USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Franklin > Town of Franklin annual report 1910 > Part 8
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Respectfully submitted, EDMUND BURKE, CHARLES E. CAMPBELL, WILLIAM M. CLEAVELAND, Truant Officers.
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FRANKLIN TOWN RECORDS
FOR THE YEAR 1909.
Warrant for Annual Town Meeting.
MARCH 1, 1909.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Franklin, in said County, GREETING :
You are hereby required. in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to notify and warn the qualified voters of said Town of Franklin to assemble in their Town Hall on Monday, the first day of March, A. D. 1909, at 6 o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
ARTICLE 1. To choose by ballot the following town officers, viz : Three Selectmen, a Moderator, a Town Treasurer, a Town Clerk, an Auditor, three Overseers of the Poor, one Collector of Taxes, one Tree Warden, three Constables, all for one year; one member of the Board of Assessors of Taxes for three years, one member of the Board of Health for three years, one member of the Board of School Committee for three years, and one member of the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners for three years ; all to be voted for upon one ballot. Also upon the same ballot to vote upon the question, "Shall license be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town?" Also upon "a separate ballot to vote "Yes" or "No" in answer to the following question, "Shall an act passed by the General Court in the year 1908, Chapter 209, entitled, 'An act to provide for the Protection of Forest and Sprout Lands from Fire,' be accepted by this town ?"'
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ARTICLE 2. To choose all other necessary town officers for the year ensuing.
ARTICLE 3. To hear a report of the Town Officers and Cominit- tees, and act thereon.
ARTICLE 4. To see what action the town will take relative to a pound.
ARTICLE 5. To see in what way and manner the town will col- lect its taxes the current year, and what rate of interest the town will fix to be charged on taxes after December 1st next.
ARTICLE 6. To see what sums of money the town will raise and appropriate for the repairs of roads, bridges and sidewalks. for the sup. port of schools, including the salary of a Superintendent and the trans- portation of scholars ; for repairing school houses. for school books, supplies, and for miscellaneous school expenses : for support of the poor; for support of the fire department; for water supply ; for street lights ; for the payment of the town debt and for interest ; for the pay- ment of town officers; for the abatement and collection of taxes; for printing and stationery ; for the payment of police and suppression of illegal liquor traffic; for construction, repair and maintenance of sew- ers and sewer beds ; for state and military aid; for soldiers' relief; for support of the Franklin Library Association; for the decoration of soldiers' graves, and for miscellaneous town expenses.
ARTICLE 7. To see if the town will authorize the Treasurer. under the direction of the Selectmen, to borrow such sums of money in anticipation of taxes for the current year, as may be necessary to meet the current expenses.
ARTICLE S. To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen to sup- press the illegal sale of intoxicating liquors in this town for the current year.
ARTICLE 9. To hear a report on guide boards from the Selectmen and act thereon.
ARTICLE 10. To see if the town will vote to appropriate money for the construction of concrete, cement, or granolithic sidewalks, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 11. To see if the town will raise and appropriate any and what sums of money for improvement of the Common, to be ex pended under the direction of the Selectmen. or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 12. To see if the town will establish an electric light on Maple street, between the Brick School House, so called, and the resi- dence of Elizabeth M. Harrington, or do anything relating thereto.
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ARTICLE 13. To see if the town will vote to join with Belling- ham. or some other town, or towns, in forming a Superintendent's Union.
ARTICLE 14. To see if the town will vote to provide additional rooms in the William M. Thayer school building, appropriate money therefor, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 15. To see if the town will establish electric lights or an electric light on Washington street, said lights or light to be lo- cated southwesterly from "A" street, so called, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 16. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate money to put the South Franklin school house in a suitable condition, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 17. To see if said town of Franklin will appropriate the sum of $600.00 or any part thereof, for the repair of the highway known as Pond street. in said town, from the residence of George Fuller to the Charles River Bridge.
ARTICLE 18. To see if said town of Franklin will appropriate the sum of $1000.00 or any part thereof, for the electric lighting of the highway known as Pond street, in said town, from the Charles River Bridge, by an extension of the Edison Co. system from the village of West Medway, or by such other plan as may be deemed best.
ARTICLE 19. To see if the town will vote to amend the town by- laws so as to authorize the Selectmen to employ counsel in defense of town police in cases against them while in the discharge of their police duty. or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 20. To see if the town will vote to appropriate the dog license money received the present year for the support of Schools or for the Public Library.
ARTICLE 21. To see if the town will vote to elect its Selectmen at the annual town meeting for 1910 in the following manner, viz : one for the term of one year, one for the term of two years and one for the term of three years, and at each annual meeting thereafter one Select- men for the term of three years. in accordance wit the pro. isions of Section 367, Chapter 560 of the Acts of 1907.
ARTICLE 22. To see if the town will accept Martin avenue, so called, as a public highway as laid out by the Selectmen according to a plan filed with the Town Clerk, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 23. To see if the town will vote to use the interest of the Lucretia Pond Fund for 190S and 1909, not otherwise provided for,
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for the care of town cemeteries, to be expended under the direction of the Selectmen.
ARTICLE 24. To see if the town will accept a street from Union street to Washington street as laid out by the Selectmen according to a plan filed with the Town Clerk Feb. 1909, appropriate money there- for, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 25 To see if the town will raise and appropriate a suf- ficient sum of money to purchase a wagon for carrying the fire extin- guishers for forest fires, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 26. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate any, and what sum of money for the purpose of completing the cellar of the William M. Thayer school building, and of installing therein suitable sanitary toilet conveniences, and of constructing a sewer for its accommodation ; also for the improvement of the school yard; or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 27. To see what action the town will take relative to making a contract with the Union Electric Light Company to have the street lights lighted until one o'clock a. m. every night except Sun - day nights when the lights shall be light d until midnight.
ARTICLE 28. To see if the town will vote to extend the water main westerly on Central street, locate a hydrant, and appropriate money therefor.
ARTICLE 29. To see if the town will vote to extend the water main on Cross street, locate a hydrant, and appropriate money there- for.
ARTICLE 30. To see if the town will vote to extend the water main on McCarthy street extension, locate a hydrant, and appropriate money therefor.
ARTICLE 31. To see if the town will vote to extend the water main on Peck street from Cottage street to Winter street, locate a hy- drant, and appropriate money therefor.
ARTICLE 32. To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen to appoint a Town Engineer for the purpose of fixing bounds, grades and boundary lines and other work of like nature, or do anything relating thereto.
ARTICLE 33. To see if the town will appropriate a certain sum of money for the installation of a compressed air fire alarm whistle, or do anything relating thereto.
The polls will be open at six o'clock a. m. and may close at ten o'clock a, m.
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Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, on or before the hour of said meeting.
Given under our hands and the seal of the town this seventeenth day of February, in the year one thousand nine hundred and nine.
[TOWN SEAL. ]
GEORGE F. S. SINGLETON, ROSWELL K. STEVENS, JACOB F. GEB, Selectmen of Franklin.
On the foregoing warrant the following return was made, viz :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS.
FRANKLIN, MASS., Feb. 20, 1909.
By virtue of the within warrant I have notified the inhabitants of the Town of Franklin, herein described, to assemble in their Town Hall on Mon lay, the first day of March, A. D. 1908, for the purposes within mentioned, by posting attested copies of the within warrant in each of the post offices of the town, and in ten other public places, seven days before the day of meeting, in compliance with Section Two, of Article One of the By-Laws of the Town of Franklin.
DAVID W. CORSON, Constable of Franklin.
A true record of the warrant and return thereon.
Attest : ORESTES T. DOE, Town Clerk.
Proceedings of the Annual Town Meeting.
MARCH 1, 1909.
Pursuant to the foregoing warrant the inhabitants of the aforesaid Town of Franklin, qualified to vote in town affairs, met at the Town Hall, in said town, on the first Monday of March, it being the first day of said month, A. D. 1909.
The meeting was called to order at the time and place named in said warrant by George W. Wiggin, the Moderator, who read the warrant and return thereon, the Town Clerk being present.
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Before the opening of the polls the Selectmen appointed Shirley M. Stevens and Bernard F. Callahan Ballot Clerks, and they were sworn as such by the Town Clerk on the day of said election before receiving the ballots, and before open- ing of the polls the Town Clerk delivered to them a bundle packed by him and sealed, as required by law, containing 1200 official ballots, and 75 special official ballots for women and 1200 ballots as required by Chapter 209 of the Acts of 1908, and the receipt of said Ballot Clerks was taken for said ballots in the following form :
FRANKLIN, MASS., March 1, 1909.
Received of Orestes T. Doe, Town Clerk of Franklin, a sealed package said to contain twelve hundred (1200) official ballots, seventy-five (75) special official ballots for women and twelve hundred (1200) ballots as required by Chapter 209 of the Acts of 1908, all to be used in the election to be heid in this town this day.
SHIRLEY M. STEVENS. BERNARD F. CALLAHAN, Ballot Clerks.
The Town Clerk caused the cards of instruction and specimen ballots to be posted in each of thirteen marking shelves or compartments provided by the Selectmen, and a guard-rail was set six feet or more from said marking shelves or compartments, as required by law, and the cards of instruc- tion and specimen ballots were posted outside the guard-rail, according to law.
Voted, that the polls be kept open until 5 o'clock p. m., and then closed.
Voted, that when this meeting adjourns it to be to Thursday, March 18th, at 7 p. m., current, at Morse's Opera House.
Voted, that the Moderator appoint a committeee, consist- ing of fifteen legal voters, to consider the remaining articles, of the warrant not acted upon this day, and that the Modera- tor be one of the committee in addition to that number.
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Voted, that the meeting proceed to vote and elect officers under Article 1 in the warrant.
The ballot-box, provided by the Secretary of the Com- monwealth, used at the election was publicly opened and shown to be empty, and was examined by the Moderator and Town Clerk and found to be empty, and the register thereon was set at 000, and then locked and the key thereot given to Officer William T. Hooper and the polls were declared open.
When the ballots were delivered to the voters by the Bal- lot Clerks, the check-list was used, and the name of each voter receiving a ballot was announced and checked thereon by the Ballot Clerks ; and the voter so receiving his ballot marked it at the marking shelf or compartment, and then deposited his ballot in the box, as directed by the Moderator. The name of each voter so casting a ballot was announced in a loud and distinct tone of voice, and checked upon the check-list by the election officers in charge at said box and list.
The Moderator appointed Bradley M. Rockwood and D. Francis Pendergast additional Ballot Clerks and they were sworn by the Town Clerk.
The following persons were appointed Tellers by the Selectmen on the seventeenth day of February A. D. 1909 : Michael J. Costello and Will S. Johnson, who were duly sworn by the Town Clerk on election day.
On the day of the election the Moderator appointed Brad- ley M. Rockwood and Henry J. Kelley additional Tellers, and they were each sworn by the Town Clerk.
At 10 oclock a. m., by unanimous consent of the election officers, the ballots cast were taken from the box, which reg- istered 386, and the counting of the ballots then begun, and in said ballot-box there were found to be 392.
The polls were closed at 5 o'clock p. m., due notice hav- ing been given.
Then the register on the ballot-box showed that 868 bal- lots had been cast therein, and the names checked on each
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voting list were then counted by the election officers in a dis- tinct and audible voice, and the number checked on each list used for the men voters was eight hundred eighty-three (883) which was announced.
And the number on each of the check-lists used for the women voters were counted and found to be three (3) on each, which was announced.
The number of ballots left at the close of the polls, de- ducted from the whole number receipted for by the Ballot Clerks, show 883 ballots delivered to the men who voted, and 3 ballots delivered to the women voters.
All the ballots cast by the voters as aforesaid were sorted, counted and declaration thereof made by the Town Clerk in open town meeting, as follows, viz :
FOR MODERATOR.
George W. Wiggin, Republican, Citizens, had three hundred fifty-four-354.
Alfred W. Dana had one-1.
Blanks, five hundred twenty-eight-528.
And said George W. Wiggin was declared elected, and sworn by the Town Clerk in open town meeting.
FOR SELECTMEN.
Ambrose J. Gallison, Republican, had four hundred forty- five-445.
Jacob F. Geb, Republican, had three hundred sixty-two-362. Lawrence J. Kelley, Citizens, had four hundred sixteen-416. Henry E. Ruggles, Citizens, had two hundred eighty-nine- 289.
Roswell K. Stevens, Republican, had four hundred eighty- 480.
Charles E. Woodward, Citizens, had three hundred fifty-nine -359.
Blanks, two hundred ninety-eight-298.
And said Roswell K. Stevens, Ambrose J. Gallison and Lawrence J. Kelley were declared elected,and were all sworn by the Town Clerk on the day of the election.
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FOR TOWN CLERK.
Orestes T. Doe, Republican, Citizens, had six hundred fifty - nine-659.
Albert H. Martin had one-1.
Alfred W. Dana had one-1.
Edwin A. Mason had one-1.
Blanks, two hundred twenty-one-221.
And said Orestes T. Doe was declared elected, and he was sworn in open town meeting by the Moderator.
FOR TREASURER.
Nelson E. Newell, Republican, Citizens, had six hundred sixty-three-663.
Blanks, two hundred twenty-220.
And said Nelson E. Newell was declared elected, and he was sworn by the Town Clerk on the day of the election.
FOR ASSESSOR OF TAXES FOR THREE YEARS.
Dean L. Chilson, Republican, Citizens, had six hundred forty -640.
Blanks, two hundred forty-three-243.
And said Dean L. Chilson was declared elected, and the Town Clerk administered to him the oath of office, prescribed by statute, on the day of the election.
FOR OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.
Joseph Belleville, Citizens, had three hundred seventy-four- 374.
David W. Corson, Republican, had four hundred thirty-430. George E. Emerson, Republican and Citizens, had five hun- dred-500.
George N. Gaskill, Republican, had four hundred twenty-two -422.
John S. Mackintosh, Citizens, had three hundred thirty-six- 336.
Blanks, five hundred eighty-seven-587.
And said George E. Emerson, David W. Corson and George N. Gaskill were declared.elected, and said George E.
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Emerson, David W. Corson were sworn on the day of the election by the Town Clerk.
FOR AUDITOR.
J. Carleton Chilson, Republican, Citizens, had five hundred ninety-seven-597.
Blanks, two hundred eighty-six-286.
And said J. Carleton Chilson was declared elected.
FOR COLLECTOR OF TAXES.
Andrew B. Bullock, Independent Nomination Paper, had eighty-one-81.
Albert H. Martin, Republican, had three hundred ninety-six -396.
Herbert L. Metcalfe, Citizens, had three hundred twenty-seven -327.
Blanks, seventy-nine-79.
And said Albert H. Martin was declared elected, and he was sworn on the day of the election by the Town Clerk.
FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR THREE YEARS.
William A. Wyckoff, Republican, had six hundred nineteen -619.
D. Frank Pendergast had one-1.
Carl B. Johnson had one-1.
James Cahill had one-1.
Blanks, two hundred sixty-four-264.
And said William A. Wyckoff was declared elected, and he was sworn on the day of the election by the Town Clerk.
FOR BOARD OF HEALTH FOR THREE YEARS.
John M. Crowley, Republican, Citizens, had six hundred ninety-one-691.
Walter M. Fisher had one-1.
Blanks, one hundred ninety-one-191.
And said John M. Crowley was declared elected, who was sworn in open town meeting, by the Town Clerk.
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FOR WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONER FOR THREE YEARS. Harry T. Hayward, Republican, Citizens, had five hundred ninety-four-594.
Fred P. Chapman had one-1.
Blanks, two hundred eighty-eight-288.
And said Harry T. Hayward was declared elected, and he was sworn by the Town Clerk on the day of the election.
FOR CONSTABLE.
William H. Ballard, Citizens, had three hundred fifty-five- 355.
William F. Buckley, Citizens, had two hundred twenty-one -221.
David W. Corson, Republican, had four hundred thirty-nine --- 439. Fred L. Davis, Republican, had three hundred thirty-nine- 339.
Jerome B. Fitzpatrick, Citizens, had three hundred seventy- nine-379.
Lewis R. Whitaker, Republican, had four hundred six-406. Blanks, five hundred ten-510.
And said David W. Corson, Lewis R. Whitaker and Jerome B. Fitzpatrick were declared elected, and the said David W. Corson was sworn by the Town Clerk in open town meeting.
FOR TREE WARDEN.
Matthew J. Van Leeuwen, Republican, Citizens, had six hundred sixty-seven-667.
John W. Stobbart had two-2.
Blanks, two hundred fourteen-214.
And said Matthew J. Van Leeuwen was declared elected, and he was sworn in open town meeting.
In answer to the question, "Shall license be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this town?" the town voted : Yes, two hundred thirty-three-233. No, five hundred fifty-seven-557. Blanks, ninety-three-93.
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In answer to the queston, "Shall an act passed by the General Court in the year 1908, Chapter 209, entitled, 'An Act to Provide for the Protection of Forest and Sprout Lands from Fire' be accepted by this Town?" the town voted :
Yes, six hundred twenty-seven-627.
No, one hundred one-101.
Blanks, one hundred fifty-five.
COMMITTEE OF SIXTEEN.
And the Moderator appointed for the committee to con- sider the remaining articles of the warrant, and to report thereon at the time and place to which this meeting shall ad- journ, the following named persons, viz :
George W. Wiggin, Bradley M. Rockwood, Bernard F. Callahan, Solon Abbott, Winthrop B. Nye, Bernard W. Mc- Cabe, Ernest L. Metcalf, Irving H. Gamwell, Horace W. Hosie, Lawrence J. Kelley, Arthur W. Peirce, George R. Whiting, Alfred W. Dana, David W. Corson, Francis H. Appleton, Jr., Michael J. Costello.
After the declaration of the vote, as aforesaid, all the bal- lots cast at said election were sealed in an envelope, and the voting lists used at said election were inclosed in an envelope and sealed, and each of said envelope was indorsed by the election officers, according to law.
The Moderator caused all ballots which were not distri- buted to voters to be inclosed in ån envelope and sealed, and he certified thereon that said envelope contained such undis- tributed ballots ; and all said envelopes containing said ballots and check-lists were placed in the custody of the Town Clerk.
And, on motion, at 6 o'clock p. m., the meeting was ad- journed to March 18th, current, at 7 o'clock p. m., at Morse's Opera House, as aforesaid.
A true record.
Attest :
ORESTES T. DOE,
Town Clerk.
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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS.
FRANKLIN, MARCH 2, 1909.
I, Orestes T. Doe, Town Clerk of Franklin, Mass., here- by appoint Nelson E. Newell, of said Franklin, to be Assist- ant Town Clerk of said Franklin during the term of my office, and I hereby authorize him to act as such Town Clerk in my absence and to do all acts and things as such Assistant Town Clerk as are authorized by law.
ORESTES T. DOE, Town Clerk.
MARCH 2, 1909.
Then personally appeared the above-named Nelson E. Newell and made oath that he would faithfully perform and discharge the duties of Assistant Town Clerk of Franklin, Mass., to which office he has been appointed this day, before me.
ALBERT H. MARTIN, Justice of the Peace.
Proceedings of Adjourned Annual Town Meeting. MARCH 18th, 1909.
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Franklin, qualified to vote in town affairs, held in Morse's Opera House, in said town, on Thursday, the 18th day of March 1909, pur- suant to the aforesaid adjournment, George W. Wiggin, the Moderator, called the meeting to order at 7 o'clock in the evening, and the business proceeded as follows, viz :
ARTICLE 2. The town made choice of the following town officers :
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FENCE VIEWERS.
James O. Chilson, Albert Newell, David W. Corson.
FIELD DRIVERS. Charles Gowen, William F. Ray, Herbert A. Besse.
POUND KEEPER.
David W. Corson.
Voted, that all other necessary town officers be appointed by the Selectmen and that the number of Measurers of Wood and Bark be six.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF SIXTEEN.
The Committee of Sixteen, appointed to consider the re- maining articles of the warrant and to report thereon, present- ed its report in writing, and the meeting voted that said re- port as printed be accepted and placed on file, and it was also voted that each section of the report of said committee be acted upon at the same time as the article in the warrant to which it referred.
ARTICLE 3. Voted that the report of the several Town Officers as printed in the Annual Town Report be accepted and placed on file.
Voted that the report of the Board of Fire Engineers be amended by adding thereto the following :
The legal voters of Franklin, assembled at their annual Town Meeting, wishing to express their thanks to the donors of the Waterous Fire Engine given to the Town January 12, do hereby vote that the thanks of the Town be extended to Lydia P. Ray Peirce, Annie Ray Thayer, Harry T. Hayward, Jacob F. Geb, and Geo. F. S. Singleton for their generosity in anticipating our need for additional fire protection ; also that thanks be given to Palmer A. Woodward for insurance, Carl B. Johnson for printing, David W. Corson for posting warrants, and Herbert L. Metcalf for use of hall in connec- tion with the above gift; and that the Town Clerk is hereby
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instructed to send copies of this vote to each of those contrib- uting to this gift.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FIRE PROTECTION TO VOTERS OF TOWN OF FRANKLIN.
Your Committee, to whom was referred the subject mat- ter of Article 1 in the warrant for special town meeting held July 8, 1908, which Committee were instructed to investigate the subject matter of this article and to report at the next an- nual town meeting, beg leave to report as follows :
Your Committee met and organized and had planned to give hearings before various organizations and interests in the town. Your Committee, from the vote passed and the ex- pression of opinion, decided that they would investigate very fully the needs and necessities of the town in the matter of pro- tection against fire, ascertain, if possible, the deficiencies, and make recommendations in accordance therewith. It was ac- cordingly planned to hold meetings with the Franklin Busi- ness Association, Franklin Farmers' Club, Franklin Grange, with members of the Fire Department, with the Board of Water Commissioners and with the inhabitants of that part of the town called Unionville, and thus endeavor to get from all parties in interest an expression of their ideas as to the sit- uation. Your Committee felt that they were not confined to an investigation simply of a certain specified apparatus, but under the vote were authorized and empowered to make a general investigation and report thereon.
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