent construction, were made in the form of a ten years' loan, a portion of which would be provided for each year. The entire length of Broadway should be rebuilt and graded at once ; it would also be a wise economy to put in several miles of paved gutters, on the steeply graded streets that suffer from wash- outs after every heavy rain ; but to carry out these two sug-
15
SELECTMEN'S REPORT.
gestions would require an outlay of money entirely too great to be borne by any single annual appropriation. We present these suggestions for your careful consideration.
EDWARD S. FESSENDEN, EDWIN S. FARMER, GEORGE I. DOE, Setectmen.
REPORT
OF THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
GENTLEMEN -I submit to you my annual report. I am able to report the completion of Massachusetts avenue and Mystic street widening, and, as you well know, they have been expensive jobs. The next street requiring a great out- lay is Broadway. We have already commenced to get ready, by teaming the crushed stone removed from Massachusetts avenue in laying the double track and spreading upon the surface of the street near David Puffer's estate, and hauling the broken rock from Dr. Reed's cellar on Maple street, and piling along south side of the street ready for use when required. Before any great outlay is made, the drainage should be considered, not only for this street but also includ- ing a large section in this vicinity.
In starting to grade Franklin street, between Warren street and Lewis avenue, the question of drainage came up and it was found by taking levels that it would make a fill nearly to the sills of the houses already built so the grading was abandoned and a slight fill at the lowest place in centre of the street was made, throwing the water to the sides where it lays until it soaks into the ground. This whole territory requires a system of surface drainage and the de- mand for such increases every year.
17
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
I find, as our town increases in population, there is a greater demand for improvements, requiring better drainage, better streets and walks. There has been a great demand for sidewalk extensions this year and it will require liberal appropriations to keep up with the demand.
Upon the following named streets extensive repairs have been made :
Academy Street
has been graded to a sub-grade three inches below the pro- posed grade, intending to finish with a coat of fine crushed stone, but owing to the delay in putting in the sewer it was thought best not to finish until spring. There has been edgestone set in front of the High School and on the west side from Massachusetts avenue to nearly opposite Ravine street, and a concrete walk five feet wide laid the same dis- tance. There have been crossings put in at Massachusetts avenue, and across Maple street, consisting of two rows of eighteen inch granite flagging with blocks of paving between and on each side.
Bartlett Avenue
has been graded from residence of Dennis Collins to the point accepted by the town near W. H. Webber's, and built under the betterment act, from this point, to land of Geo. I. Doe. A coating of crushed stone three inches thick was put on and well rolled and a light coat of screened gravel over the stone, the walks graded and covered with stone- dust.
Central Street
from the avenue about 150 feet has been graded to conform to the grade of the avenue. A coat of fine crushed stone put on, rolled and covered with screened gravel and a gran- ite crossing put in at the avenue end.
2
18
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Gray Street
from Pleasant street to residence of J. G. Leetch has been graded and gravelled. The sidewalk on south side graded from Pleasant street to Jason street, fine crushed stone to a depth of three inches put on and covered with stone-dust.
Massachusetts Avenue.
There have been extensive repairs on the avenue this year requiring a large part of the appropriation. From Alewife Brook to Wyman street on the north side, it has been picked up by the steam roller, the surface carefully smoothed and a coating of crushed stone put on, from three to eight inches thick, well rolled and covered with screened blue gravel and again rolled until it became solid.
From Water street to Mill street, both sides have been lowered to conform to the grade of track. The lowering of the grade on the avenue is an expensive job, as the old macadam had to be removed and the street graded to a sub- grade, nine inches below required grade, before putting on crushed stone. The breaking up is done by putting the picks in one wheel of the steam roller and hitching a heavy steel plow behind the roller, thus plowing the street instead of picking by hand. The material removed in lowering the grade was screened and the stone used for the first coat of macadam, well rolled and covered with a coating of coarse crushed stone, this coating well rolled and covered with a coating of fine crushed stone, well rolled, and finally covered with screened blue gravel and rolled until solid. Edgestone has been set from Water street to Mill street on one side, and from the Library to Jason street on the other. The widen- ing at the upper end has been completed as referred to, retaining wall and fences built and the roadbed macadamized from West End Car House to Lexington line, the sidewalk graded from the line to Park avenue and coated over with stone-dust. Between Mill street and Lowell street, in lay-
19
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
ing double tracks, the grade was changed so as to leave some places in the roadbed high and other places low. This part of the avenue should be regraded the coming season.
Mystic Street.
But little has been done on this street besides finishing the widening. The surfacing of the sidewalks could not be done as the deep fills should remain one year and allowed to settle, and as a location for an Electric Road has been asked for, it was thought better to wait until that was decided before making repairs.
Old Mystic Street
from Mystic street to Oak street has been straightened and graded, a coating of fine crushed stone put on through the centre, rolled and covered with screened gravel.
Pine Street
has been crowned by scraping the high edges into the centre and then covering with a coating of gravel.
Park Avenue.
As the high sides prevented the water from running from the street to the gutters, they have been removed and the material taken to make a sidewalk opposite the stand pipe. The walk on the west side has been coated over with stone- dust nearly its entire length, also from Appleton street to Florence avenue on the east side.
Winter Street.
The sidewalk on the northwest side has been graded, a coating of fine crushed stone to a depth of three inches put on and rolled, and then coated over with stone-dust ; an edge- stone set on this side from Massachusetts avenue to and in front of Crosby schoolhouse.
20
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Wollaston Avenue
has received a complete renovation, an edgestone set, and paved gutters of granite blocks four feet wide on both sides, from Park avenue to west side of Wachusett avenue, and the street well crowned with blue gravel. This makes a substantial improvement and adds greatly to the appearance of the street. Other streets in this vicinity should be treat- ed in the same way and at this time, January 1st, I am teaming paving blocks and piling them ready to use on Appleton street, between Park avenue and Claremont avenue. Other streets have been repaired by filling low places and wheel ruts, repairing fences and rebuilding re- taining walls. Most of the streets received their usual spring and fall cleaning.
Sidewalks.
There have been 2628 yards of concrete walk laid, 591 yards repaired by top-coating and macadam and gravel walks extended where required. The stone-dust from crushed stone has been used to top-coat new and old walks. There have been six granite walks laid, one front of Grand Army Hall to West End track, one across Water street, one across Central street, one across Academy street on Massachusetts avenue, one across Maple street at Academy street end and one across the avenue at Medford street.
There should be crossings laid in many other places and if a few are added each year we will soon have the crossings in good condition.
There have been 8576 feet of edgestone set on the follow- ing streets : Academy street 1660, Claremont avenue 80, Jason street 200, Massachusetts avenue 1982, Mystic street 1095, Maple street 200, Medford street 95, Prescott street 137, Russell street 186, Winter street 650, Water street 191, Wollaston avenue 2100.
21
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Paved Gutters.
There have been 1640 yards laid this season. I think they will prove a saving to our streets. Paved gutters should be laid on one or more of our hilly streets every year, until every gutter is paved that has a grade of three per cent. or more.
Watering Streets.
The same streets were watered as last year, requiring the same number of teams at a cost of $2500. Eli Fletcher fur- nished one double team, the Fire Department two, and the Highway Department two single teams.
Offal and Ashes
have been removed under the direction of the Highway Department, same as last year. This coming spring an extra team will have to be put on to collect the ashes, as it will require one team all the time in order to make three collections a week instead of two.
Stone Crusher.
The improvements that were under way at the close of last year were completed ready for use early in the season and we now have storage room for a day's crushing and with the revolving screen the stones are much better separated and each size falls into a separate bin and when a load of either size is needed, all there is to do is to pull a lever and fill a cart with the size wanted.
A new boiler will have to be purchased as the Insurance Company has reduced the pressure on the old boiler from ninety pounds to sixty, leaving hardly power enough to run the crusher to its full capacity.
The Steam Roller
is in good condition, and besides doing our own work has been rented to other towns. The amount received for rental was $400.15.
22
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Teams.
There are now fourteen horses in the department. Five new ones added last spring, three old ones being disposed of; one was exchanged and two killed as they were unfit for use.
The carts are in good condition and will require but slight repairs. A new road machine should be purchased as the old one does not do good work. There should be more shed room provided as some of the carts have to remain out exposed to the weather.
Respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL E. KIMBALL,
Superintendent of Streets. 4
TREASURER'S REPORT.
EXPENDITURES.
Highways and Bridges.
Paid Samuel E. Kimball, Supt.,
$1,374 93
Robert Armstrong, labor,
252 04
E. H. H. Bartlett, 66
2 00
B. B. Baxter,
66
2 50
John H. Benham, 66
570 00
Thomas Brady, Jr.,
1 75
John J. Breen,
66
2 63
William Brown,
66
28 50
Michael Burns,
618 00
Martin Cahill,
66
51 64
George Cavanagh,
66
349 57
Michael Clair,
489 17
Patrick Clifford,
19 25
Henry Corr,
65
490 88
John Coyne,
66
12 26
Andrew Craig,
66
5 25
Jere. Crowley, Jr.,
606 00
Daniel F. Daley,
66
2 63
Dennis Deasey,
11 38
John Donahue,
66
184 87
J. H. Farrell,
66
399 91
Amount carried forward,
$5,475 16
24
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Amount brought forward,
$5,475 16
Paid William Flaherty, labor,
4 00
Eli Fletcher,
66
35 79
Jesse C. Fletcher,
60
15 75
Eugene Flynn,
66
424 28
Peter Gee,
64 75
James Gillespie,
592 00
James H. Gordon,
239 20
Michael Harrington,
3 50
Peter Haverty,
434 03
James Hayes,
66
465 11
James A. Hearn,
66
59 96
James Hehir,
66
620 00
George D. Higgins,
328 59
Emery Howard,
3 50
Patrick Hurley,
486 52
John Kelly,
361 18
Michael Kelly,
66
26 00
Thomas J. Kenney,
22 51
Asa E. Kimball,
66
211 25
Roscoe C. Kimball,
66
610 00
Edward Lacey,
365 77
Frank Langsbury,
497 47
Daniel Leahy,
3 50
John Leary,
66
436 22
Patrick J. Lennan,
624 00
Frank W. Lewis,
310 66
Timothy Linehan,
5 00
Charles G. Locke,
66
618 75
Henry G. Locke,
66
419 12
E. H. Maker,
66
9 00
Patrick Maloney,
66
3 50
Amount carried forward,
$13,776 07
25
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Amount brought forward,
$13,776 07
Paid Oliver Matthew,
labor,
7 00
John McCaffery,
66
572 00
Thomas McEnaney,
388 54
Daniel Mckeon,
66
394 65
Enos McMullen, .
66
452 39
John Morrow,
342 17
Thomas F. Mullen,
213 09
Maurice Murphy,
458 07
George Nolan,
66
1 75
James Noon,
622 00
Martin O'Brien,
66
357 04
Timothy O'Keefe,
60
246 75
William O'Neill,
6 13
Charles Parris,
66
3 00
Lawrence Powers,
66
18 38
Dennis Reardon,
66
239 25
Patrick Riley,
3 50
John Roden,
66
270 83
Timothy Ryan,
287 00
Gustaf Rydquist
66
35 00
Richard G. Sefton,
66
372 82
James Slattery,
66
361 84
John Slattery,
66
91 47
Harold Smith,
3 50
John Spencer,
107 65
John Stingle, Jr.,
78 76
Charles Stone,
3 50
Daniel Sullivan,
531 00
Daniel Sullivan, Jr.,
66
55 57
J. F. Sullivan,
21 00
Lawrence Sullivan,
203 89
Amount carried forward,
$20,525 61
26
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Amount brought forward,
$20,525 61
Paid Patrick Sullivan, labor,
78 51
Timothy Sullivan,
110 50
Angus Urquhart, 66
5 25
Richard Welch,
66
3 50
James Wilson,
602 00
George W. White,
66
337 50
Patrick White,
438 87
Charles Wood,
2 63
Total labor,
$22,104 37
Edwin S. Farmer, for stone,
184 00
Robert Lynch,
126 11
Ira L. Russell, 66
115 64
Harold Smith,
98 00
Patrick J. Lennan, "
91 37
Herbert Wilson,
66
61 52
John Evans,
57 63
William Dacey,
66
23 08
Andrew McManus, "
66
2 96
H. V. Hildreth, for edgestone,
1,382 42
M. F. Downs,
342 62
Austin Ford & Son,
53 56
S. & R. J. Lombard, for edge- stone and blocks, 2,041 90
West End Street Railway Co., paving blocks, etc., 314 29
John Tutten, cesspool stones and labor, 196 00
Maney, Flaherty & Elkins, for granite, 46 75
Amount carried forward,
$27,242 22
27
TREASURER'S REPORT.
Amount brought forward, $27,242 22
Paid Geo. W. White, laying stone, etc., 268 38
H. Gore & Co., gutter paving and crossing, 90 23
Bragdon & Lowe, concreting, 1,816 05
W. A. Murtfeldt, 156 50
F. E. Fowle, 51 60
C. F. Perkins, 6 50
Wm. Gaddis, gravel, 52 20
J. F. O'Brien & Co., gravel, etc., 30 30
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