Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-22

I
care Of themselves, have been I'M
happily forced to apply to the city for
financial aid because of illness and
other misfortunes, the like Of which
few Of us know, most Of US do not I'M
derstand, and all of US hope never to
experience. The thousands who en-
Joy health and good fortune can hard
ly afford to refuse temporary aid to
the few whom fate treats with harsh
hand and the overseer Of the poor has
disburSed with careful hand the
benefaction Of the city. Augusta
should be proud Of the fact that 1t has
saved many an unfortunate and at the
same time worthy man and woman,
and many a hungry child from star
walton. Honest souls are not allowed
to starve to death in Augusta.
The appropriation for the poor de-
partment will show an overdraft for
the year amounting to about $1,000.
The city could not consider itself de-
Gently proud Of it's charter if the
moneys expended had been refused
and capnot find it in my heart to
apologize for this overdraft. II there
are ever to be overdrafts, let them be.
gin in the poor department.. Abso-
lutely necessary repairs and new
farming tools for the city farm cost
the city this year quite the full amount
Of the overdraft in the poor depart
ment and this fact alone is enough by
/ way Of explanation.
More has been accomplished in sewer
q syraaf
many years. One of the first places for
investigation was Morton place where
for more than a year the sewage had
been flowing into the street greatly
endangering the health Of it's residents.
No time was lost in relieving this con-
dition. The sewer was built and con-
nections Immediately made.
! Another place which early claimed
attention was break in large sewer
| which drains Western avenue, the
! break having been in evidence since
the summer Of 1914 because of the cav
! ing in of large portion of a lawn
! owned by H. f. BOwditch on the east
, side Of State street which resulted in
the exposure Of the broken sewer at a
depth of more than 20 feet. Some idea
! of the work involved can be obtained
| by considering that more than IS feet
| of this 20 inch pipe was relaid at an
average depth of about % IL feet re-
quiring bracing of the entire length.
This pipe relaid is new, of the best
quality. and reinforced with concrete
it's entire length.
| To those active in city affairs and in
! terested in Augustus welfare the need
Of a sewer to accommodate the prop
erty including and adjacent to old Fort
Western has been appareN for long
time This large section in central
location in the city, bounded on the
west by Bowman and on the north by
Cony street, was without sewer con-
nections and the conditions existing
were found to be positive menace to
public health and in consequence OF an
investigation a sewer was built from
the Kennebec river to Bowman street,
thence easterly to a point far enough
to admit every house in that locality.
AS soon as completed. connections with
every house were made.
| For years the residents Of Bangor
street, north of Pettingilrs corner. now
! Riverside drive. have petitioned for a
sewer but until 1915 were unsuccessful.
It was found that a long section Of the
street forming a main artery Of travel
| to and from Augusta was without sew
err accommodations and that a consider
able amount of drainage was going
from the houses to the gutter. During
| the hot weather conditions were almost
! intolerable for the residents and the
stencil which met pedestrians and tour
lists as they entered or left the city was
certainly not good advertising. This
sewer has been built at a very low cost
with a correspondngly low assessment
to the abuttcrs. All lots were accessi-
Bile and no attachments We're made.
In addition to the above there have
. heen constructed sewers ON Linden
! street, Arsenal street. Davenport street,
! Howard street. Thomaston road near
! Stone street. Drew street north from
| Western avenue. Drew street from Lin
! coin north. Johnson street, Pike
: street. lower State street. and Bowman
! street beside various other connec-
! tions. The total cost Of all this work
; is less than $4,000.
| In closing this review Of the wo,i
of the year wish to thank the MEM
] bs-s Of the city government for the
| conscientious work performed IN the
/ interests Of the city.
In Board Of Municipal Officers