The Portland daily press., 1895-06-24
Kennebunk Has Decided to Take
Water.
AN EXCITING TOWN MEETING
HELD ON SATURDAY.
The Votes Were Close and All Kinds of
Wire Pulling Was INDUCED Ina
Portland Company to Build the Water
Works.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.]
Kennebunk, June 23-The water ques-
ton, over (which the citizens of Kenne-
bunk have been in joint debate about a
meeting Saturday forenoon. The Mou-
sam Water Company gets the franchise,
and will begin putting in an elaborate
plant just as soon as a satisfactory trade
can be made with the citizens of Kenne-
bunkport, through whose town the pipes
are'also to be laid
The scene in the immediate vicinity
of the Town Hall, about half an hour
before the time named in the warrant,
was reminder of the ld-fashioned town
meeting days, when some momentous
political question has been under discus.
sion. People were coming from every
direction, and the public square was
filled with vehicles of all descriptions.
There was not the least doubt of a live
| ly meeting and a fierce wordy warfare
West Kennebunk was out in force; so
were Mousam village, the depot and the
beach.
Serious doubt was pictured on the
countenance of Henry c. Lord of Alfred.
the president of the company, as he stood
at the outer portal, waiting for the fun
to begin. The proposition which had
been stepped on SO hard a week ago had
/ been amended so as to come nearer to
| the wishes of the West Kennebunkers,
who did nearly all the kicking in the pre-
/ vious meeting. By the terms of the old
proposition, the village of West Kenne-
bunk could have water whenever thirty
takers could be guaranteed and whenever
the town saw fit to vote to locate three
hydrants there, at an annual rental of
$40 a piece The new proposition includ-
ed West kennebunk in the regular deal
| Mr.. U. A. Caine, chief orator of the
kicking element in the previous meeting
was dumb on this occasion. The amend
| ed proposition suited him, as it did many
others who stayed his hands in the battle
of a week ago.
| AS soon as Moderator Gilpatric called
the meeting to ORDER Mr.. Emery An
drews of the special committee, to whom
the company's proposition had been re-
ferred for furthrer consideration, submit
ed a brief report of the committee's S pro-
gress, and handed up to the chairman.
THE AMENDED PROPOSITION
on which the company based it's hope of
winning the consideration of the town.
1t provided for forty hydrants, instead
of twenty five, and the annual rental
was to be S1,250, instead of 81, 900, as
per the original proposition. Mousam
village West Kennebunk and the beach
We're all included in the list of places to
be piped
The rate to consumers is to be SS for
the first faucet; S5 for toilet room; S5 for
bath tub; $5 for hose and $5 for stable.
In lieu of taxes the company is to furnish
| free water for sprinkling purposes, two
drinking fountains, one fancet in the
Town Hall, and one in each schurch
and school house.
The report of the committee was ac-
cepted and Mr. L. n. Perkins then moved
that the town approve the Mousam Water
Company's proposition, as amended
Mr.. Moore said the town had gained
considerable by waiting a week; if there
could be further postponement Of final
action on the water question he believed
it would be possible to convince the citi-
zens, by means of facts and figures that
it would pay the town to put in and own
| its own water works.
Mr. Charles H. Cole an insurance
agent, read seventeen letters he had re-
ceived in response to inquiries sent out
by him to Maine cities and towns in ref
erence to their water rates. These letters
| were written by mayors, selectmen or
town clerks, and with hardly an excep-
| tion contained suggestions favoring the
putting in of water works by the town,
instead Of by private corporation Cam
den, Ellsworth, Rockport, Foxcroft,
Thomaston, Freeport, Eastport, Madison,
Pressque Isle, Deering Old Town, Farm
ington, Bucksport Boothbay Harbor,
Brewer, Houlton. and Westbrook were
the places whose rates We're quoted Mr.
Cole believed that the town should profit
by the advice contained in these letters,
and consider the question of putting in
water system of its own.
There were loud calls for the question.
The moderator put the motion of Mr..
Perkins, for the towns approval OF the
company's proposition, and
IT WAS DEFEATED
by;a vote of n to 81. Thus the moderator
declared, but the vote being doubted, the
moderator decided to poll the house.
Then it was that the real excitement of
the meeting ensued. The yeas were told
to assemble on the east side of the hall,
and the noes on the opposite side, but the
hall was so crowded and the leaders of
the two factions noisy that another
means of making certain the vote was
resorted to.
Two tellers were appointed to stand at
the door. Then those in favor of the
motion to accept the company's PROPOSE
tion were asked to file out and be
counted. AS soon as they had gone out,
the opponents of the proposition did like
wise, and left the hall to the moderator
All sorts of schemes were practiced by
the opposing leaders to gain votes for
their respective ides. Every dweller on
the cross-rods, outside the village limits,
who would not be personally benefited by
the introduction of water, and was in
doubt which side of the question to vote
on, was an object of special effort on the
part Of the enthusiasts and in some cases
their coaxing was supplemented by pull
ing and tugging that was severe test of
the quality of the victims honespun.
A howl went up from the water cham
pions when the teliers announced the
vote, and the moderator declared
THE MOTION PASSED
by vote of 142 to 119. The minority
bore the defeat with good grace
On motion of Lawyer A. E. Haley, this
Too