Radio Script #575

Little Talks on Common Things

April 28, 1963

In these days when Waterville spends more than a million dollars a year for the operation of all functions for which the city is responsible, it is interesting to note just what it cost to run the city exactly 2/3 of a century ago in 1896. In the long range of history that actually was not a long time ago, for in 1896 the corporate existence of Waterville had seen 94 years. But to some of us 67 years seems a long time. Not until that year 1896 did I see my fifth birthday, and men and women who have now been on full social security for two years had, in 1896, not yet been born.

Anyhow it is comforting to report that at the end of the fiscal year 1896 Waterville’s books were in the black. Total receipts were $166.561 and total expenditures $164.284 — a neat little balance of $2.277. Not all the money had been raised by local taxation. because more than $7.000 came from the state through the mill tax for common schools. Nor were the total expenses of $164,000 made up entirely of current charges. $14,000 had gone to start construction of the new city hall, and $4,000 to pay for the lot to which the old city hall had been moved. The largest item was, just as it is now, the schools. It cost $19,000 to operate the City’s common schools, but with $7.000 from the state, the net cost to the city was only $12,000. The high school operation cost $5,300, so that the total school expense to the city was $17,300.

The second most expensive item was maintenance of streets and roads, which took $10.400. When construction of new streets and bridges were added. the total carne to $18,000. By 1896 Waterville was in the midst of its early sewer construction, and that took $4.300, and it cost $3,500 to light the streets. for electricity had then replaced the gas lamps and the even earlier kerosene street lamps. $282 was spent on Monument Park. The fire department cost double the expense of the police department, $4,500 to $2,200.

The low wages paid to persons connected with education in 1896 is almost unbelievable to one who today examines the old records. All the teachers in all the city’s schools, including the high school, received $13,148, and the five teachers in the high school — the highest paid teachers in town — all together got $2,863. Dennis Bowman, the,principal, received $675, Minnie Smith $500, Florence Drummond $400, Frank Morrill $400 and Miriam Gallert and Florence Dunn, who divided the year in the fifth teaching position shared $350. Janitor service for all the city’s schools cost $1,500, books and supplies $1,600, fuel $1,200, repairs $700, and summer cleaning $200. As far back as 1896 a few pupils were being carried to school, because the school account showed an item “conveying scholars $256”. There were two conveyors, each of whom received $128 for the year’s work of himself and his horses, to say nothing of wear and tear on his outfit. They were John Sturtevant and George Webber. In 1896 there were 32 weeks of school, and the two men were entitled to $128 each because their compensation was fixed at $4 a week.

Now let us note the salaries paid to teachers in the common schools. If we consider the wages of the high school teachers low, just note what the grade teachers got, and remember we are talking about not 1806 or 1856, but a year near the end of the century, 1896. The highest paid teacher was Adelaide Soule, who received the same salary as two of the high school teachers. But the most common salary paid was $290, the amount received for each of eight women teachers, including one who was still teaching in Waterville when I became a member of the city’s Board of Education in 1931. She was Miss Alice Osborn. Others of those $290 teachers, whom plenty of Waterville people still remember, were Cora lincoln and Eva Towne. Equally well remembered was the teacher of painting and drawing, Sam lang, who got $350. The boss of the whole establishment, Supt. of Schools W.l. Waters, was paid the munificent salary of $900.

In 1896 the City of Waterville operated eleven school buildings, only two of which are in existence today: North Grammar and Brook Street. On the city’s books the value of all eleven school buildings was carried at $56,000. One building accounted for almost half that valuation, for the city’s newest school structure, the North Grammar School, was carried at $25,000. Next highest value was given to the high school at $10,000. That, of course, was the old building at the corner of Pleasant and School Streets, torn down when the present Junior High School was built. Of the remaining nine buildings, not one was valued as high as $5,000. The one that came nearest was South Grammar School at $4,500. That was not the present South Grammar building, but an older, smaller structure long ago burned. The Brook Street building was set down at $4,000.

We now have named four of those 1896 schools. What were the other seven? They were College Avenue school, the Oakland Street school, the Western Avenue school, the Pleasant Street school, the South Plains sc~ool, and schools in the Neck District and the Webb District.

In 1896 all property in control of the fire department, including four station houses, was valued at only $15,000. The two stations on Main Street were fixed at $3,500, one on Silver Street at $1,500, and a small one on Ticonic Street at $500. There were horses at only two of the stations, the apparatus from the other two being pulled by the hands of volunteer firemen. Those noble fire horses were valued at $200 apiece, $800 for the four of them. The department had 6,500 feet of cotton hose, valued at $2,600.

Some of the city’s other property listed in 1896 may surprise you. Here is a list of only six of the items:

Almhouse and contents

Lot on Summer Street

85 cords of wood on Summer St.

$ 6,500

1,200

300

12-45

2 Cows

1 Horse

$ 75

85

As early as 1896 concrete sidewalks had been introduced into Waterville. In that year 1,500 square yards of such walk had been laid on College Avenue, 246 yards on Appleton Street, and shorter stretches on Silver, Center and Temple Streets. Gravel sidewalks were built that year on no fewer than 22 Waterville streets, including such north end streets as Kelsey, Oak, High, Walnut and Boutelle Avenue.

In that year, only four years before the dawn of the 20th century, Waterville was having trouble with street loafers. In April, 1895 a petition bearing more than a hundred signatures was presented to the city council. It said: “Whereas it is a well known fact that our sidewalks on Main Street are continually used as a gathering place for loafers and people who have no business to transact, to the detriment of business on the street, and to the fear and disgust of ladies passing by; and whereas there is no regularly detailed officer to be found at any specified place in case of emergency.

“We petition that one policeman at least be detailed to act as a special officer to keep the walks clear of loafers and do such duty as would be required of a policeman, such officer to be on the beat from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

Signing that petition were some of Waterville’s most prominent citizens of 67 years ago, including Frank Redington, Perham Heald, Charles F. Johnson, Everett R. Drummond, George K. Boutelle, Horace Purinton, Fred Arnold, Warren Philbrook, Mark Gallert and Reuben Wesley Dunn.

An old document refers to the proposed erection of Waterville’s City Hall. Dated October 10, 1896, it says: “The old City Hall has been removed to land purchased from the heirs of Hall Burleigh for $2,500 and from Alfred Burleigh for $1,650. The expenses of moving and fitting up the old city hall and of laying the foundation of the new building are about $10,000. The Building Committee employed George Adams, Architect of Lawrence, Mass. Bids will be opened March 8. It is unknown at this time the sum of money the bids will call for. The committee is limited to $75,000. After the bids are opened, the cost of the building will be ascertained.”

Now note what that city report tells us about streets and sidewalks in 1896: “A new stone bridge has been built across Hayden Brook at Gilman Street, that street having been filled in to five feet. Tbe Kennebec Bridge has been covered with two courses of three inch plank, using 60,000 feet of lumber. Edwards Court has been opened. Morrill Avenue has been extended 25 rods, graveled and graded, and walks made on each side. Sixty square yards of brick sidewalk have been laid on Common Street and an equal amount at the corner of Main and Temple Streets. Stone cross walks have been laid at three points on Main Street, and at one each on Pleasant, Dalton, Union and Front Streets.”

Before the building of the Waterville City Hall in 1896, the old town hall, which had been erected in the closing years of the 18th century, was used not only for all public meetings, but also for entertainments. In 1856 Albion Jones was custodian of the town hall, and during that year he collected a total of $24 for rent of the building. The fee was $5 for one night, $8 for two nights, and $3 a night for continuous use in excess of two nights.

How did Jones use the collected $24? He spent a dollar for eight lamp chimneys. $2.50 for two fluid lamps, the same amount for two solar lamps. and $6.00 for two hanging lamps. He personally collected $1.50 for one full day’s work on minor repairs, and $1.50 a night for tending the hall on six nights. That all came to $22.50. and the balance of $1.50 Jones faithfully turned over to the town treasurer.

Let us close this broadcast with an interesting letter written in 1848 by a man who wanted the job of night watchman for Ticonic Village. the old name for the business part of Waterville. He wrote to the selectmen: “I am not in the habit of talking much and though I would not give any reasons why I wanted to watch, when I talked with you, but I will now tell you. I am not able to go into hard work as I once was. If I was able, I would take a hard job at a much ‘higher price than you pay a watchman. As it is, I can do your job as well as anyone. Another reason is that I am in debt for my place. I would like to pay for it and can do so with what my wife can earn if I can have the watchman’s job. If I was able, I would go out on the river and get three dollars a day, but I cannot do that now. Yours truly, C.A. Wood.”

Year: 1963