CITY OF SOMERVILI.E ANNUAL REPORTS 1883. SOMERVILLE, MASS.: SOMERVILLE JOURNAL PRINT. 1883. CITY GOVEEN'MENT FOR 1882. MAYOR. JOHN A. CUMMINGS. Residence, 16 Wallace Street; Office, City Hall. ALDERMEN. William E. Weld, President, WARD ONE. Mark F. Burns . Perkins Street. Elijah C. Clark Ellsworth Street. WARD TWO J. Frank Wellington Pleasant Avenue. Caleb A. Page . Union Square. WARD THREE. J. Leland Norcross . Marshall Street. Thomas R. Roulstone B(»nair Street. WARD FOUR Asa Durgin Broadway. William E. Weld Harvard Street. COMMON COUNCIL. Albion A. Perry, Presidtnt. WARD ONE. Levi F. S. Davis Pearl Street. Hiram G. Janvrin Pinckney Street. Moses G. Steele Rush Street. Charles E. Giles Webster Street. ANNUAL REPORTS. WARD TWO Clarence P. Weston . Union Square. Martin Binney . Dane Street. Frederick M. Stodder Grandview Avenue. Frank E. Fitts . Pleasant Avenue. WARD THREE. Albion A. Perry Maple Avenue. Henry M. Beals Maple Avenue. Hiram D. Smith Cross Street. Philip O. Woodberry Adams Street. WARD FOUR. J. Lorenzo Attwood Elm Street. Irving L. Russell Bioadwa3\ Richard T. Blackwell Kent Court. Samdel T. Richards . Summer Street. JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 1882. Accounts. — Aldermen Weld, Wellington ; Councilmen Janvrin, Woodberry, Attwood. Burial Grounds. — Aldermen Durgin, Roulstone ; Councilmen Stodder, Steele, Russell. City Engineering. — Aldermen Durgin, Norcross ; Councilmen Steele Russell, Fitts. Claims. — His Honor the Maj^or, ex officio; the president of the Common Council, ex officio; Alderman Burns ; Councilmen Weston, Janvrin. Finance. — His Honor the Mayor, eaj officio; the president of the Common Council, ex officio; Aldermen Burns, Weld; Council- men Weston, Davis, Smith, Fitts. Fuel and Street Lights. — Aldermen Page, Durgin ; Council- men Giles, Woodberry, Stodder. Fire Department. — Aldermen Page, Roulstone; Councilmen Davis, Stodder, Blackwell. Highways. — Aldermen Durgin, Wellington ; Councilmen Steele, Smith, Russell. CITY GOVERNMENT. 5 Ordinances. — Aldermen Burns, Norcross ; Councilmen Wes- ton, Smith, Attwood. Public Property. — Aldermen Clark, Wellington ; Councilmen Beals, Pichards, Giles. Printing. — Aldermen Weld, Poiilstone ; Councilmen Filts, Beals, Janvrin. Soldiers' Rklief. — Aldermen Roulstone, Claik ; Councilmen Stodder, Woodberry, Blackwell. Water. — Aldermen Norcross, Burns; the president of the Common Council ; Councilmen Fitts, Richards. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN. Sewers. — Aldermen Norcross, Burns, Weld. Elections. — Aldermen Wellington, Duigin. Enrolled Ordinances. — Aldermen Clark, Page. Licenses. — Aldermen Wellington, Norcross. Police. — His Honor the Mayor, ex officio; Aldermen Clark, Norcross. State Aid. — Aldermen Roulstone, Page, Weld, Clark. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL. Elections and Returns. — Councilmen Fitts, Blackwell, Steele. Enrolled Ordinances and Resolutions. — Councilmen Davis, Stodder, Beals. CITY CLERK AND CLERK OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN. Charles E. Oilman ; Office, City Hall. CITY TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES. John F. Cole ; Office, City Hall. CITY MESSENGER. Jairus Mann ; Office, City Hall. CITY ENGINEER. George A. Kimball ; Office, City Hall. ANNUAL REPORTS. CITY SOLICITOR. Samuel C. Darling ; OflSce, 18 Rogers Building, Boston. CITY PHYSICIAN. Thomas M. Ddrell, 14 Bow Street. CLERK OF COMMON COUNCIL. Douglas Fkazar. CLERK OF ASSESSORS AND COMMITTEES. George I. Vincent ; Office, City Hall. CITY AUDITOR. Douglas Frazar ; Office, Citj Hall. CHIEF OF POLICE. Melville C. Parkhurst, Police Station, Bow Street. SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS. John P. Prichard, 10 Cutter Street; Office, City Hall. CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT. James R. Hopkins ; Office, City Hall. ASSISTANT ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT. Nathaniel C. Barker . Ellsworth Street. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. Joshua H. Davis .... Myrtle Street. CITY GOVERNMENT. INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS. David A. Sanborn . ... Prospect Street. BOARD OF HEALTH. George A. Kimball, Chairman . Office, City Hall. Thomas M. Dukell, M. D. Bow Street. George C. Skilton .... Walnut Street. Geo. I. Vincent, Clerk . Office, City Hall. W .H. Brine, Inspector (140 Houghton St.), Office. City Hall. MYSTIC WATER BOARD. Edward Foote, President . Broadway. Edwin S. CoNANT,C?erA; Pearl Sireet. Wesley C. Crane Summer Street. a. r. coolidge Columbus Avenue. J. O. Hayden . Spring Street. SUPERINTENDENT OF WATER WORKS. Nathaniel Dennett ; Office, Prospect Street, corner of Somerville Avenue. COMMISSIONERS OF THE SINKING FUNDS. Nathan Tufts. Henry F. Woods. John A. Hughes. Aaron Sargent, Treasurer. TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Rev. H. H. Barber, President. Charles S. Lincoln. J. Henry Flitner, Secretary. Thomas J. Buffum. W. G. TousEY. William Veazie. Wm. H. Brine (Highland Ave.). C. E. Rymes. Edwin S. Conant. LIBRARIAN. Miss Harriet A. Adams. ; 8 ANNUAL REPORTS. ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN. Miss Lizzie A. Stevens. PRINCIPAL ASSESSORS. Thomas Cunningham, Chairman Oak Street. Stillman H. Libby Elm Street. George W. Hadley Perkins Street. George I. Vincent, Clerk; Office, City Hall. ASSISTANT ASSESSORS Daniel Brooks, Ward One Ellsworth Street. B. F. Thompson, Ward Two . Summit Avenue. R. A. Melvin, Ward Three Bonair Street. W. A. Mdzzey, Ward Four Newbury Street. OVERSEERS OF POOR. John A. Cummings, Mayor, Chairman ex officio. Albion A. Peruy, Vresident Common Council, ex officio^ Ansel Lewis . Webster Street ; Office, Police Station. *' " Frank G. Williams . Albion Street ; " " " " Thomas Cunningham, /S'ec'2/, Oak Street CONSTABLES. Jairus Mann. Wm. D. Hayden. Robert R. Perry. Frank G. Williams. Horace B. Runey. Samuel R. Dow. Newell F. Caswell. C. C. Cavanagh. Chas. C. Folsom. Ansel Lewis. Wm. H. Brine. Joseph J. Giles. John S. McAdoo. FIELD DRIVERS. Charles C. Folsom. JuDSON W. Oliver. John E. Fuller. George A. Bodge. John Hafford. George W. Bean. P. W. Skinner. Samuel R. Dow. Dennis Kelly. CITY GOVERNMENT. FENCE VIEWERS. David A. Sanborn. Warren Pollard. Charles D. Elliot. POUND KEEPER. Charles A. Smali.. SEALER OF WEIGHT AND MEASURES. Noah Harding, Sycamore Street. SURVEYORS OF WOOD, BARK, AND LUMBER, Ansel Lewis. Samuel T. Littlefield. SURVEYOR OF STONE WORK. James E. Hopkins. SURVEYOR OF STONE, BRICK, AND PLASTER WORK, Alfred M. Sibley. SURVEYOR OF MECHANICS' WORK, Charles D. Elliot. PUBLIC WEIGHERS, D. W. Danforth. Patrick O'Brien. John C. Cousins. UNDERTAKERS, Horace B. Runey. A. L. Sanborn. Patrick Rafferty. William A. Flaherty. P. H. Rafferty. H. D. Runey. Marsh & Co. 10 ANNUAL REPORTS. POLICE DEPARTMENT, M. C. Parkhurst, Chief. R. R. Perry, Captain. S. R. Dow, Sergeant. C. C. Folsom, Se'^geant. N. F. Caswell. P. W. Skinner. C. C. Cavanagh. S. A. Brown. S. C. Rollins. John HafFord. John E. Fuller. Ivan Leighton. Howard Lowell. M. H. Kinsley. F. W. Slade. I. S. Campbell. A. L. Staples. Edward McGarr. Albert Fisk. • J. B. Young. ' J. W. Oliver. G. A. Bodge. George W. Bean. Dennis Kell3\ M. C. Parkhurst, Lock-yp Keeper. MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF HON. JOHN A. OUMMINGS, Delivered Jan. 2, 1882. Gentlemen of the City Council : — We have this day, in accordance with the popular will of the citizens of Somerville, assumed the responsibility of managing its business affairs for the ensuing year. Let us so discharge our duties as to merit the approval of our own consciences and the confidence of those who have placed their interests in our hands. Economy' and care in the expenditure of the money of our tax-paj'ers should be our constant aim, and for your guidance in this duty I invite your attention to the following FINANCIAL STATEMENT which has been furnished me by the city treasurer, and is as nearly accurate as can be given at this date. The funded debt of the city is as follows : — City debt $1,250,000 00 Water debt 335,000 00 Total $1,585,000 00 Less sinking funds . .' 312,263 59 Net funded debt $1,272,736 41 From this liability may be deducted about $8,900, saved from the appropriations of the past year ; leaving the net indebtednes of the city $1,263,836.41 at this date. 14 ANNUAL REPORTS. The debt of the city one year ago was as follows : — Funded debt $1,585,000 00 Excess of unfunded liabilities over available assets . 26,603 94 A total of $1,611,603 94 Less the amount of sinking funds, as per report of Commissioners 253,764 95 Leaving the net debt, Dec. 31, 1880 . $1,357,838 99 This indebtedness has been reduced during the past year by the following amounts : — Increase in sinking funds by contribution and interest . $58,498 64 Deficiency of 1880, paid . 26,603 94 Saved from appropriations this year, about .... 8,900 00 Total reduction $94,002 58 The unfunded liabilities are $190,000, and the uncollected taxes, assessments, and accounts due the city will fully cover this amount. The total valuation of the public property of the city, including $341,000 for water works, is $1,155,000. The assessors' valuation of the taxable property in the cit}^ in 1881 was $22,569,100, an increase of a little more than $2,000,000 over that of 1880. A considerable portion of this increase came from the addition of taxable property to the assessors' list, and not from an increase in valuation. The total sum raised by taxation in 1881 was $452,945.45. In the appropriations of last ^^ear extraordinar}^ expenditures were provided for as follows : — For Highland School $18,000 For removal of Lincoln School 3,000 For deficiency of 1880 26,600 Total $47,600 If to this be added the surplus of appropriations over expendi- tures in 1881, $8,900, we have the amount of $56,500 raised by taxation last year which will not be required this year. By economical management in all the departments we can reduce the mayor's address. 15 appropriations for the present year nearly if not quite $50,000 below that of last year, and still provide fifteen to twenty thousand dollars for additional school accommodations in Ward One, if necessary. SCHOOLS. Our schools maintain their high rank, under an efficient and faithful committee, which endeavors, not only to secure good schools, but to secure them at reasonable cost. We have eighty- two schools and ninety-six teachers. The total number of pupils connected with the schools is 4,315, divided as follows : — la the High School 248 In the grammar schools 2,148 In the primary schools .