1881-04-04 At a legal meeting of the qualified voters of the town of Beverly, held at the Town Hall in
said Beverly on Monday the fourth day of April in the year one Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty
one at Seven o'clock in the afternoon the same being an adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting
held on the seventh, eighth and ninth days of March in the same year. Upon motion of Robert R. Endicott it was
Voted that when this meeting adjourns, that it adjourns to meet at this Hall one week from
next Saturday (i.e. April 16) at one o'clock in the afternoon. This vote was afterwards reconsidered.
See page 236.
Voted, by hand vote, that the following persons be Field Drivers in place of others elected
and who declined to serve.
Ward 1, Martin Sweeney in place of John Coleman
Ward 6, Chester Hobbs in place of Ezra S. Foster
Ward 8, Hugh Hill in place of Emerson G. Shaw
Ward 9, John G. Brown in place of Edward Trask
Ward 13, William H. Butman in place of David S. Ramsdell
Voted that
Nathaniel Rogers be Pound Keeper in place of Charles Moulton, declined
That
Perry Collier be Surveyor of Lumber in place of Jacob Brower.
Voted to choose an additional Surveyor of Lumber
Voted that Hooper A. Appleton be Surveyor of Lumber
Voted to authorize the Selectmen to appoint three Measurers of Wood and Bark.
Upon Article 6. George H. Norman's proposition
The report of the Selectmen was read and is as follows:
"Beverly, April 4, 1881. Upon the subject of Article 6 of the warrant which was referred to the
Selectmen this Board would report that they have petitioned the General Court in behalf of the town
for permission to take water from Wenham Lake and to take lands for reservoirs and other purposes
in connection with an independent supply of water. The petition was referred to the Committee on
Public Health who assigned Friday April 1 for the time of giving a hearing in the question. This
Board appeared at the hearing and the case of the town was stated. Whereupon the counsel for the
City of Salem stated that the City was prepared to make a more advantageous offer for supplying the
town with water than what is obtained trader the present contract and asked for an adjournment of
the hearing to give more time for the consideration of the proposed offer. The hearing was
accordingly adjourned for one week.
Joseph Wilson Selectmen
J. H. Young of
Freebom W. Cressy Beverly"
Voted that this report be laid on the table till after the consideration of Article 7.
Upon Article 7. Water Supply for Beverly Farms.
The Selectmen stated that in their opinion the most feasible plan to increase
the water supply at Beverly Farms at the least expense would be to connect the main on Common
Street with the main on Haskell Street and thus make a circuit of the main. This connection will
require the laying of about nineteen hundred (1900) feet of six (6) inch pipe at an expense of about
two thousand (2000) dollars.
It was
Voted to refer the subject of this Article to the Selectmen for them to make further
investigation of the matter as to a different route, etc., and report at the adjournment of this meeting.
The report of the Selectmen upon Article 6 was taken from the table and accepted.
Upon motion of William C. Loring it was
Voted that the agreement between the City of Salem and the Town of Beverly as to Beverly's
supply of water and the compensation to be paid therefor be modified by the addition of the
following clause:
Whereas the City of Salem does not furnish the Inhabitants of the Town of Beverly with
water at the houses on the higher lands of said town and by reason thereof, disputes have arisen
between said City and said Town, Now, therefore, for the purpose of settling said disputes and
determining the supply or head of water which said Salem shall be bound to furnish to said Beverly
during the remainder of the five (5) years ending December 31, 1884 - It is agreed that for the
remainder of said five (5) years, Salem is to supply the inhabitants of Beverly during the usual hours
of pumping of the day and evening with an increased head of water at the reservoir of so many feet
less than thirty five (35) feet above the present Reservoir level of 142 feet, as may be necessary to
supply the houses now standing in Beverly: this is to be done by mechanical appliances at the
Reservoir, erected and maintained at the expense of said Salem, provided however that such
additional pipes be laid as any increase in the number of the houses supplied at Beverly Farms may
make reasonable. And further that the Selectmen are hereby authorized to execute the necessary
papers to carry this vote into execution.
Upon motion of William C. Loring it was
Voted that is the City of Salem agree to the aforesaid modification of the contract as to
Beverly' s supply of water and its compensation therefor, the Selectmen are authorized to withdraw
the petition of the Town to the General Court to authorize the Town to take its supply of water
directly from Wenham Lake.
Upon Article 13. Sewer, Park Street
The report of the Selectmen was read and is as follows, viz:
"Beverly April 4, 1881. Upon the question of the sewer on Park Street which was referred to the
Selectmen with instruction to report at this meeting, this Board would report having investigated the
subject they find that a sewer on Park Street about 2200 feet long of round vitrified pipe, fifteen
inches in diameter would cost about $3500.00, while a sewer of the same size of cement pipe would
cost about $2800.00. We find that in the cities of Salem and Boston abutters are assessed three
fourths the cost of sewers and that the assessment is required to be paid before any entry is made to
the sewer.
It will be necessary for the town to accept what is known as the "Sewer Act" before action
on building a sewer can be commenced.
Joseph Wilson Selectmen
J. H. Young of
Freebom W. Cressy Beverly"
It was
Voted that this report be accepted.
Upon Article 16. Burial Lots and Land for Cemetery.
The report of the Selectmen was read and is as follows, viz:
"Beverly, April 4, 1881. Upon the subject of Article 16 of the warrant which was
referred to the Selectmen with instructions to report at this meeting this Board would report, that the
town requires more land for burial purposes than it has at present. This can be obtained either by
filling and draining what land the town already owns or by purchasing a tract in some other portion
of the town. We have been unable to obtain prices for filling and draining the lands in the present
cemetery but are of opinion that it would be much more expensive to do so than to purchase lands
for burial purposes elsewhere. We know of no land in the immediate vicinity of the Hale Street
cemetery that is suitable for burial purposes.
Joseph Wilson Selectmen
J. H. Young of
Freeborn W. Cressy Beverly"
It was
Voted that this subject be again referred to the Selectmen with instructions to make further
investigation into the matter and particularly as to the expense of filling and draining the Town's
land in the Hale Street cemetery and report at the adjournment of this meeting.
Upon Article 17. Money deposited for care of Burial Lots.
The Selectmen, to whom the subject of this Article was referred, reported the following By-
Law, viz:
"Section 26. Any person holding, occupying, or interested in any lot in the public burying
grounds in this town, may deposit with the town treasurer any sum of money not exceeding five
hundred dollars, to provide for the care, keeping and preservation of the fences, trees, shrubbery,
monuments, tombs and other appendages of the lot of such person. The sum thus deposited shall be
entered upon the books of the town treasury, and interest shall be allowed thereon by the town at the
rate of four per centurn per annum. The board of health shall have the care of such lots, and shall
from time to time expend so much of said interest, as may be necessary for the purposes for which
said sum was deposited.
It was
Voted that said By-Law be adopted as a By-Law of this town.
It was
Voted that the Selectmen be authorized to present this By-Law to the Superior Court within
and for the County of Essex for approval.
Upon Article 24 It was
voted to lay this Article upon the table until after the consideration of Article 25.
Upon Article 25. Receiving Tombs.
The report of the Selectmen was read and is as follows, viz:
"Beverly, April 4, 1881. Upon the subject of Article 25 of the warrant which was referred
to the Board of Health with instructions to report at this meeting, this Board would report that the
receiving tomb at the Hale Street Cemetery is very much out of repair and is entirely unfit for the
purposes for which it was intended. We recommend that a receiving tomb be built similar to the one
in Danvers which would cost about $600.00. A portion of the material of the present tomb may be
used in the erection of a new tomb.
In regard to the cemeteries at North Beverly and at the Farms we would report that the
residents in those localities represent that a necessity exists for receiving tombs in each of those
cemeteries.
Receiving tombs suitable for these cemeteries would probably cost about $300.00 each.
Joseph Wilson Board
of
Freeborn W. Cressy Health
It was
Voted that the report be accepted.
Upon motion of John I. Baker as amended by William A. Friend it was Voted that
the Selectmen be authorized to erect receiving tombs in the Hale Street Cemetery and also in the
North Beverly and The Farms Cemeteries as per the report of the Board of Health.
Article 24 was then taken from the table and it was Voted that so much of this Article as
relates to the raising and assessing of money upon the polls and estates within the town for the
current year together with making the necessary regulations and allowances respecting the same be
postponed till the adjournment of this meeting.
It was
Voted that the Town Treasurer be hereby authorized to borrow on the credit of the town,
upon notes, bonds, or certificates of debt approved by the Selectmen, such sums of money from time
to time as may be necessary or expedient to meet the liabilities of the Town, or to replace existing
loans, and to provide State Aid for the families of Volunteers.
Upon motion of Francis J. Crowell it was
Voted to reconsider the vote passed at an earlier part of the meeting whereby it was voted
"that when this meeting adjourns that it adjourns to meet at this Hall one week from next Saturday
(i.e. April 16) at one o'clock in the afternoon."
The original motion was put to the meeting and lost.
Then upon motion of Robert R. Endicott it was
Voted that when this meeting adjourns that it adjourn to meet at this Hall on Saturday April
16 at nine o'clock in the forenoon.
Voted that the polls at the election to fill the vacancy in the Board of Assessors be closed at
two o'clock in the afternoon.
Upon motion of Francis Norwood it was
Voted that the Board of Assessors be increased by the addition of two persons and that they
be voted for at the adjournment of this meeting at the time of the election to fill the vacancy which
now exists in that Board (Reconsidered, see page 241)
It was
Voted that this meeting now adjourn.
A tree record
Attest.
Wm. H. Lovett
Town Clerk