The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-10
BOoTHBAYS GREAT WATER FIGHT.
A Village and Town Quarrel Brought
to the Legislature.
Many Town Meetings and Much Le-
gal QuibbiIng to be Ended.
oId-Time Hostlle.FeeIIng May Bring
Town Division.
Especial to the Press. ]

Especial TO the Press1
AUGUSTA, Jan. 9-The petition introduced
In the House this morning by Mr.. Race OF
Boothbay for the division Of that town,
opens what promises to be one of the great
contests of the session. For over year the
people Of Boothbay have been in quarrel,
and now, having failed to settle it among
themselves, they are coming to the legisla-
ture for relief. The quarrel is one of those
old quarrels such as have long happened
where there is a smart village yoked
with other villages and farming communi-
| ty who can outvote them. The demand for
| system of water works is the immediate
cause Of the strife, though there have been
other causes of grief such as the denial of
| night watchman to the people of the village.
| The need of water works is very great in
| Boothbay village. Insurance rates are or
| per cent where any insurance can be OBJ
| tanned, while the National of Hartford and
| the New England Insurance Vnion have
boycotted the place and will not take risks.
| The first attempt to get the town to en-
courage system of water works was at the
March meeting in 1887, when the article was
NASthaooO0' but ehcAo Wao q oPoSAoi 1AoJ
meeting in 1887. at which the town voted,
224 to 1854, to give rental of $1,000 year for
25 years for not less than 20 hydrants; vii
lage sentiment preponderated at this meet
| ing, mot over third of the voters of the town
| being present To this $1,000 the school dis
| trict composing the village, voted an addi-
| tional $3.50, making $1450 rental in all that
| could be used for the encourage
ment Of the. formation of a COM
ranx txrer
mittee composed of A. r. Nickerson, d. II.
| Moody and Thomas Boyd was chosen to con-
tract with the Boothbay Water Company for
| system. A contract was executed Dec. IL,
| 1887. No notice of that contract was given
| to the town in its March meeting of 1888, the
| treasurer of the water company having, the
| selectmen say, sent word to them, requesting
| them that no article be put In the warrant
calling forthe & report OF the water nv works
| tract about April 1st. They then objected to
| 1t ON the ground that it was not in accord
| ance with the vote of the town. An amend
ment was offered by the waterworks COM
pany. but the selectmen did not approve OF
| 1t. Eminent counsel, Symonds & Libby for
| the town, and A. p. Gould and o. ID. Baker
| for those who favored the water works, were
| employed, but no settlement has been attain
| ed. In July, 1888. another town meeting was
held, and it was voted, much against the
| wish of the village people, who turned out
| in full force, neither to Increase the appr0-
priation for rental of hydrants "a step which
would give revenue. sufficient to INDUCE
stronger company than the B0othbay Water
Company to take hold of the work., nor to
put in system to be constructed and owned
| by the town.
The village people took this refusal as
| final denial to them of all effectual town help
towards system Of waterworks. The town
people say. however, thatthey did not intend
any such thing. The contract, If made,
would have been arranged by the. old COM
mittee, composed of Messrs Nickerson,
Moody and Boyd, and the town people con-
| sidered that the committee powers had
| lapsed by reason of their failure to report at
the March meeting. The article for a town
| system they voted down, the town people
| say, because they thought the town couldn't
afford it, even if all doubts as to the contract
were removed.
The State and National elections absorbed
attention for while, but after they were
over, 20 citizens of the village petitioned the
selectmen for meeting and were denied.
Thereupon G. b. Kenniston, justice of the
peace, called one on petition of 81 citizens.
The selectmen wouldn't call the meeting be-
cause they said they couldn't legally do it as
it confilcted with a previous vote of the
town as to calling meetings.
At the meeting called by the justice Of the
peace strong company offered to construct
a system of waterworks exactly in accord
ance with the vote of the town at the meet
ing of May, 1887, provided they could have
the old offer as to rental Of hydrants. But
the town meeting wouldn't listen to the pro-
position on the ground that the committee
appointed May, 1887, (Which was to make
| this contract also), had no legal authority to
| do it.
The village people then considered the
| last vestige of hope of town help gone, and
began to take steps for separation. The pc
tition presented today brings the matter be-
| fore the legislature. For the village people
| Luther Maddocks, A. r. Nickers0n and f.
b. Green are here, with Baker & Cornish as
counsel, TO help along. For the town peo-
| pie, who held that Boothbay has a village
charter that would do, there will be here j.
| r. McDougall, j. e. Kelley aud f. Boynton
Representative Race was chairman of the
board of selectmen, and his sympathies are
with the town people, but he says he shall
use his position to give both sides every ad-
vantage.
The Fisheries and Game Com
mittee.
The committee on fisheries and game as it
is now constructed deals with two very diff
fereat subjects. The fishery branch of its
duties relates principally to the food fishes
and the great industry Of their capture and
use; the game branch relates solely to the
preservation of our game for sporting and
hunting purposes. 1t is the idea Of Repre-
| sentative O. B. Written of Portland that
| there should be two committees to deal with
L LUt Two cuDltCbS, anu ILLS lutd udS IlltL tut
| approval of Speal er Dow and others inter-
| ested in the subject So this morning an Or
| der was introduced in the Senate making
| two joint standing committees, one on the
| fisheries and the other on the game. Senator
| Hinckley, chairman of the committee on
| fisheries and game, being absent, Senator
| Heath tabled the order until Mr.. Hinckley's
| return. 1t is not understood that Mr.. Hinck-
| ley would be opposed to the plan, but 1t was
| thought that he should be consulted. In
| case of the division into two COMMITTEES Mr.
| Whitten would probably be chairman ON the
| part of tue House of the committee on
| the fisheries; while Mr. Clifford of Auburn,
| who was House chairman two years ago,
| would have the same place on the game COM
| mittee.
Bills, Petitions, ETC., introduced in
the House.
Petition of Charles Walker and others of
Lewiston, in favor of the protection of dogs;
| by Mr.. Cloutier of Lewiston.
Petition of w. P. Whitehouse, Orville ID.
| Baker and others to amend law in relation to
salaries of county officers. Referred to Ken
nebec county delegation.
| Petition of Luther Maddocks and others of
Boothbay for division Of the town of Booth
bay. Presented by Mr.. Race of Boothbay.
| Mr. Looney's bill to amend the election
| laws of the State by the introduction of the
| Australian system Of voting. On the table
| to be printed, pending reference to the COM
| mittee on legal affairs.
| Petition for the ratification of the lease OF
Bangor ana Katahdin Iron Works X. H., to
| the Bangor and Piscataquis r. X.
| Petition of Jas. S. Hichborn and others
| that the name of the town of Stockton be
changed to Stockton Springs.
| Petition of Weston Lewis and IL others
| for charter for trust and banking compa-
| ny; presented by Mr.. Gleason OF Gardiner
| and referred to the judiciary committee
Resolve In favor of Elmira III. Saunders OF
| Bath; by Mr.. Wakefield, and referred to
| military committee.
Petition in aid of Bangor Children's Home;
| by Mr.. Clark Of Bangor.
Points.
The Joint committee which will consider
| the Governors message and report upon its
| recommendations is composed:
Senate-Wright, of Paris,
Libby, of Cumberland,
| Ryder Of PenobscOt.