The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-03

hotel and the stable, but the principal
income is from revenue for lease of
land upon which cottages are built. In
the last five or six years the revenue
from this source has ceased. This is
because it has been noised about that
the people are to be deprived of their
privileges In the latter. The represent
atives Of the state board of health have
threatened unless we did so and so, the
same as q schoolmaster talks to boy,
we have been told that it would be
only a matter of time before we would
be deprived Of the use of the lakes.
The surface water from the sidehill on
which the associations property is To-
Gated flows into the lake. Business
men have talked with us about leasing
| land. and they have not done So They
have been afraid of what the water
board would do. The owners that have
cottages have lost their interest. They
don't improve as they used to do before
1895. Private property has deprecated.
Unless relief should come from some
quarter within a few years, witness
said, the plant could not be kept up
and would have to be abandOned-siX
years more of depreciation in the
same nature as the last six years
would complete the work of destruc-
| ton. The association pays taxes on
$50 900. With other churches it holds
| property exempt lIOHl idAdlIbu Ndlueu
J at $40, 000 The value has deprecated
% per cent since 1895.
Mr. Rugg inquired how much the de-
| probation would be if the privileges Of
J bathing and boating were taken away
| OF materially restricted.
! Mr. Hallowell objected that the lati-
| tude of the question was too great
| The question was admitted. Mr.. Ken
| ney said, In that event 20 per cent OF
WI m M ct "
! away"
| If present conditions continue the en-
| tire removal of the association would
| be necessary.
Mr.. Hallowen asked, What is the
| purpose of the corporation" Witness
| said ITO make the human race better
| than it is"
Mr. Hallowell asked if witness would
| come in with the books, of the asso-
! citation tomorrow. Witness replied that
/ he was not custodian of the books.
! Henry A. Bullock, treasurer of the as
| ISOLATION, is custodian. Mr.. Hallowell
! took the address of Mr. Bullock.
Mr. Hallowell:- Assuming that three
years from now the works are COM
! pleted, and certain restrictions are
| placed on the association, you can
| state then, better than you can now,
! the damage that will have been sus-
! tained?"
Mr.. Kenney-"I can't testify about
| what damage we have sustained now.
: Three years from now I can perhaps
! testify what the damage is then. Mr..
! Kenney several times refused to say
what he would be willing to testify
| to three years hence.
| Mr.. Kaan asked several questions re-
| latlng to the assessment of association
| property. He wanted especially to
know if the town of Sterling had sus-
tanned any loss except that Of the
taxation that might have been levied
on buildings that might have been
erected if conditions had been other
wise.
The reply was that Sterling also lost
the privilege of supplying comm0Ei-
/ ties to people who would have lived in
such dwellings.
! Mr. Bigelow brought out again that
| the person who called upon Mr. Ken
ney, relative to the sanitary condition
/ Of the grounds was from the state
/ board of health and not from the wa
| ter board.
| Mr. Rugg read from the statutes to
show that the sanitary care of state
! reservoirs is in the hands of the board
Of health Mr. Rugg thought bathing
in state reservoirs was forbidden by
statute.
Commissioner Kenefick inquired
Has any person refused to come to
your grounds on account of the reser-
voir?"
Mr.. Kenney replied. More than 25."
Alfred N. Whiting of Worcester was
called. Removed from Oakdale in Nov.
| 1900. He was connected with the J..
NJ. Harris Manufacturing Company as
manager. Was one of the trustees Of
the Security Savings Bank of West
Boylston. Had occasion to know pro-
! perty in the Leg District of Sterling.
The district was tributary to Oakdale.
| The bank made investments in that
, locality. The people came to Oakdale
/ to make their purchases and dispose
I Of their products. They used the rail
road station at Oakdale and went to
| church at West BOylston Far
mers sold largely to the con-
/ sumner. Somewhat to the local
/ stores. The consumers OmfWypteaoin
/ stores. The construction of the Metro
| politan basin to the people of the Leg
! District, is already disastrous, but has
! not fully developed.
| The West BOylston Manufacturing
/ Company ceased operations about two
months ago. The full injury to real
estate from this cause has not de-
! Yeloped. The Clarendon mills ceased
/ to run about one year ago. The first
! named employed 400 persons. The L.
! M. Harris Company ceased operations
in August, 1900. f. H. Rice & Co.
| ceased the plant three years ago.
/ Property in the Leg district has de-
preciated at least % per cent The
markets have moved away. They once
! could sell their product at full market
/ prices close at home Now they cannot
/ do 50 nearer than Worcester or Gin
ton. Property is decreased in value by
| the clauses in tn. agreements OF SCI
| tlement with mill owners. in which
| thew promise they will NOT lOpa ne tbei,
! mills within the water shed of the
south branch of the Nashua River
Mr.. Rugg offered the clause speci-
tically in the agreement with the L.
M. Harris Company in evidence
The state has acquired the rights of
the West BOylston Manufacturing
Company in Lake Washacum. The
company could use this privilege only
by drawing through the ponds Of Pal
1 mer and Stones mills. The latter priv
! ileges are now reduced to the natural
flow Of the stream and are vaIueless
eight months in a year. These two
/ privileges have been deprecated so
Per cent. The CT. Gerry mill privilege
s. and the grist mill privilege are affected
/ 80 per cent. The sanitary restrictions
are injurious. Nothing has been done
vet in Holden about cutting out the
dye houses of the mills, and the drains
from the tannery. These restrictions
| have not been enforced as much as
they have been in West Boylston. They
1 will De a serious depreciation when
they come
Mr. Whiting thought there would not
be less than an ultimate depreciation
Of 30 per cent.
Mr.. HalIoveI ,cok up the cross exam
ination. The witness repeated that he
could not say what the absolute dam