USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1902-1907 > Part 9
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3. Voted that that portion of the Oak Hill Road from a point in the bend thereof about ten rods east of Gilson's Brook to its terminus near Herbert E. Fletcher's house be discontinued.
4. Voted that that portion of the road leading from Minot's Corner to Chelmsford Centre, past the house of Albert E. Jenne, be designated as the Chelmsford Road.
5. Voted that the Selectmen be, and hereby are, authorized and empowered in the name and behalf of the inhabitants of Westford, and in consideration of one dollar paid by the Trustees of Westford Academy to execute, acknowledge and deliver to said Trustees of Westford Academy, a deed, conveying the interest of said inhabitants of Westford in and to a portion of the Academy lot, so called, situated in Westford Centre, northerly of said Academy building.
6. Voted to accept the minutes of the meeting.
7. Voted to dissolve the meeting.
State Election, November 3, 1903.
Party Designations: R., Republican; D., Democratic; P., Prohibition; S., Socialist: S. L., Socialist Labor.
Prec. 1. Prec. 2. Prec. 3. Total.
Whole number of ballots cast
177 139
50 366
GOVERNOR.
John L. Bates of Boston (R.).
130
71
26
227
Thomas F. Brennan of Salem (S. L.)
0
4
0
4
John C. Chase of Haverhill (S.)
1
11
0
12
Oliver W. Cobb of Easthampton (P.)
2
5
1
8
William A. Gaston of Boston (D.) .
38
46
20
104
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.
John Quincy Adams of Amesbury (S.). .
2
12
1
15
Curtis Guild, Jr., of Boston (R.).
129
67
28
224
William F. Merrill of Malden (P.)
3
3
0
6
Richard Olney, 2nd, of Leicester (D.)
34
40
16
90
Mority E. Ruther of Holyoke (S. L.).
0
5
0
5
SECRETARY.
1
Olof Bokeland of Worcester (S.)
1
11
0
12
John F. Coyle of Lynn (S. L.).
0
4
1
5
Alfred L. Cutting of Weston (P.) .
4
3
0
7
Ezekiel M. Ezekiel of Springfield (D.) .
29
36
14
79
William M. Olin of Boston (R.) .
124
69
27
220
22
TREASURER AND RECEIVER GENERAL.
Prec. 1. Prec. 2. Prec. 3. Total
John A. Billings of Rockland (S.) .
1
12
0
13
Edward S. Bradford of Springfield (R.). .
122
67
28
217
Napoleon B. Johnson of Milford (P.). ..
4
3
0
7
Frederick A. Nagler of Springfield (S. L.) .
0
4
0
4
Thomas C. Thacher of Yarmouth (D.). ..
32
37
14
83
AUDITOR.
John H. Hagan of Lynn (S. L.)
0
4
0
4
Joseph Orr of Chicopee (S.).
1
13
0
14
Alfred E. Steele of Northampton (P.).
4
4
0
8
Francois X. Tetrault of Southbridge (D.)
28
34
13
75
Henry E. Turner of Malden (R.) .
124
65
26
215
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
John A. Anderson of Gardner (S. L.).
0
5
0
5
William J. Carroll of Lowell (S.).
2
12
0
14
Henry M. Dean of Hyde Park (P.)
3
3
0
6
John J Flaherty of Gloucester (D.)
29
32
15
76
Herbert Parker of Lancaster (R.).
127
65
27
219
COUNCILLOR.
Oscar C. Hulsman of Malden (S.). .
2
14
0
16
William J. McCluskey of Lowell (D.) .
30
36
14
80
Walter S. Watson of Lowell (R.).
122
64
28
214
SENATOR.
Chester W. Clark of Wilmington (R.) ..
128
66
28 222
John P. Farley of Lowell (D.).
31
42
14
87
Benjamin Staveley of Tewksbury (S.) ...
1
14
2
17
23
REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL COURT.
Prec. 1. Prec. 2. Prec. 3. Total
Edward Fisher of Westford (D.) ..
82
75
24
181
George H. Hartford of Westford (R.)
89
56
21 166
COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
George R. Duren of Carlisle (D.) .
35
40
15
90
Samuel O. Upham of Waltham (R.) .
121
67
27
215
Charles W. Ussher of Cambridge (S.)
2
13
0
15
Horace Hamblet of Westford
0
0
1
1
REGISTER OF PROBATE AND INSOLVENCY.
Emanuel Bernier of Medford (S.).
1
13
0
14
Samuel H. Folsom of Winchester (R.) ...
128
60
28
216
Frank J. Simonds of Lowell (D.) .
30
38
16
84
REGISTER OF DEEDS.
John J. Devine of Lowell (D.).
30
37
14
81
Joseph P. Thompson of Lowell (R.).
128
70
27
225
J. Bert Williams of Lowell (S.) .
1
12
1
14
COUNTY TREASURER.
Joseph O. Authier of Cambridge (D.) . . . .
33
34
15
82
Charles G. F. Claus of Malden (S.).
2
12
0
14
Joseph O. Hayden of Somerville (R.) ....
123
67
28
218
ACCEPTANCE OF "LUCE LAW," SO CALLED
Yes
57
46
11
114
No
48
19
10
77
24
RETURN OF VOTES FOR REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL COURT FOR MIDDLESEX DISTRICT, NO. 23.
West-
Acton. Ayer.
Little- ton. Shirley. ford.
Total.
Edward Fisher of Westford. .
89
152
72
54
181
548
George H. Hartford of West- ford
231
207
105
106
166
815
Blanks .
25
30
8
25
19
107
Whole number of ballots . .
345
389
185
185
366 1470
Petition of Order of Notice
Upon and Location Granted to the Lowell and Fitchburg Street Railway Company.
PETITION.
To the Honorable, the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Westford in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts :
Your petitioners, the Lowell & Fitchburg St. Ry. Co., by a majority of its directors, respectfully represent that they have organized to construct a street railway from the Boston & Maine railroad crossing on East Main street, in the town of Ayer and County of Middlesex, and to extend through Groton, Westford and Chelmsford in the County of Middlesex to the junction of the Nashua, Dunstable and Groton roads at North Chelmsford village, one of its termini ; with a branch at or about the Sandy Pond station, on the Boston & Maine railroad in Ayer, and running through Littleton, Acton and Concord in the County of Middlesex, to the square in Concord Village, its second termini.
And your petitioners pray that they may be granted loca- tions beginning on the boundary line between the towns of Westford and Chelmsford, at or near the point where the so-called Groton road crosses said boundary line to the boundary line between the towns of Westford and Groton, at or near the point where Central street, so-called, crosses said boundary line, at which point they may connect with the location granted by the Selectmen of the Town of Groton.
That the location shall begin at the boundary line between the towns of Westford and Chelmsford, at or near the point where the so-called Groton road crosses same; thence along
26
said Groton road and private lands to Beacon street, in Granite- ville Village; thence along Beacon street to Main street ; thence along Main street to Union street ; thence along Union street to Central street in Forge Village ; thence along Central street and private lands to the boundary line between the towns of Westford and Groton, and to there connect with the location which has been granted to your petitioners by the Selectmen of the Town of Groton, and with the right to erect the neces- sary poles, and to operate said railway by the overhead electric system, or with any other system or power as may seem best ; together with all other rights incidental to such operation.
Also, your petitioners pray for a location in the Town of Westford and County of Middlesex from a point at or near the junction of River street and Main street, in Graniteville Village ; thence along River street to Fourth street ; thence along Fourth street to Broadway ; thence along Broadway to the Graniteville and Westford road, so-called ; thence along the Graniteville and Westford road, so-called, and private lands to Main street ; West- ford Centre ; thence along Main street to Depot street, to a point known as Drew's Corner.
Also, your petitioners pray that they may be granted a location in the Town of Westford and County of Middlesex from the boundary line between the Towns of Westford and Chelmsford, at a point where the Westford road, so-called, in West Chelmsford Village crosses same along said Westford road, so-called, to the junction of said road with the highway leading across Stony Brook at Brookside Station.
Your petitioners respectfully represent that they will file, within the proper time, such plans of proposed railway as will be acceptable to your board.
Majority of Board of Directors,
LORING N. FARNUM, W. S. MURRAY, H. O. WEAVER, GEORGE T. DAY.
27
Westford, Mass., April 24, 1903.
Ordered by the Board of Selectmen of Westford, Mass., in session on the foregoing petition of the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company, a body corporate under the laws of said Commonwealth, for locations for its tracks in said Town of Westford, that a meeting of said Board of Selectmen be holden at the Town Hall at Westford Centre, on Saturday, the ninth day of May next, at two o'clock in the afternoon, at which time and place said Board of Selectmen will consider said petition and all parties interested may be heard, and that due written notice of such hearing be given by publishing a copy of said petition and this order thereon in the Lowell Morning Citizen, a news- paper published in Lowell, Mass., (there being no newspaper published in said Westford), the publication to be at least four- teen days before said meeting.
WESLEY O. HAWKES, ALBERT P. RICHARDSON, SHERMAN H. FLETCHER, Selectmen of Westford.
I hereby certify that the above petition of the Directors of the Lowell & Fitchburg St. Ry. Co. for locations of its tracks in said Westford was filed with the Selectmen of said Westford April 24th, 1903, and that said petition and order of the said Selectmen thereon, was published as therein ordered in the Lowell Morning Citizen, a newspaper published in Lowell, in said County (there being no newspaper published in said Westford), upon April 25th, 1903.
EDWARD FISHER,
Town Clerk.
Westford, Mass., May 12th, 1903.
Then personally appeared the said Edward Fisher, Town Clerk, and made oath to the truth of the above statement signed by him before me.
JOHN M. FLETCHER, Justice of the Peace.
28
TOWN OF WESTFORD.
Whereas, the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company, by a majority of its directors, has petitioned for a location of the tracks of a street railway in the Town of Westford, and for per- mission to construct, equip, maintain and operate a street railway thereon of a single or double track with all necessary turnouts and connections, to make use of an overhead electric system, or with any other system or power, as may seem best, together with all other rights incidental to such operation ; to erect and maintain the necessary poles, wires, etc., along said route; and due notice of a hearing upon said petition having been given, and a hearing had thereon, it is
Ordered, That a location is hereby granted to the said rail- way company as petitioned for, over the following streets, viz :
A double track beginning at a point on the Groton road near Fletcher's quarry where said Groton road crosses the boundary line between the town of Chelmsford and the town of Westford ; thence running along said Groton road and through private lands to Beacon street in the village of Graniteville ; thence along Beacon street to Main street in Graniteville; thence a single track location along Main street to Union street ; thence a double track location along Union street to Central street in Forge Village ; thence along Central street and private lands to the boundary line between the towns of Westford and Groton.
Also a single track location beginning at the junction of Main and River streets in Graniteville Village; thence along River street and private lands to Broadway ; thence along Broad- way to the Graniteville and Westford road, so-called ; thence along the Graniteville and Westford road and private land to Main street in Westford Centre; thence along Main street to Depot street at a point known as Drew's Corner.
Also a single track location on the road leading from West Chelmsford to Westford beginning at a point on the town line between Chelmsford and Westford ; thence running along said road to the junction of said road and the highway leading across Stony Brook at Brookside Station, with suitable turnouts, side tracks and switches.
29
The above location to be more definitely shown by detailed plans to be accepted by the Selectmen of the Town of Westford. Said plans when accepted to become part of the franchise.
The location and rights described aforesaid are granted upon the following express conditions, a violation of any of which shall, at the election of the Board of Selectmen, operate as a forfeiture of the location and rights herein granted.
SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL LAWS.
SECTION I. The right to build and operate the railway is upon the condition that said company shall comply with all the laws of the Commonwealth applicable thereto; also with all the requirements of the by-laws of the Town of Westford and the regulations of the Selectmen, both those now in force, and those that may hereafter be adopted.
PLAN TO BE FILED.
SEC. 2. Before beginning the construction of said railway said railway company shall file with the Town Clerk of West- ford a description and plan of said location, showing in detail the proposed location of all tracks, sidings, turnouts, switches and poles, and such alterations in the width and grading of said streets, including filling and excavating within the limits thereof, as may be considered necessary for said road.
SEC. 3. The whole work of construction, and the kind and quality of material used, shall be under the direction of and satisfactory to the Selectmen, and approved by them.
RAILS.
SEC. 4. The said company, wherever the track is laid out- side and separate from the travelled way, shall use "T" rails weighing not less than sixty pounds per yard, and where the track is in the travelled way, the said company shall use either nine inch, one-half groove, girder rails, weighing not less than ninety pounds per yard and sixty feet long, properly paved, or "T" rails weighing not less than sixty pounds per yard, and the space between the tracks and eighteen inches outside thereof
30
filled with macadam, to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board of Selectmen. In all cases the track is to have a clearance from any obstruction of at least four and one-half feet on tangents, and more in proportion on curves.
TIES.
SEC. 5. The said company shall use ties not less than six inches face, six inches thick, and seven feet long, of chestnut or such other material as the Selectmen shall approve. Ties to be laid not over twenty-four inches apart on centre.
STREET WIDENING.
SEC. 6. The said company shall, at its own expense, put the travel portion of the highway in as good condition as it was before construction of the company's track, whether the change in said travel portion of the highway is occasioned by the widen- ing, straightening or rebuilding of any street, or the building or rebuilding of any bridge or culvert, or by reason of reconstruc- tion or repairs of said railway, or in the location or construction of any extension thereof, such widening, straightening, building, or reconstruction or rebuilding shall be done by said Town or by said company, as the Selectmen may elect ; any widening, straightening or building of the railway located by this order to be shown upon said plan before construction is commenced, and the entire cost and expense of any work required to be done under this section shall be paid by said railway company, includ- ing the cost of land, or any rights therein, or any damages for the taking thereof ; the roadway independent of the railway to be of sufficient width to properly accommodate other travel.
The entire cost of all such filling and excavating as may be required by the Selectmen within existing limits or layouts of streets, in order to provide for the railway or any extension thereof, including all expense incident to such filling and exca- vating, and the settlement of all damages and claims arising therefrom, shall be borne by said company. Any filling and excavating required in the construction of said railway hereby located to be shown upon the said plan before commencing con- struction.
31
GRADE, SNOW AND ICE.
SEC. 7. All tracks shall be laid in conformity with the plans approved by the railroad commissioners. The roadbed is to be constructed with at least eighteen inches of suitable ballast below base of rails, and properly drained. Surface water and existing water courses to be properly provided for at the expense of the railway company.
Said company shall not run snow plows or remove snow from its tracks unless they remove an amount of the snow from said streets or sidewalks sufficient to make such streets and sidewalks safe and convenient for public travel and satisfactory to the Se- lectmen. If any snow or ice is removed by said company, and it is done so as to leave any part of the street or sidewalk danger- ous in the opinion of the Selectmen, they or either of them may cause such snow or ice to be removed as to make said streets and sidewalks safe and convenient for public travel, and the expense thereof shall be charged to and paid by the said railway company. If the company does not open its line or branches because of snow or ice to the reasonable satisfaction of the Selectmen, the Board may remove or cause to be removed such snow or ice, and collect the cost of such removal, including reasonable counsel fees, from the Company.
SEWER MAINS AND PIPES.
SEC. 8. If at any time said Town shall lay sewer mains or other pipes in said streets, or widen said streets, or raise or lower the grade thereof, or make any alteration or excavation therein, and it shall be necessary to remove any of the tracks of said company, the expense of such removal and of relaying said tracks shall be borne by said company, in conformance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
SURPLUS MATERIAL.
SEC. 9. The company shall, at its own expense, remove all waste and surplus material from the streets to spoil banks provided by the company, unless otherwise ordered by the Board
32
of Selectmen. Said waste and surplus material if so ordered shall be deposited at such place within one mile and to grades as directed by the Board.
All ways shall be left in as good and safe condition as they . were when the work was commenced, to the satisfaction of the Board of Selectmen.
The company shall not close or blockade any cross street or private highway during construction without permission from the Board of Selectmen.
POLES.
SEC. 10. All poles erected by said company shall be of chestnut or cedar, or of such wood and size and form as the Selectmen may direct, and shall be of sufficient strength to carry any and all wires that may at any time be attached to them, and shall be kept painted and of such color as the Select- men shall determine. Cross bars shall be placed on all the poles erected by the company if required by the Selectmen. All poles shall be firmly set not less than six feet in the ground, and shall be on one side of the street whenever required by the Selectmen, be of such height, not exceeding forty feet above ground, as the Selectmen may order, so as to provide suitable spaces on said poles, above the wires and attachments of the railway company, for attaching and supporting other wires.
WIRES.
SEC. II. Trolley wires, feed wires and all other wires shall be maintained not less than twenty feet from the ground, unless otherwise authorized by the Selectmen. Guard wires shall be placed over trolley wires wherever required by the Selectmen.
Said Board of Selectmen shall have the right to order that all wires in said street shall be placed upon the poles of said company, without prejudice, however, to the right of said company to receive reasonable compensation from other com- panies for the use of its poles, or arrangements shall be made by said company with all other companies now having wires strung
-
33
or having the right to string wires in said streets, whereby they shall be granted the right to use said company's poles for their wires, wherever the same will not be detrimental to the said rail- way company ; but no wires belonging to any other company or person shall be placed upon said poles without permission first being obtained in writing from the Selectmen.
Any department of said Town shall have the exclusive use of the upper cross bar and the top of each pole, free of charge, for the purpose of placing wires thereon for its own use.
All wires shall be so placed as not to interfere with, or be in dangerous proximity to, any existing wires belonging to the Town of Westford.
Proper bonding shall be made to convey all return current.
SEC. 12. Wherever said track passes opposite the entrance of any private avenue or driveway, said company shall plank, pave or macadamize said driveway or avenue, as required by the Selectmen, between the rails and for suitable distance, not ex- ceeding eighteen inches on the sides thereof. And wherever the track crosses a street, walk or gutter, said company shall properly pave or macadamize the same, if required by the Selectmen, and the said walk or gutter has been previously paved or macadamized.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
SEC. 13. Said Railway Company shall at its own expense maintain proper electric lights of at least 25 candle power along the location of said railway in the villages of Westford Centre, Graniteville, Forge Village and Brookside. Said lights to be located at points designated by the Board of Selectmen, and shall be kept burning to the reasonable satisfaction of the Selectmen.
RUNNING OF CARS AND FARES.
SEC. 14. Said Railway Company shall, unless prevented by accident or other unavoidable delay, or excused by the Select- men, run its cars daily throughout the year in both directions between the terminus of its tracks at Westford Centre and the
34
terminus of its tracks at North Chelmsford at regular intervals of not less than one hour each without a change of cars, and an intermediate car from Westford Centre to Forge Village to the reasonable satisfaction of the Selectmen.
The first car from said Westford Centre and from said North Chelmsford to start not later than six-thirty o'clock A. M., and the last car shall leave North Chelmsford not earlier than ten-thirty o'clock P. M., provided, however, in case a later car is required reasonable accommodations shall be given for the trans- portation of passengers by said railway company.
The fare for a continuous ride between Brookside Station and a point in North Chelmsford Village where proposed road will connect with the tracks of the Boston & Northern Street Railway shall not exceed five cents.
The fare for a continuous passage from any point in the town of Westford to any other point in said Westford, including therein a change of cars or transfer shall not exceed five cents.
All school children attending the public schools shall be carried to and from school on such days as the schools are in session for ten rides for twenty-five cents, which will be furnished in the form of strip tickets good for school children only.
Said company shall carry free of charge all members of the police and fire departments wearing their badge of office in the performance of their duties.
BOND.
SEC. 15. The said company before beginning the con- struction of said railway shall execute and deliver to the Town of Westford a bond in the penal sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) conditioned to indemnify the said Town, its officers and agents, from and against all claims and demands for injury to person or property, all costs, charges and expenses, or com- pensation for or on account of any defect or defects in said streets in consequence of said company's failure to keep its tracks, turnouts and switches in repair, or in any way resulting from the construction and operation of said street railway com-
35
pany upon and over said streets, and to reimburse said Town for all loss or damage at any time sustained by it on account of said defects.
And also that it will save harmless said Town and its officers and agents from all claims or demands for injury to per- son or property, costs, charges and expenses growing out of, or resulting from, the erection, maintenance, operation and use of electric system for motive power.
The Selectmen may at any time after the expiration of the above bond, or any subsequent bond, require a new bond upon the same conditions as above set forth.
TIME OF COMPLETION.
SEC. 16. The company shall complete the construction of proposed road within eighteen months from the date of accept- ance of this franchise.
TREES.
SEC. 17. 'No trees or shrubs shall be cut or trimmed by said railway company except by permission of the Tree Warden.
SEC. 18. The terms " Board of Selectmen," "Selectmen' and " Board" as used in this order of location and in terms, condtions and obligations to which said order is subject, are intended and shall be taken to extend to and include all suc- cessors of the existing Board of Selectmen of the Town of Westford.
SHERMAN H. FLETCHER, WESLEY O. HAWKES,
Selectmen of Westford.
Westford, Mass., May 9th, 1903.
36
May 28, 1903.
Petition of the Lowell & Fitchburg Street Railway Company for authority to construct and maintain its railway in part upon private land.
It appearing, after due notice and hearing, that the petitioner has been duly authorized to construct and maintain a street railway in the Town of Westford, and has received locations for the tracks of its railway therein ; that in order to avoid undesir- able grades and curves the public necessity and convenience demand that a portion of the railway of the petitioner be constructed and maintained over private land ; that approval of the proposed plan of construction upon private land has been duly obtained from the Board of Selectmen of said Town, it is
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