The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-03
EXTINCTION OF
THE STERLING CAMPGROUND
damage to mill property in Sterling.

damage TO mill property in Sterling.
w. R. Mitchell, senior member of the
firm of Mitchell & Sawyer, Sterling
testified,
Witness has noticed a loss of trade
by the removal of persons who resided
in the Leg district and worked in Oak
dale. There was a loss in the Square
shire district, by removals. Witness
testified to the disheartening effect of
the construction upon owners of
Sterling Campground property He re-
GREETED that people were not coming
there to build eny more They were
afraid that the right ofcottagers to ase
the waters of the lake would be taken
away.
If the right to battle and fish in
Lake Washacum be taken away there
will be depreciation Of property of at
least so per cent.
Property in the Leg district has al
ready deprecated 25 or so per cent.
The Sterling camp gives a market to
Is or 20 farmers in summer Three
farmers furnish ice. They are John w.
Gates, Patten Bros. and Mr.. Kings
bury.
Mr.. Hallowell opened with a question
about the number of families who have
moved away from the Leg district.
Notably witness remembered James
Kershaw, the firms best customer.
Three farms in the Leg district were
entirely submerged The number of
permanent residents at the camp
ground have decreased in three years
Witness counted last summer 80 empty
cottages that were occupied the year
before. Witness didn't care what Mr.
Kinney may have said. He had the
facts to sustain what he said. Mr.
Mitchell was excused.
Harrison E. Morton, Worcester, said
he was one of the men who was driven
out of West BOylston by the construc-
ton of the Wachusett Reservoir. Was
selectman and town treasurer of West
Boylston, President of the Security
| Savings Bank, and was 20 years in
business there.
Witness impression was that the Leg
district was very seriously affected
The percentage of depreciation arising
directly out of construction is at least
80 per cent.
A tedious debate between the witness
and Mr. HallOweN consumed 20 min
utes. 1t was productive of no particular
new matter
Edward A. Cowee, West Boylston,
said he was the owner of two grain
stores in Worcester and of a grain and
grist business in West Boylston. EN-
ploys 10 or ~ hands in and around the
West Boylston mill. Has bought and
sold a little real estate in West Boyls-
ton, Holden and Sterling The people
Of the Leg district of Sterling trade
with witness.
The intimacy between the Leg dis
trict and West Boylston was very
close. The Leg district is called so
until you get to Four Corners in West
Sterling.
The district has lost it's market, its
churches and the mills that gave en-
ployment to it's children. Property as
near West Boylston as this district has
deprecated so per cent. This was a
matter of the past FIVE years. The
damage is as old as that. Places very
close to Sterling Junction might not
show a depreciation of more than 40
per cent.
Wood land is not as valuable now as
when the mills existed. The families
around the mills made a close market,
which now cannot be had nearer than
Cambridge The West Boylston Manu-
featuring Company burned wood for
fuel and that made an appreciable
market
Witness didn't think it had any bear
ing on the question of the damage to
Sterling that the tax rate has not been
actually decreased. The assessors
certainly will have to reduce the as
sessments.
Mr.. Cowee said he was a member of
the legislature when the act compen-
sating Sterling was passed in 1899.
Witness never believed that this act
was sufficient, but 1t was perhaps the
time
Witness most emphatically said that
the value of the Leg district, com
pared with 1894, was so per cent less.
Attorney Hallowell spent 10 minutes
trying to get the witness to say that
no damage had been done to Sterling.
Witness wouldn't say it. Matter OF
compensating Sterling has come before
the legislature two or three times.
Sterling deserves damages now, not
four years from now" witness said.
Jonathan Davis was introduced by
Mr.. Rugg as a little deaf and more
than n little modest Therefore Mr..
Rugg told the commission what the wit
ness qualifications were
Witness has sold cattle in the Leg
district, knows the people and their
need. The acts of the Metropolitan
Water Board were a blow at every
farm in Sterling. The depreciation is
10 to 20 per cent, and to some of the
farms 25 per cent.
1t would be hard to get a loan on
small farms. The Larger farms like
Mr.. Rice's were not so badly injured.
Rice's injury is % per cent. Houghton's
injury is 20 per cent.
Mr.. Hallowell took the witness in
hand. Got the information that wit
ness had held every office in his town
except constable.
James F. Kendall, Sterling, said he
resided on Kendall Hill. He is business
adviser to John Gates.
Real estate al Sterling Junction is at
standstill People are afraid to
build. The market value of lots for
the last five years has been nowhere.
There is too much uncertainty about
rights in Lake Washacum Used 10 sell
a number Of lots every year. Mr. Gates
is one of the largest milk producers in
Sterling. His buildings are within 200
feet Of the lake. His sewage flows to
within 100 feet of the lake. Witness
meant sewage from the barn.
Hearing was adjourned until IN
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
S0sTHBRIDGE
AT the time o large number of
skaters were skating on the New Mill
Pond C810ba Wi11aga