Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-01

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
The city council held special meeting last eve
ming and passed an order authorizing the city
treasurer to cast the vote of the city upon the
stock owned by it in the Boston, Barre and
Gardner railroad, at the meeting of the stock
holders of that corporation to-day; and also an
order requesting him to signify at that meeting
the desire of the city council that the mayor
elect be one of the directors of the company.
An order was also passed in the board of
aldermen authorizing the city treasurer TO Dor
row from time to time such sums of money as
he may deem necessary in anticipation of taxes
and to give the notes of the city for the same,
such notes to be approved by the mayor, and
countersigned by the auditor. This order was
amended in the lower branch by inserting the
words "not TO exceed two hundred thousand
dollars" and passed after having been so
amended. The board of aldermen concurred in
the amendment.
An order for the appointment of special
committee to inquire what legislation, if any,
is necessary in regard to the sewers and other
matters, was discussed, but did not pass
In the common council the reports of the
commissioner of shade trees and public grounds
and the commissioner of Hope cemetery, were
accepted, having passed the other board Monday
night.
The report of Edward w. Lincoln ESQ.,,
chairman of the commissioners of shade trees
and public grounds, is an elaborate and at the
same time very readable document. In it he
gives the amount of receipts of the department
for the year as $2645 81, and the expenditures
S159674. Several questions pertaining to the
department are discussed at length under
separate heads, and valuable suggestions are
made.
The unusually large amount of work done is
described, and the streets upon which shade
trees have been set in considerable numbers are
mentioned. Nearly one hundred trees have
been planted during the year by the commits
sion, of various kinds, many of them being
naples. This tree Mr.. Lincoln regards as one
of the best for shade and ornament, and he also
recommends the elm and ash for particular
localities, but the linden he denounces wholly,
while the horse chestnut fares but little better at
his hands.
The report favors the transformation of the
old burial ground on Mechanic street into
school lot, as recommended in a paper present
ed by Mr.. Jaques several weeks ago, and says
in regard to the old common, that it is lost to
the community by the gross super-positlon of
meeting town and school houses and railway
tracks, consequently the commission is unable
to bring about any material improvement.
There have been forty-three new seats placed
upon the common, some new posts set, and
some filling in done, but nothing compared to
the demands of the case.
After speaking of the condition of the New
Common, Mr.. Lincoln brings forward a novel
idea in his report, as follows;
"The city does not now, nor will it hereafter
require large tracts of land for public parks
those now in rude occupation are sufficient for
the training field, the brazen band. or the trav-
cling Snowman, and in place OF these make the
following suggestions:
can avenue, like the Partisan boulevards, en-
comprising our own Worcester would contrib
ute more to the development of the whole city
than any other project which has been devised
or contaminated for years. The centre OF the
city receives too great proportion of the outlay
upon streets, while the suburbs are neglected.
With such an avenue constructed, there would be
an amount of REORGANIZATION of the ex-
tremities of the city, and of the outlaying but
adjacent towns, that would astonish those whose
peculiar mote is Main street. That great artery
of business would be relieved of much needless
yet serious membranes; a relief, which, at
tempted in season, can be both cheaply and pru.
IDENTIFY afforded. As ii is now, from Holden to
Leicester, from Paxton to Shrewsbury, every
tnlnS must pass through one great thorough.
fare, wearing out our pavements, impeding our
local traffic, tanning beasts used for traction, and
soaring into disease animals destined for con-
sumption. So broad as to admit of adequate
ana grateful shade TO ample foot-paths SO thor
oughly built as to be proof alike against autumn
nal irosts or vernal food; convenience for the
loaded team, and an attraction for the pleasure