The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-20
Man Who Had Charge of Build
ing Operations Suddenly
Leaves for Canada Without
Completing Task
CONTRACT MAY BE
LET TO ANOTHER FIRM
Death of Members of Firm That
Was Given the Contract 0rigi-
naIIy Has Caused the Trouble
Heirs Said to Be in Financial
Straits

Straits
| Special to The Spy
Spencer, Nov. 19.-Work at the new
French Catholic Church has been in a
muddle for the past two or three
months. Yesterday the matter reached
charge Of the work stopped work on
all parts of the church, and left town
for Canada.
No fault can be found with Father
! Lamy or any of the F'rench-speaktng
people of this town. The trouble arises
over the finances of the contractors.
When the contract for building the
church was let, it was given to HerouX
Bros. of Canada. Since work has been
started on the edifice both of these men
have died, and for time the work on
| the church proceeded without any sign
| of difficulty. During the last month 1t
| has been learned that the heirs of the
HerouX Brothers have had trouble over
| the property and, as a result, work on
the new St. Mary's Church will have
to be suspended for a time, at least
| How long it will be before the matter
| can be settled is not known and, for
! this reason, the French-speaking peo-
| pie of Spencer are in somewhat of a
quandary as to how soon the new
! church. which they supposed would be
| finished by next summer, will be COM
! pleted.
When the old men died, the heirs of
| the contractors carried on the work
and, for a time everything went
smoothly. The contract to plaster the
church had been sublet to contractor
| in Boston, and he started on that part
of the work. but yesterday everything
! in connection with the building of the
church was brought to a standstill.
| There has been talk of awarding the
contract to another firm, but this can
not be done until matters are straight
ened out.
Most of the outside work on the
church has already been completed and
the two towers have been erected.
When completed 1t will surely be the
most handsome and costly building in
| Spencer. The ST. Johns Baptists So
ciety has raised enough money to buy
the new altar for the church. The al
tar will probably be constructed of
wood.
In Monday mornings issue of a
Worcester paper, not The Spy, there
appeared a story to the effect that
another strike was pending in the
Isaac Prouty Shoe Companys shop. 1t
was also Sldleu ludl the ulGH WOulu
probably not go to work Tuesday
morning in the Big" shop. The Spy
man called at the office of the company
and was informed that the men of all
departments were in their customary
places and that the office employees OF
the concern had not received any petit
ton for more pay and shorter hours
neither did they ask for the old time
back. When told that the morning pa
per had stated that the concern, or its
officials, had been favored with a petit
ton from the men of the factory they
said the paper must know more of the
affairs of the company than they did
The men are not satisfied with the new
arrangement of working hours and
Monday night, after they quit work
there were many discussions on the
street corners, of the subject. However
what the reporter for the morning pa
per took for indications of a strike was
only a little hot talk among the en-
plOyes over the change in time.
The citizens of Upper Main Street
are still without water, and the con-
ditions are as bad as they were two
months ago. In another Worcester pa
per much has been said within the
last few days, about a certain stand
pipe which the Water Commissioners
caused to be placed at the top of MAR
Street Hill. This was done for use il
cases of emergency The difficulty at
that quarter seemed to be worse dur
4 ing the dry season, and it was thought
that if a standpipe were put in, there
| would be a reservoir to fall back or
this season. The Telegram claimed tC
have the key to the whole mystery
concerning the scarcity of water al
Upper Main Street. 1t condemned
the stand pipe, and called it worse
than useless. 1t also suggested that
the Water Commissioners stop using
the stand pipe, and then the peopl,
on Upper Main Street would have plen-
ty of water. The Spy man talked with
Dexter Billiard, the superintendent Of
water works, and asked him the cause
of the present shortage of water or
Upper Main Street. Mr.. Billiard sale
that the shortage was caused by the
Ne Plus Ultra Yeast Company using
water that should be used by the citi
| I-taraAn. % GtrnaA