Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-06
vALEDICToRY ADDRESS OF MAYOR DAVIS,
Delivered before the Citv Council. Dee. %. 1851.


with this strong proof of your confidence in
me, expressed by the resolution which you
have now adopted. From this manifestation
of your opinion, | desire that qualification
which those, who are conscious OF having
done all they could do 10 merit it, can alone
appreciate. In the performance of my duties
| ] have been much indebted to you tor your
| generous aid and prompt co operation. AT
| every meeting Ot the board Of aldermen dur
| ing the past year the board have been called
to order precisely at the time appointed, and
! business has not been delayed one moment Tor
the want OF a quorum. Differences OF opn.
ion have existed upon some questions and
measures, but not greater than would natural
! ly arise among candid and intelligent men
whose sole aim was to discharge their respec.
tive duties with fidelity. The uniform kind
ness and courtesy which the members of the
board,-the city clerk, and otter officers
OF The city government nave manifested
toward me, has filed my heart with grateful
emotions, and excited in my mind feelings
OF respect and friendship never to be for
gotten.
AS the municipal year is nearly closed, and
as we shall not probably be called together
again, it may not be deemed improper i'll me
so tar 10 initiate the course pursued by my
| distinguished predecessors as 10 refer briefly
to some OF the principal objects which claimed
the attention of the city council during the
past year.
At the commencement of the municipal
| year business was Frustrated. Real and per
! sonal estate had bula nominal value. Many
! OF our business firms were obliged TO bow UNI
| der the pressure, and thousands Of our fellow
| citizens were thrown out of employment.
States were seeding from the Union, and the
future prospects OF our city and country were
dark and gloomy. Under the repressive cir
cumstances general sentiment prevailed i'll
the community thai frugality and economy
would in some measure insure to us again ad.
vancement i'll material prosperity.
Our largest annual expenditure is for the
support of our public schools, which are the
pride and glory OF our city. Here the rule
been to pay such liberal salaries as will COM
mand first class teachers, and 10 provide such
facilities and Improvements as to give all the
youth of the city the means of :::ental and
moral culture which will enable them to dis.
charge Understandings the great social and
civil duties of citizens.
a substantial, neat, and councillors brick
school house has been erected the past year on
Salem and Orange streets, which will accom-
MEDIATE two hundred and fifty scholars, at an
expense of about $4,000. For convenience,
comfort, good ventilation, and all which per-
tains to a perfect school house, the school COM
mittee aud the friends OF education pronounce
this 10 be a model house and unsurpassed by
any in the city.
The number of scholars attending school the
past year has been $3.50, larger number than
in any former year. The average daily at
tendance was l76 more than the year prev-
GUS. The expense Of educating each child
Is less than III any former year. The amount
OF the appropriation for this department was
S34,0OO, I'D addition to the amount received
from the state, aud the expenditure will not
probably exceed ;he appropriation. The sup.
plies OF fuel, &C., for the schools are several
hundred dollars more in value than they were
at the close Of last year.
The streets, highways, and bridges of the
city have been kept in good repair, and made
safe and comfortable for travellers. The exten.
sive use OF iron cinders has greatly improved
the roads and streets. The sewerage of the
city, which was originally so improperly con-
structed as to cause unpleasant and unhealthy
eHiuvla to arise from il, to the great annoy
ance OF the citizens and injurious to health,
has been effpctualiy remeded, at mo inconsid-
cradle outlay. New streets have been laid out
and made public, with permanent stone mon
uments placed TO designate their exact loca.
ton. Street crossings have been made, gut.
ters paved, and curb stone set, and 440 feet of
sewerage has been constructed OH Salisbury
street, So that there has been marked improve
ment in our public ways.
new road has been constructed from
James mill to Auburn line, which involved
the construction Of a bridge over Kettle
Brook. This road was laid out by our prede-
cessors, and has been constructed at an ex-
pense of $500 SO.
For the past few weeks, Il strong force has
been employed at Quinsigamond Lake, to con-
struct cauSeway over the lake, 10 take the
MI nOF,t, a.. ~, ~ /
unsafe for public travel. This work is done
under the order Of the county commissioners,
on petition which has been pending before
them Tor more than year. The decree of
the commissioners having been communicated
to the city long alter the appropriations for the
current year were made, the city council voted
to borrow the money temporarily for the con-
structlon OF the causeway, and Improvement
of the road. The cost OF building a floating
bridge would have been at least S25 600, and
would have been constant bill of expense to
keep it i'll repair. This structure, when once
done, IS done forever. Aud by the LIT of Jan
uary, 1862, one third OF the expense OF com.
plying with the order of the county commits
sioners will have been completed and the cost
OF doing one third of the work will not exceed
$1,000. Ii the work is permitted to go on un.
der supervision OF the able and efficient com.
missioner Of highways, it may be finished at
an expense OF about SIG, 800
In regard TO the means lett in the hands of
our successors tor the care and custody of the
roads, streets, and bridges, tor the coming
year, we shall leave them with supplies Tor
the department OF more value than was on
hand al the commencement Of the past year
The appropriation for this department was
$4,000, and the expenditure will not exceed
the appropriation. OF this sum, S2050 was
expended i'll breaking out roads alter the Sc.
were snow storms in January, February, aud
March last
The fire department, toward the close of
the last administration and at the commence.
ment OF the present, was called out very FIRE.
quently TO fires which were the work OF ncen.
diaries By an arrangement with some of our
entcrprising citizens, a secret watch was es-
iabllshed independent OF the city police, and
in very short period such means were aGOpt
ed, that false alarms and cases of incendiarsm
entirely subsidized. For the last nine months,
the lire depai tment have scarcely been called
out ottener than their monthly drills This
is an efficient and important department, well
organized, and is at ali times ready to discharge
its duty. For this department there was ap-
propriated the sum of $4,000, and the expen.
diture will probably exceed by trifiing sum
the appropriation
The present municipal year has witnessed
the completion Of the building for the public
library. The whole cost Of the land and
building has been $50 500. Whatever there
is OF elegance and beauty in design, Of com-
fort and convenience i'll arrangements, and of
adaptation to the object, belong exclusively
to our predecessors. Plans, designs and con-
tracts were made, and ali we had to do was to
execute and pay. The city council of 1859
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