The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-15
A FORLORN HOPE.
Filling of Muzzy
Meadow Pond Is
Impractical.
Big DAMAGES WOULD RESULT.
Three Mill Privileges Would
Be Ruined and Other
Property Spoiled.
Big DAMAGES WOULD RESULT.

Spencer, July "Blackbirds will be
white, before Muzzy Meadow pond will
be filled up," said one of Spencer's Sc
lectmen, when asked concerning the
prospects of wiping out the pond and
putting some kind of park in its
place. A Worcester paper and also a
local paper have strongly agitated this
town Improvement, but upon investiga-
ton the scheme is found to be very i'm
probable and hardly possible.
There are many difficulties to meet
with the plan, and in order to fill Muz-
~ Meadow pond up it would surely
cost. the town $4,000, which is consid-
cred a low estimate.
The plan of drawing off the water by
pipes, as has been before mentioned, is
impossible on account of the large flow
OF water. No pipes large enough to
accommodate the flow can be obtained.
The only way to draw the water off in
a proper manner is to build a gigantic
culvert directly through the centre of
!he pond. This the town cannot afford
to do
1t was stated on good authority to
The Spy man this afternoon that in
order to put a culvert in and fillsup the
pond it would cost at least $25 900
This the gentleman thought to be a low
estimate.
This is an entirely new plan of draw
Ing. off the water, and filling the pond
and has not before been mentioned The
idea brought forth by other papers is
to fill the pond up, regardless of what
Is 70 be done with the water. Muzzy
Meadow pond is natural water way,
being filled by two large brooks. There
fore, 1t is impossible to stop the flow
OF water without turning the course of
the brooks in some other direction. If
this was done another large expense
would be incurred. If the courses of
the brooks were changed some ones
land is to be damaged, the expense of
winch the town must pay The most
important item, however, is, if Muzzy
Meadow pond is filed up and the water
course stopped the damaging of the
mill property owned by the Valley
Wooden Company and A. L. Taft. The
right of way of the pond is owned by
these two concerns, and their principal
water supply, used in running the
mills, comes from this source Conse-
quently if the supply is stopped the
mill property, consisting of three large
MUS, is practically worthless. This
property is valued on low estimate at
between $4,000 and $4,000
The damage to the mill property is
not all that is a loss, but to take aWav
the business done in these mills would
be hard blow to the town. Two of the
mills are now running full blast, and
II is only matter of a short time be-
Tore the third will join in with them.
At present the town debt is large and
the tax rate very high, but to fill in
Muzzy meadow pond would raise both.
The tax rate at present is 1922 ana is
considered by most citizens a little TOO
high. Another hard nut to crack is in
regard to obtaining a sufficient
amount of dirt to fill the pond. AL
though the water around the shore is
rather shallow in the middle it is very
deep, some places being 18 feet in
depth. The bottom is nothing but scft
mud. No doubt this pond, practically
a mud hole, IS a nuisance, and has cost
much life, but when it comes to wipe
1T out of existence ct present, it is
found to be impossible. The above
statements and estimates were given
to The Spy man this afternoon by men
of sound Judgment, and who know
what they are talking about.
AT the selectmen's meeting last night
orders were drawn aggregating $500.
A slaughter house license was granted
to W. H. Prentice. The new fire alarm
system was also discussed but nothing
definite decided upon 1t will be inn
possible to take any action in this mat
ter until the seleetmen meet represen-
tatives from the Spencer Gas and Elec-
trio Light company, and determine
whether or not the fire alarm boxes can
be placed upon the electric light poles.
The representative of the Stevens fire
alarm company of Boston. who was
here last week, recommended that the
boxes be placed on new poles.
The contract for lighting the streets
has run out, the time of its expiring
being July l. The selectmen at
tempted to enter into a new contract
but Mayor r. b.. Dodge of Worcester
receiver for the company preferred tC
let the matter rest until the new COM
pany was formed.
At the meeting last night, the select
men gave the New England Telephone
and Telegraph Company permission tc
replace some of the old telephone poles
and also to erect few new ones.
One of Matthews livery horses
driven by his youngest son, Fred, was
passing the corner of Chestnut street
this morning, when a small boy on the
sidewalk threw stone, striking the
horse on the neck. The animal start
ed up Maple street at full speed Ir
the team besides the little Matthew
boy was Jerry Millett IL years old. The
little Millett boy became much fright
ened, and when the horse was passing
Cherry street, leaped from the team
striking directly on the sidewalk The
little fellow received bad fall, and as
a result, tore much flesh from his
hands, his side and chest also being
badly grazed, and both knees severely
bruised. He was taken home and this
afternoon Is confined to the house The
little Matthew boy held pluckily to the
reins. The horse tore on up Mamie
street on to Main, where he was finally
stopped.
The young people of the Baptist
church will hold a lawn party SATURDAY.
evening on the church lawn. MAR
street A balloon ascension and eIah.
crate fireworks will be in order.
large crowd gathered around The
entrance to Hills block at l O'Clock
this afternoon. to watch the skillfuI
engineering of Edward P. Cutler In
getting the ponderous safe belonging
to the Spencer Gas Company down 4
flight of Is stairs. The safe weight
between $500 and 5000 pounds
A horse attached to the Guernsey
stock farm milk wagon and driven by