USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1838-1857, v. 1 > Part 31
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WILLIAM DEARBORN. [L.g.]
366
Brookline Town Records.
SPECIAL MEETING, OCTOBER 15, 1851.
SEAL. SEAL. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SEAL. ]
NORFOLK, SS. To the Constables of the Town of Brookline, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Brookline to meet at the Town Hall in said Town, on Wednesday, the fifteenth day of October current, at three of the clock in the afternoon, for the following purposes, to wit :
1st. To choose a Moderator.
2nd. To hear and act upon the report of the committee appointed December 16, 1850, to build a new road from the end of the Mill Dam to Washington Street, being the same petitioned for by Daniel Sanderson and others.
3d. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer to borrow money and give the notes of the Town for so much of the cost of said Road as is not already provided for.
4th. To hear and act upon the report of the committee appointed at the adjourned annual meeting, March 24, 1851, on the subject of school houses ; and to see if the town will appropriate any monies for the pur- chase of land for the erection of school houses and the building of the same.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, at the time and place of said meeting. Given under our hands and seals, at Brookline, this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
JAMES BARTLETT,
Selectmen J. DAVENPORT,
of
WILLIAM DEARBORN, Brookline.
NORFOLK, SS. BROOKLINE, October 10, 1851.
By virtue of this warrant, I have notified the within named inhabit- ants of Brookline by leaving a printed notice at the residence of each voter as within directed.
HUGH M. SANBORN.
A true copy of the warrant and the return thereon.
Attest : WILLIAM I. BOWDITCH, Town Clerk, pro tem.
367
Special Meeting, October 15, 1851.
The Town Clerk not being present, the Selectmen called the meeting to order, and requested the qualified voters present to bring in their written ballots for a clerk pro tem- pore, which was accordingly done, and William I. Bowditch was declared duly elected clerk pro tem. Mr. Bowditch was then sworn by Thomas Griggs, Esq., faithfully and impar- tially to discharge all his duties as clerk pro tem. of this meeting.
The clerk having read the warrant and return, as above given, James Robinson was duly chosen Moderator of the meeting by written ballots.
The second article in the warrant being taken up, George Griggs, Esq., chairman of the committee mentioned in said article, presented the following report :
The Committee appointed by the Town on the 16th of December, 1850, to appear before the County Commissioners and request them to lay out and locate, as soon as it can be legally done, the road from the Mill Dam to Washington Street, and who were authorized if the County Commis- sioners should locate said-to contract to build the same, Report : That on the 25th day of December last they appeared before the commissioners as instructed, and requested them to lay out the Road. This request was opposed, and a remonstrance against it was laid before the Commission- ers, and at the request of the remonstrants, further time was granted them to show cause why the request should not be granted.
After due consideration and all parties interested were fully heard, the commissioners, in April last, did adjudge that common convenience and necessity required said new highway should be laid out, and on the ninth and eleventh days of June last proceeded to lay out said highway. As soon as possible after the order of the commissioners locating the Road could be procured from their files, the committee advertised for proposals to build it, and after examining some 12 or 15 proposals, agreed, on behalf of the town, to pay for excavating and grading the road from Washington Street to land of Mr. David Sears, 12} cents per cubic yard, and for grading the Road across the marsh 32 cents, and to pay $700 for planks to be used on the marsh & draining the same, and to pay $2 per cubic yard for culvert masonry. They subsequently contracted, on behalf of the Town, for fencing the Road where the County Commis- sioners ordered a fence, for 15 cents per running foot. The other items of cost will appear in the following estimate, which includes also the cost of excavation and grading at the above prices :
368
Brookline Town Records.
Asa G. Shelden's bill for earth work from Washington Street to Pleasant Street $1243 67
66
66 across the marsh 5391 74
66 66 through land of Charles Stearns 2450 -
66
draining marsh & planks
700
66
66 66
66
66 66 culvert masonry .
471 62
66 extra labor in making a culvert and finishing around bridge on the marsh and furnishing planks for the same, and extra work around elm tree on Charles Stearns' land, and placing birches on Stearns' meadow
100 00
Charles Stearns' bill for gravel to fill across his meadow, besides that taken out of the Road. Sqrs. at 67 cts.
66 for trees used on his meadow
1075 - 5 -
David Sears, for gravel from his bank for the marsh, 642.4 sqrs. at 50 cts.
321 20
Wm. N. Lawrence, for digging one acre of his marsh for mud
300
-
Calvin Smith's bill for grading road across land of Mr. David Sears 50
66 " " cutting and placing birch trees on
Mr. Stearns' meadow, and for facines laid on same . Cost of gravel to cover the road across the marsh and put- ting it on and completing its construction 500
31 50
Stone posts at angles of the Road and placing the sanie 40 --
Sundry small bills for printing proposals, posting the same, copy of order of the County Commissioners 15 -
Dictor's bill for bridge on marsh
180 -
$14,099 73
Of this amount $3375.00 were subscribed by the Mill Dam Company and individuals, and $5000 has been borrowed by the Treasurer, under authority of the vote of Dec. 16th, 1850
8375
Leaving a balance to be paid by the Town, estimated at
$5724 73 To which should be added $150 interest which will become due on the $5000 already borrowed before the annual meeting 150 00
$5574 73
Here the Committee might close their present report, as they cannot until all the bills are ascertained and rendered in give a perfectly exact
325 -
T. & J. Doane's bill for engineering
Boston and Worcester Rail Road, for making crossing & putting up sign-board
300 - 1300 -
Abbot's bill for fencing, at 15 cts. pr. foot
369
Special Meeting, October 15, 1851.
statement of the cost of the Road, as directed to do by the last vote passed Dec. 16, 1850. That report shall be prepared as soon as the bills are rendered and paid.
That, as the Committee is in part composed of the same persons who were on a committee to ascertain the cost of making this road, and all the members of this committee concurred in the opinion of that commit- tee that the road would cost much less than it actually has cost the town, and as some explanation of this difference may reasonably and fairly be required of them by their fellow-citizens, they deem it decorous and proper to state that they do not think it sufficient here merely to state that works of this character are very apt to exceed the estimates, as the case of almost, if not quite, every railroad, turnpike, canal, or other public highway, abundantly shows; but there were, in making this road, certain elements of expense not probably foreseen by the former com- mittee, certainly not anticipated by this.
The first of these was the short period in which it was necessary to build the road. This necessity did not arise from the limited time allowed by the County Commissioners, as they allowed a year, but from the terms on which the Mill Dam Company and the individuals who subscribed had made their subscription, viz. : that the Road should be built within a year from the date of their subscription. A part were dated Oct. 8th; that of the Mill Dam was Oct. 19th. The Committee are happy to state that the road is now so nearly completed that the Mill Dam Company have paid in their subscrip- tion of $2000, and none of the individuals who subscribed have refused on the ground of its non-completion, nearly a thousand dollars having been already paid, and the remainder will probably be paid in a few days. But the committee did not wish to incur the risk of losing these sub- scriptions, and consequently had to make the best bargain they could to get the work done quickly. The difference between having only 90 days to do the work in and having nearly a year, made the cost undoubtedly more, as the inconvenience of working on the marsh when it was not frozen, and of not allowing the contractors so much time as they wanted, undoubtedly added very considerably to the expense. This difficulty would have been avoided if those who remonstrated against the laying out of the road had not opposed its laying out till the very last, and induced the commissioners to postpone their decision until they could be fully heard. It certainly must be a satisfaction to all those who opposed the laying out of the Road to know that by their efforts the objections against the Road were fully and ably stated to the Commis- sioners, and that they did not act hastily, rashly, nor without due delib- eration and a pretty thorough and full examination of the merits of the question before them. If in consequence of this delay the additional cost of the Road does not cause others to complain, the committee do' not think that it will become those who caused this additional cost to be either very loud or bitter in their complaints.
Another cause of difference between the original estimate and actual cost, is that in the former it was supposed the commissioners would take enough of the marsh on the sides of the road to allow the mud to be dug up on each side; instead of which they refused to do so, and compelled
24
370
Brookline Town Records.
the Town not only to be at the expense of buying the mud to make the Road and paying for planks to haul it on, but to pay some $2000 more, for moving it on to the Road than it would have cost to have had it thrown on from the sides. And lastly, the cost of filling in Mr. Stearns' meadow has added a large item which was not included in the former estimate.
In conclusion, the committee are now of the opinion that, though it does, like almost every public improvement, incidentally benefit some of those who have been most active in urging forward the completion of this work, yet, notwithstanding its great cost, it will, as its advantages as a public work are developed and appreciated, commend itself to the approbation of every inhabitant of the Town, and at a time now not distant will irresistibly lead their minds to the same conclusion to which the minds of the County Commissioners were led after a very careful and protracted examination, viz., that in the year 1851 common conven- ience and necessity did require that said highway should be laid out.
GEOR. GRIGGS, Chairman.
On motion of Marshal Stearns, seconded by J. Davenport, it was-
Voted, That all that part of said report which relates to the remonstrants against the laying out of the Road be struck out.
The report as thus amended was then accepted.
The third article in the warrant being taken up, it was
Voted, That the Treasurer of the Town be authorized to borrow a sum not exceeding $6000, payable in two, three and four years, at six per cent interest, payable semi-annu- ally, and to give the notes of the Town for the same, to pay for the new Road from the end of the Mill Dam to Washing- ton Street, laid out by the County Commissioners in June last, and to pay the interest on the $5000 already borrowed for that purpose, which interest will become due before the next annual town meeting.
William I. Bowditch resigned his office as a member of the committee appointed Dec. 16, 1850, to build this new County Road, and on motion of Marshal Stearns, his resig- nation® was accepted.
The fourth article in the warrant being taken up, William I. Bowditch, Chairman of the Committee mentioned in said article, presented the following report :
The committee appointed at the last annual town meeting to take into consideration that part of the report of the School Committee which relates to the subject of school houses, respectfully report :
371
Special Meeting, October 15, 1851.
That after consultation with the school committee, and consideration of the whole subject, we have been led to the conclusion that the cause of good education in Town demands the erection of two new school houses. We think one of these should be of wood, with two main rooms, one fitted for an intermediate school, and one for a primary school. It should be located somewhere near the corner of Warren and Clyde Streets, and have not less than half an acre of land attached for play-grounds. The other should be built of brick, two stories in height, with three main rooms, two of which should be fitted for an interme- diate school, with separate apartments for the boys and girls, and the third for a primary school. There should also be such other rooms in both buildings as may be found convenient or necessary. This brick school-house should be placed on Harvard Street, not far from School Street, on a lot of land not less than an acre in extent, so that separate play-grounds of adequate extent may be allowed for each school. The following are some of the reasons which led us to these conclusions. The intermediate schools have but partially remedied the evil they were intended to obviate. They are designed for a class of children who, though too far advanced to remain in the Primary Schools, are yet not sufficiently advanced to enter the High School with any benefit to them- selves or without positive injury to others. Obviously, such a class of children are a serious evil either in the Primary or High School. It is for the best good of these schools that these children should be gathered into a school by themselves. Hitherto, however, owing to the great distance from the West and South parts of the Town, the children living there who ought to attend the intermediate schools, have not been obliged to attend them, but the School Committee have been forced to allow such children to attend the primary schools in their respective districts. The consequences have been twofold: (1) Such children have not enjoyed the same advantages of education as those whose parents lived near enough to the Town Hall to enable their children to attend the schools here. (2) The scholars properly belonging to the Primary Schools in the South and Middle Districts have been impeded by being associated with children far beyond them, to whom the teachers have unavoidably been oliged to devote a large share of their attention. In other words, the present position of the schools is very partial and unequal. The South and West portions of the Town have never reaped their fair share of the advantages of the Intermediate schools, though they have paid their share of the expense. They have neither been able to educate their children at those schools nor have their Primary Schools reaped the same benefit from their establishment that the North Primary School has done. To remedy this injustice, and to provide a larger and better room for the Primary School in the Middle District, which is very much needed, we propose the erection of the school house near the corner of Warren and Clyde Streets, and the sale of the school house and lot on Heath Street. We propose that all children of suitable age and acquirements, whose parents live west of Mr. Knapp's church, or on Boylston Street, or any of the cross streets west of Cypress Street, should be obliged to attend this new intermediate school.
372
Brookline Town Records.
In relation to the proposed erection of the brick school-house on Harvard Street, near School Street, we make the following suggestions : The new Town Road which has been laid out west of the Town House, runs through the North Primary School House, taking off a strip about . seven feet wide tlirougli the whole length, and accordingly renders the removal of that building necessary. Besides this, it is already far too small for the number of children attending school. The School Commit- tee are now seeking for another room in which to place part of the pupils. Nor is this only a temporary difficulty. The number of pupils in this school steadily increases. In 1847 tlie average attendance through the year was 383, in 1848, 503, and in 1850, 67. It is clear, therefore, that the present building must be moved from its present position, and either very greatly enlarged or a new house must be built to meet the present wants of this school. We think it poor economy to enlarge the present building. It would do well enough as it now is, in a thinly peopled district and for a few scholars, but for a large school it is very badly constructed, and can never be made satisfactory by any mere enlargement. It must also be materially altered in its arrangements as well as size, if it is to be made at all adequate to the wants of this Dis- trict. Perhaps at some day not far distant, it may be found convenient to move it where it may accommodate the growing want of a primary school on the Brighton branch of the Mill Dam. For such a school we think it would be entirely fitted and adequate. If a new house is to be built, we think it ought to be made large enough to accommodate the Intermediate Schools in this District, with school and recitation rooms. The lower story of the Town Hall is now needed for Town offices. The little room below, at the left hand of the entrance (only about twice as large as one of the cells in the new county jail), is the only room in the Town Hall in which at present Town Officers can meet and keep their records and papers. Here the Selectmen meet. Here the assessors transact that business which is so interesting to themselves and pleasing to the inhabitants generally. Here are kept the Town Clerk's records and files. The Town Treasurer and Collector has no place either for his records or files. But for the safe keeping of all these books and papers the Town is legally obliged to provide. It has no right to leave them or any of them in private houses. By Stat. 1851, Ch. 161, § 1, the Select- men are directed to provide a suitable place for the safe keeping and preservation of the public records and other valuable documents, where they shall be deposited and securely kept. How does the Town obey this law, when it provides no place whatever where the very important records and papers of the Treasurer may be deposited and securely kept? The safe in the room below is not large enough for the safe and proper keeping of the record-books of the Selectmen and Clerk. The files, some of which are as important as the records, are carefully preserved from fire in wooden boxes outside the safe. These evils cannot be remedied without moving the schools from the Town Hall. This removal must take place soon, at any rate, and if a new school house is to be built now, we think that the Town will be wanting in due prudence if it does not make the new building large enough to accommodate these schools.
373
Special Meeting, October 15, 1851.
The only reason of importance which suggests itself why the new school house should be placed on School Street, is the fact that the Town owns the land. But we think a much better site may be chosen on Harvard Street, and probably some exchange of the Town's land on School Street may be made with the owner of the new school lot, or the Town land may be sold to such advantage as to enable us to obtain, on fair terms, the land we want. If the new school house is placed on the Town's land, it will have to be placed South of the new Town Road, on what is now the gravel bank, and for a number of years yet to come the land on School Street will be kept in confusion by the removal of gravel, and we think a better-shaped and conditioned lot can be chosen on Harvard Street than can be found on the Town's land, even after the gravel is removed. In relation to the size of the school-house lots, the law allows the Town to take land for a school-house lot not more than 40 square rods. This is little enough, certainly, and inasmuch as there are to be two schools kept in the building to be erected near the corner of Clyde and Warren Streets, we recommend the purchase of half an acre, or the statutable quantity for two schools, and as there will be virtually three schools in the building on Harvard Street, we recommend the purchase of one acre, or the statutable quantity for four schools, that being, in our opinion, none too much either for the convenience of the school or the proper ornament of the ground in front of the building so that it may not be unacceptable to the neighborhood.
In conclusion, we recommend that a committee of five be appointed to select sites for the school houses above proposed, of the sizes above mentioned, to find the best terms upon which such lots of land may be obtained, and upon what terms the school house and lot on Heath Street can be sold, and that the same committee, acting in concert with the School Committee, cause plans of the new buildings to be made and estimates to be prepared of the cost of their erection, and report all the facts to the Town at the next annual meeting for further action.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM I. BOWDITCH, DANIEL SANDERSON, GEORGE F. HOMER,
Committee.
The foregoing report having been accepted, it was-
Voted, That - be a committee to select sites for the two new school houses recommended in the report of the com- mittee on school houses, this day presented, of the sizes therein mentioned ; to find the best terms upon which such lots of land can be obtained, and upon what terms the school house and lot on Heath Street can be sold, and that said committee (acting in concert with the school committee) cause plans of the new buildings to be made and estimates to be prepared of the cost of their erection, and report all
374
Brookline Town Records.
the facts on the foregoing subjects at the next annual meet- ing of the Town, for further action.
Voted, That the committee contemplated by the last vote be chosen by nomination at large.
Whereupon, the same committee of five who were appoint- ed at the annual meeting to report on the subject of school houses, were chosen as this committee.
William I. Bowditch, chairman of this committee, declined serving, and David S. Coolidge was chosen in his stead.
Daniel Sanderson declined serving on this committee, and Charles Heath was chosen in his stead,-so that the commit- tee entrusted with the execution of the last vote are as fol- lows : David S. Coolidge, William Dwight, Abijah W. Goddard, Charles Heath, George F. Homer.
Voted, To dissolve the meeting.
A true record of the proceedings.
Attest : WILLIAM I. BOWDITCH, Clerk, pro tem.
GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 10, 1851.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SEAL.] SEAL.] ـســ SEAL.] NORFOLK, SS. BROOKLINE. To the Constables of the
Town of Brookline, GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth, you are hereby re- quired to warn the inhabitants of the town of Brookline qualified to vote in elections, to meet at the Town Hall in said Town on Monday, the tenth day of November present, it being the second Monday in said month, at half-past one o'clock in the afternoon, at which time and place the polls will be opened and kept open not less than two hours, for the following purposes, to wit :
1. To determine whether the Town will send a Representative to the next General Court.
2. To bring in their votes to the Selectmen for the following officers, to wit : For Governor and Lieutenant-Governor of this Commonwealth;
375
General Election, November 10, 1851.
For three Senators for this County; for a Representative to the next General Court, if the Town determine to send one; all to be voted for on one ballot.
3. To give in their votes by ballot on the question, " Is it expedient that delegates should be chosen to meet in convention for the purpose of revising or altering the constitution of government of this Common- wealth?"
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, at the time and place of said meeting.
Given under our hands and seals, this third day of November, in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-one.
JAMES BARTLETT, Selectmen J. DAVENPORT, WILLIAM DEARBORN, of Brookline.
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, Nov. 7, 1851.
Pursuant to the within warrant, I have notified the inhabitants of the town of Brookline herein described, to meet at said time and place and for the 'purposes within mentioned, by leaving printed notifications at the last and usual place of abode of every legal voter.
A. H. CLAPP, Constable.
At half-past one o'clock, Mr. Bartlett, the chairman of the Selectmen, called the meeting to order, and the warrant was read.
Voted, To send a Representative to the next General Court.
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