USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1858-1871, v. 2 > Part 16
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Ninth Article taken up :
To take into consideration the correction of the town map.
Voted, That the subject of this article be referred to the Selectmen to take such action thereon as they may deem best.
Tenth Article taken up :
To see what action the town will take in relation to grading Washing- ton street between Park and Beacon streets.
On motion of Marshal Stearns,-
Voted, That a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to consider upon the grade and condition of said street from School street to the Brighton line ; also upon and define the lines of said street, and all that is necessary to put it in complete repair, and report thereon at the adjourned meeting.
The Moderator appointed the following gentlemen to con- stitute said committee, viz. : Otis Withington, Samuel A. Robinson, Thomas Griggs, Charles Stearns, Jr., A. B. Shedd, committee on the grading, bounds and condition of Wash- ington street, and Seventh and Tenth Articles.
Eleventh Article taken up :
To see if the town will accept of Dudley street as located and laid out by the Selectmen, as a townway leading from Warren street through by the reservoir.
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196
Brookline. Town Records.
The Selectmen presented their report on the laying out of said way, as follows :
REPORT.
The Selectmen of the town of Brookline, after giving legal notice to all persons and parties interested, known to them, of their intention to lay out as a townway the private place known as Fairmount, leading from Warren street through said Fairmount by the reservoir and con- necting with the townway leading from Warren street opposite the estate of the late John E. Thayer to the gravel bank belonging to the town on said Fairmount, by the reservoir.
In pursuance, therefore, of said notice, the Selectmen met at the house of Rufus S. Allen, on said Fairmount, on Monday, December 15th, 1862, and again, by adjournment, on Monday, March the 2d, 1863, and all parties and interests known to them having been examined and heard in relation thereto, they proceeded and laid out said private place as a town- way by the name of Dudley street, to wit :
The northerly and westerly line of said street is described as follows, viz. : Commencing on Warren street at a monument marked A on a plan of said way, placed at the southeasterly corner of land of Whitney, thence running westerly 192 feet to a monument marked B; thence run- ning northeasterly (by a curve of 97 feet radius) 83 feet to monument C; thence northwesterly 91 feet to a monument D; thence by the same course 607 feet to a monument E; thence westerly 406 feet to a monu- ment F; thence southwesterly 566 feet to a monument G; thence south- easterly 298 feet to a monument H; thence by the same course 47 feet to a monument I; thence southerly (by a curve of 165 feet radius) 100 feet to a monument K; thence southerly 406 feet to a monument L on War- ren street at the southeasterly corner of land of - Howe; and the whole length of said way, as above described, is 2,976 feet, and from the monument A at the line of Warren street to the westerly line of Hillside place, near monument F, shall be thirty feet wide, measured southerly from said described line, excepting in front of the estates of Messrs. Stearns, Dearborn, and William P. Atkinson, where the southerly line shall be as follows: Commencing at a monument marked M, placed opposite the monument marked C, thence running northwesterly (by a curve of 276 feet radius) 150 feet to monument marked N ; and said way from the westerly line of Hillside place, near monument F, to monument L, near Warren street, shall be forty feet wide, measured southerly and easterly from said described line.
The location of said townway is in accordance with a plan of the same as made by Amos R. Binney, surveyor, dated February 10th, 1863, and filed into the office of the Town Clerk, March 2d, 1863, and approved and accepted by the Selectmen on the second day of March aforesaid.
In consideration of the benefit to the abutters on said way, the Select- men have made no awards for damages. The Selectmen have also given to the owners of land over which said way is laid out, sixty days in which to remove all fences, walls and trees standing on land taken for
197
Annual Meeting, March 23, 1863.
said way. And said way so laid out, so called and described, is hereby reported to the town for their acceptance, and when accepted, allowed and recorded, is forever to be known as a public townway.
BROOKLINE, Mass., March 23d, 1863.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHAL STEARNS, THOMAS PARSONS, N. G. CHAPIN, Selectmen of the Town of Brookline.
Voted, To accept and allow the foregoing report.
Voted, To raise and appropriate the sum of eight hundred and fifty dollars to carry out the proposed making of said way.
Twelfth Article taken up :
To see if the town will make any appropriation for the completion of Newton street.
Voted, That the sum of one thousand and five hundred dollars be raised and appropriated for that purpose.
Thirteenth Article taken up :
To raise and appropriate such sums of money as will be necessary to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
The meeting voted to raise and appropriate the following sums, to wit :
For schools
$17,000 00
poor .
900 00
highways .
4,000 00
fire department
700 00
sidewalks
800 00
gutters, drains, and paving
500 00
county tax
9,000 00
state tax
25,488 00
collecting taxes
400 00
abatement of taxes
600 00
interest
4,800 00
extinction of town debt
27,000 00
town officers .
1,700 00
repairs of town buildings
800 00
ringing bell
125 00
in
lighting streets and town buildings
2,200 00
cemetery
100. 00
e
d
nd
Ct-
198
Brookline Town Records.
For police
$600 00
library
559 00
board of health
200 00
military purposes
12,000 00
contingencies
1,500 00
making Newton street (see vote page [197]) .
1,500 00
making Dudley street
66 850 00
building wall on Boylston street (see page [194]) .
250 00
On motion of Thomas Parsons-
Voted, That twenty-seven thousand dollars of the town debt, recommended to be raised and paid this year, be divided into four equal parts of six thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars each, to be paid in one, two, three and four years from date, to be borrowed by the Treasurer, and the notes of the town given therefor, in conformity with this vote.
Voted, That the various appropriations made by the town, including those for the purpose of making and repairing high- ways and townways, be assessed, after deducting the amount now in the treasury and the probable receipts for the ensu- ing year, amounting to the sum of dollars, upon the polls and estates, real and personal, of the inhabitants, resident and non-resident, of the town, and collected as town charges are usually charged and collected.
Voted, That the Town Treasurer be and hereby is author- ized to borrow a sum not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, in anticipation of taxes, and to give the note or notes of the town therefor, countersigned by the Selectmen, in such sums and at such times as may be called for by them.
Voted, That the Selectmen be and hereby are requested to light such portions of the town during the three summer months as they may deem expedient.
Voted, That on all taxes assessed this year usually due October the first next, interest shall be charged and collected by the Collector at the rate of 1 per cent a month.
Seventh Article taken from the table :
To determine whether the town will widen the easterly end of Beacon street on the south side to the town line.
199
Annual Meeting, March 23, 1863.
On motion of Amos A. Lawrence-
Voted, That the subject of the Seventh Article be referred to the committee having charge of the Tenth Article, to be reported upon at the adjourned meeting.
Voted, That the thanks of the town be hereby tendered to the Military Committee for their services to the town during the past two years.
Voted, That when this meeting adjourns it be to meet in this place on Tuesday, the seventh day of April next, at half-past seven of the clock in the evening.
Voted, That notice of the time of the adjourned meeting be given by posting up hand-bills in various parts of the town.
Adjourned.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
In pursuance of the laws of this Commonwealth, the Town Clerk forthwith made out his warrant and delivered it to Constable John H. Grush to summon within three days all officers chosen and not qualified, to appear before the Town Clerk within seven days from the date of said warrant, to be qualified for their several offices ; to be sworn, where an oath is required by law, or to signify their acceptance or refusal of the office to which they may have been respectively chosen, where an oath is not required.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
-
200
Brookline Town Records.
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, April 4th, 1863.
Then personally appeared the following-named persons and were sworn at the time set against their names, or sig- nified their acceptance or refusal of the office to which they had been chosen, viz. :
Jerathmeel Davenport (sworn March 28th, 1863).
Assessors. Thomas B. Hall (sworn March 28th, 1863). William B. Town (sworn March 30th, 1863).
Constable. James M. Alger (sworn March 24th, 1863).
Fence Viewers.
C. L. Haynes (sworn March 26th, 1863). John O. Libby (sworn March 30th, 1863).
Eben W. Reed (sworn March 28th, 1863).
Field Drivers. Thomas S. Pettengill (sworn March 26th, 1863).
Pound Keeper. Eben W. Reed (sworn March 28th, 1863).
Surveyor of Lumber and ( J. Anson Guild
Measurer of Wood and Bark. \ (sworn March 28th, 1863).
Sealer of Leather. Samuel A. Robinson (sworn March 28th, 1863).
Trustees of the ( William Aspinwall (accepted March 24th, 1863). Public Library . T. P. Chandler (accepted March 24th, 1863). for 3 years. George F. Homer (accepted March 25th, 1863).
Trustee of Public Library S for 2 years. Wm. D. Philbrick (accepted April 3d, 1863).
School Committee L Rev. William Lamson (accepted April 3d, 1863).
for three years. Stephen Salisbury, M. D., (accepted Mch. 27, 1863). - T. E. Francis, M. D., (accepted April 4th, 1863).
Reuben A. Chace (accepted March 28th, 1863).
Truant Officers .. T. C. Sherman (accepted March 28th, 1863). J. P. Sanborn (accepted March 28th, 1863).
Charles D. Head (declined April 3d, 1863).
Auditors. Charles W. Scudder (accepted March 26th, 1863). Edward Atkinson (accepted March 27th, 1863).
R. A. Chace (accepted March 28th, 1863).
Fire Wards.
C. L. Palmer (accepted March 28th, 1863).
T. S. Pettengill (accepted March 28th, 1863).
Cemetery Committee. T. S. Pettengill (accepted March 25th, 1863).
Truant Justice. Charles Pope (declined March 28th, 1863).
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
201
Constitutional Amendment, April 6, 1863.
MEETING ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, APRIL 6, 1863.
SEAL.
WARRANT.
SEAL.
SEAL.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SEAL.
SEAL.]
NORFOLK, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Brookline,
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and 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 sixth day of April next, at three of the clock in the afternoon, at which time and place the polls will be opened and kept open until thirty minutes past five o'clock, during which time they will be required to bring in their votes to the Selectmen for or against the following Article of Amendment to the Consti- tution of the Commonwealth, "Yes," or "No," to wit :
"No person of foreign birth shall be entitled to vote or be eligible to office unless he shall have resided within the jurisdiction of the United States two years subsequent to his naturalization, and shall be otherwise qualified according to the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth; provided, that this amendment shall not affect the rights which any per- son of foreign birth possessed at the time of the adoption thereof; and provided further, that it shall not affect the rights of any child of any citizen of the United States born during the temporary absence of the parent therefrom," is hereby wholly annulled.
The form of said vote shall be as follows : "Amendment of the Constitution : Yes, or No."
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant to the Selectmen, with your doings thereon, on or before the thirtieth day of March, A. D. 1863.
202
Brookline Town Records.
Given under our hands and seals at Brookline aforesaid, this twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHAL STEARNS, THOMAS PARSONS, N. G. CHAPIN, WILLIAM J. GRIGGS, Selectmen of the Town of Brookline,
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, March 30th, 1863.
In pursuance of the within warrant, I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the town of Brookline to meet at the time and place and for the purposes within named, by leaving a printed copy of the same at their last and usual place of residence.
J. H. GRUSH, Constable of Brookline.
A true copy of the warrant and the return thereon.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
Pursuant to the foregoing warrant, the citizens of the town of Brookline met at the Town Hall, on Monday, the sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and were called to order by James Bartlett, Chairman of the Selectmen, at three o'clock in the afternoon, and the Town Clerk read the warrant and the Constable's return thereon.
In conformity with the requirements of said warrant, the chairman of the Selectmen then declared the polls open for the reception of votes, and were kept open for that purpose until thirty minutes past five of the clock, the time stated in the warrant, when they were declared closed.
The Selectmen and Town Clerk then proceeded to sort and count the votes given in, and the whole number so given in was sixty, and the whole number of votes were sorted, counted, recorded, and declaration thereof made in open town meeting, as by law required, and were as follows, to wit :
Amendment to the Constitution : Yes, nine.
Amendment to the Constitution : No, fifty-one.
203
Adjourned Annual Meeting, April 7, 1863.
In voting the check-list was used, and all names were found and checked before allowed to deposit their votes.
The business of the meeting being accomplished, the returns were filled up and signed by the Selectmen and Town Clerk and delivered to Thomas Parsons, one of the Selectmen, to transmit to the Secretary of the Common- wealth.
The chairman of the Selectmen then declared the meeting dissolved.
Dissolved. Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING, APRIL 7, 1863.
Pursuant to adjournment, the citizens of the town of Brookline assembled in the Town Hall in said town, on Tuesday, the seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and were called to order at half-past seven of the clock in the evening, the Moderator, William I. Bowditch, in the chair.
On motion of J. Davenport, it was-
Voted, That the vote passed at the annual meeting, held on the twenty-third day of March last, whereby they voted to have eleven Constables for the ensuing year, is recon- sidered.
Voted, That the number of Constables for the year ensu- ing be ten, the number already qualified.
The meeting then proceeded to fill the vacancies in the various offices, occasioned by the non-acceptance or non- qualification of those persons chosen at the last annual meeting, viz. :
Field Driver : George R. Phelps.
Surveyors of Lumber and Measurers of Wood and Bark : Oliver Cousens, Wm. D. Coolidge.
Truant Justice : George Griggs.
Auditor : George E. Hersey,
204
Brookline Town Records.
Thomas Parsons, Esq., chairman of the committee to whom was referred the Sixth Article in the warrant calling the an- nual meeting, relating to the erection of school-houses and providing school accommodations, presented the following report, viz. :
REPORT. ADJOURNED TOWN MEETING, April 7, 1863.
The committee appointed at the annual town meeting, held March 23d, to examine into the subject-matter in section sixth of the warrant, and also the condition of the Newton street school-house, have attended to their duties, and respectfully report as follows :
The wants of the High school require that the Pierce primary school, now in the lower room of the High-school building, should be removed. It is therefore recommended that said department be removed to the primary-school house, and that the centre building, as described in plans drawn by Follen & Curtis, be built and finished immediately for its accommodation.
In regard to the Pearl place school-house, it is found that sufficient accommodations can be provided by erecting a north wing to the present building, but as the lot of land is much too small now, and the school- house when so enlarged will cover the entire length of the land, and as the ventilation of the rooms is very bad, owing to the low position, the cellar being shallow and wet the most of the year, your committee would therefore recommend that a lot of land on Pond street, containing about forty thousand square feet, be purchased by the town, that the present school-house be removed to said lot, and the wing then added. Sufficient accommodation for many years would then be acquired on a high, pleas- ant site, at not a large outlay, as the land now occupied is valuable for house-lots.
The Newton street school-house is a fair specimen of a country school- house, and as the number of seats has been and are sufficient, no imme- diate action seems necessary.
THOMAS PARSONS. JOHN C. ABBOTT, JOHN A. BIRD, N. G. CHAPIN, Committee on the Sixth Article.
Voted, To accept the foregoing report.
On motion of Moses B. Williams-
Voted, That the Selectmen be a committee, with full powers, to purchase a lot on Pond street, of the Brookline Land Company, not exceeding forty thousand feet, at a price not exceeding ten cents per foot ; also, to make con- tracts for removing the Pearl place school-house from its
205
Adjourned Annual Meeting, April 7, 1863.
present site to said lot, build an addition thereto, and finish and furnish the same ; also, to make contracts for erecting and finishing the centre building of the Pierce primary school-house, and furnish the same.
Voted, That a sum of money not exceeding fifteen thou- sand dollars is hereby appropriated for said purposes.
Voted, That the Treasurer is hereby authorized to borrow a sum of money not exceeding fifteen thousand dollars, in such sums and at such times as may be necessary for the above purposes, under the authority of the Selectmen, and give the notes of the town for the same.
Voted, That the Selectmen are hereby authorized to sell the lot of land on Western avenue and Pearl place, when it can be done to the best interests of the town.
Otis Withington, Esq., chairman of the committee to whom was referred the subject-matter of the Seventh Article in the warrant, in relation to widening Beacon street across the low land, presented the following report, to wit :
REPORT.
BROOKLINE, April 4th, 1863.
The committee appointed at the annual town meeting held March 23d last, to whom was referred the subject-matter of the Seventh Article in the warrant, to report at the adjourned meeting,-said article reads as follows, to wit: "To determine whether the town will widen the east- erly end of Beacon street on the south side to the town line,"-report thereon as follows, viz. :
The committee upon an examination of the premises find that the pecu- liar location and condition of the piece of road above referred to it is highly important that something should be done for the accommodation of the present and future travel on this main avenue connecting Brook- line with Boston; the road being built upon a marsh, has been crowned up in the centre so high that there is but a single track in the middle of the road that is pleasant to drive upon. To remedy this without widening, the sides must be filled to a considerable depth, and the plank sidewalk raised as high as will be required to widen the street, and no opportunity will be afforded to set out shade trees, which are not only ornamental to the street but a great luxury to the passengers. The same amount of grade required to grade the street properly will fill out the southerly side to the line, and will give the tracks for vehicles at a good grade, and if the town adopts this course, Mr. Lawrence, with his accustomed liberality, offers to remove the fence and sidewalk to their proper places and to set out shade trees at his own expense. For these considerations,
206
Brookline Town Records.
the committee unanimously recommend the widening of the street on the southerly side to the line as far as the marsh extends, and the adoption of the accompanying vote.
Respectfully submitted,
OTIS WITHINGTON, THOMAS GRIGGS, SAM'L A. ROBINSON, CHARLES STEARNS, Jr., A. B. SHEDD, Committee on Seventh Article.
Voted, To accept the foregoing report.
The Committee submitted the following vote, to wit :
Voted, That the Surveyors of Highways be authorized and instructed to widen and grade the easterly end of Bea- con street on the south side across the marsh to the line, and that the sum of fifteen hundred dollars be and the same hereby is appropriated for that purpose, provided the abut- ters, at their own expense, remove the fences and sidewalks to their proper places and set out shade trees on the line of said widening whenever requested so to do by said Survey- ors of Highways.
On motion of James Bartlett, the above-reported vote was amended as follows :
Voted, That the words "the south side," and "to the line," be struck out, and the words "fifteen hundred dol- lars" also be struck out, and the following words inserted, to wit : "widen on both sides to the entire width of the street as laid out, commencing at the upland and completing the work as far as the money appropriated will pay, and that the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars be appro- priated for that purpose."
The vote as amended was then passed, as follows, to wit :
Voted, That the Surveyors of Highways be authorized and instructed to widen and grade the easterly end of Bea- con street on both sides to the entire width of the street as laid out, commencing at the upland and completing the work across the marsh as far as the money appropriated will pay, and that the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars be appropriated for that purpose, provided the abut- ters, at their own expense, remove the fence and sidewalk
Adjourned Annual Meeting, April 7, 1863.
to their proper places and set out shade trees on the line of said widening whenever requested so to do by said Survey- ors of Highways.
The same committee, to whom was referred the subject of the Tenth Article of the warrant, in relation to Washington street, reported as follows, to wit :
REPORT.
BROOKLINE, April 7th, 1863.
The undersigned, a committee appointed by the town at its annual meeting, held at the Town Hall on Monday, March 23d, last past, to con- sider upon the grade and condition of Washington street from School street to the Brighton line; also upon and define the lines of said street and all that is necessary to put it in complete repair, and report thereon at the adjourned meeting, having attended to the duty assigned them, submit the following report, to wit :
That Washington street from School street to the Brighton line is of very uneven width and grade. At some places there is but about eighteen feet in width for carriage travel. The gutter on the southeasterly side, nearly the whole length of the line, needs altering so as to allow the top water to pass off without running across the road and washing away the loose gravel from the surface or stagnating in large puddles at the side and keeping the road soft a considerable portion of the year. There are three dangerous places in the road-one near the avenue of Augustus Aspinwall, another near the easterly side of Beacon street, and the other the westerly side of Beacon street.
The committee are of the opinion that all the alterations required to be made come under the authority of the Selectmen as Surveyors of Highways, but in order that no question shall arise in relation to the authority of the Surveyors of Highways to grade and make safe said street for public travel, they recommend the adoption of the accompany- ing vote.
They also recommend that the plan of Washington street herewith submitted, be filed in the office of the Town Clerk, as a part of this report, and that the Board of Selectmen be authorized and directed to lay out and alter said street in accordance with the red lines thereon, so that the street in no place shall be of a less width than fifty feet from School street to the Brighton line, and that whenever the present walls, fences or other obstructions, or any part thereof, are removed from the street so laid out and altered, the street shall be widened so as to conform to the red lines on said plan as far as such removal shall be made.
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