Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-03-13

The work presenting the greatest
picturesque feature in the construc-
ton of the Wachusett Reservoir is
the demolition of West Boylston and
Oakdale. Both these places were
thriving towns with important woolen-
mill interests. They had existed for
number of years, and were growing
slowly but with the steadiness of New
England towns. They were model
communities in their way, their citi-
zens God,fearing and upright.
when the news came tc the good
people of Cakdale and West Boylston
that the City as they call Boston,
was about to reach out like an octopus
of the deep, and devour their little
communities. they were loath to be-
lieve it. And when it was understood
that their homes. their hearth-stones
and the graves of their fathers were
to be covered forever b. the waters of
a great reservoir, they rebelled.
The fact that the state fully in
tended to make adequate financial res
titution offered no balm. No amount
of money could offset the heart-break
at leaving the spot where a family
had been rooted for century. It was
some time before the people Of West
Boylston and of Oakdale become rec
onciled to their impending eviction, as
it might be called. 1t must be said
that the state was perfectly fair in
awarding damages. Average prices
allowed for every piece of property
taken, but whenever tendency was
shown by land proprietor to 'gouge
the board. he was fought relentlesslJ.
In one case where certain Italian
demanded an exorbitant amount for
a wooden shanty, the board needing
only half the space occupied by the
structure, calmly cut it in two, and
paid the man only one-half of the as
sessed valuation.
"In awarding damages caused by
the building of the great reservoir,
the STATE of Massachusetts has estab-
lished an important precedent. When
town like West Boylston is prac-
tically wiped out it is understood that
the owners of property must be COM
pensated for the losses sustained by
them. and also it is necessary to pay
for damages sustained by storekeep.
ers and manufacturers. All this the
state did, and then went step fur
ther. 1t passed law awarding dam
ages to ordinary workmen, mill hands
and the like. who suffered loss
through the stoppage of their work"
"In the selection of the site for Bc;-
tons future reservoir it was necessary
to consider capacity and sparsity of
population in the watershed. The ca
pacity required it was found after due
calculation must equal the needs of
population estimated on January /,
1900, at 100000 and the natural in
crease until 1850.
I'm 1893 Boston was receiving some
57,0O0,OO0 gallons of water daily,
which amount it was estimated,
would have to be increased to $4,000
900 gallons daily by 1895. 1t was cal
culated. based on natural increase in
population, that the figures would
reach 252,O0Q,0OO gallons daily by the
year 1880. This not only provided for
the increase of population, but also
the increased demand ON the part Of
each individual. 1t is true. if rather
strange, that The progress of civiliZa-
ton means an Increase in use of
water The statistician of the Metro
politall water board finds that each
individual in the Metropolitan water