CHAP. 323 before the day of meeting, naming the time, place and pur

poses of such meeting.

SECT. 7. This act shall take effect when approved.

Approved March 31, 1891.

Doings of town of Palermo, made valid.

Chapter 323.

An Act to legalize and correct certain irregularities in the town meetings of the town of
Palermo.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled, as follows:

The several annual town meetings of the town of Palermo for the past six years, and the votes in the same, as well as the official acts of the officers elected in said meetings, are hereby declared to be legal and valid.

Approved March 31, 1891.

Corporators.

-corporate name.

May hold real estate.

Authorized to acquire water.

Chapter 324.

An Act to incorporate the Van Buren Water Company.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled, as follows:

SECT. 1. Peter C. Keegan, Patrick Lynott, Allan E. Hammond, Solomon Madore, Simeon Cyr, Michael A. Barrett, Joseph F. Theriault, Alexander Theriault, Henry A. Gagnon, Michael Michaud, Mary Keegan, Margaret Sharkey, Julia Farrell, Annie J. Sharkey, Rosa B. Sharkey, Frederick W. Keegan, their associates, successors and assigns are hereby constituted a body corporate and politic by the name of the Van Buren Water Company, for the purpose of conveying to and supplying the village of Van Buren and vicinity with pure water.

SECT. 2. Said corporation for said purpose is hereby authorized to hold real and personal estate necessary and convenient therefor, to the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars.

SECT. 3. Said corporation is hereby authorized to acquire by purchase or otherwise, the several springs or streams on

CHAP. 324

the height of lands overlooking said village and to erect and maintain reservoirs and dams, and lay down and maintain all pipes and aqueducts necessary for the proper accumulation, conduct, discharge, distribution and disposition of water and forming proper reservoirs thereof; and said corporation may take and hold by purchase or otherwise, any lands or real estate necessary therefor, and may make excavations through may take and any lands whatever when necessary for the purposes of this corporation.

damages.

SECT. 4. Said corporation shall be held liable to pay all Liability for damages that may be occasioned to any person by the taking of any land or other property, or by the flowage or by excavation through any land for the purpose of laying down pipes and aqueducts, building dams and reservoirs, and also damages for any other injuries resulting from said acts; and if any person sustaining damage as aforesaid and said corporation cannot mutually agree upon the sum to be paid therefor, such person may cause his damages to be ascertained in the same manner and under the same limitations, conditions and restrictions as are by law prescribed in the case of damages by the laying out of railroads.

SECT. 5. The capital stock of said corporation shall be five thousand dollars, which may be increased to twenty-five thousand dollars, by a vote of said corporation and be divided into shares of one hundred dollars each.

-how

ascertained in

case of

disagreement.

Capital stock.

the streets of the town.

SECT. 6. Said corporation is hereby authorized to lay down May lay pipes in in and through the streets and ways in said town of Van Buren and to take up, replace and repair all pipes, aqueducts and fixtures as may be necessary for the purposes of their incorporation, under such reasonable restrictions as may be imposed by the selectmen of said town. Said corporation shall be responsible for all damages to persons and property occasioned by the use of such streets and ways, and shall also be liable to said town for damages from obstructions caused by said corporation and for all expenses including reasonable counsel fees incurred in defending such suits with interest on the

same.

-responsible for damages.

May make

contracts to

SECT. 7. Said corporation is hereby authorized to make contracts with the town of Van Buren, Van Buren Village copy water to Corporation whenever such a corporation shall be formed, village. and with any or all other corporations or individuals for the

town and

CHAP. 324

-town, may contract for water, and exempt from taxation.

Shall not unnecessarily

travel.

purposes of supplying said corporations with water for fire and other municipal purposes or any other corporations or individuals with water for any other purposes whatsoever; and said municipal corporations by its selectmen or assessors shall have the legal right to contract with said water company; and in consideration of supply of water for public buildings, school houses and other public places, said town may contract with said corporation to remit its taxes and other public burdens.

SECT. 8. Said corporation in making any changes, addiobstruct public tions or improvements on its works in any of the streets of said Van Buren village, shall cause the same to be done with as little obstruction to public travel as may be practicable, and shall at its own expense without unnecessary delay, cause the earth and pavements removed by it to be replaced in proper condition.

Penalty, for injuring

property, or corrupting

water.

Act void, it

SECT. 9. Any person who shall willfully injure any of the property of said corporation or who shall knowingly corrupt the springs or streams or its tributaries out of which said water company's water is obtained, in any manner whatever, or render them impure, whether the same be frozen or not or who shall throw the carcasses of dead animals or other offensive matter into said waters or who shall willfully destroy or injure any dam, reservoir, aqueduct, pipe, hydrant or other property held or owned by said corporation for the purposes of this act, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not less than one year and shall be liable to said corporation for three times the actual damage, to be recovered in any proper action.

SECT. 10. In case the works of this corporation shall not works are not in be put in actual operation within six years from the date of the approval of this act, the rights and privileges herein granted shall cease.

operation within six years.

First meeting, how called.

SECT. 11. The first meeting of said corporation may be called by a written notice thereof, signed by any three corporators herein named, served upon each corporator by giving him or her the same in hand or by leaving the same at his or her last and usual place of abode, seven days before the time of meeting.

SECT. 12. This act shall take effect when approved.

Approved March 31, 1891.

СПАР. 325

Chapter 325.

An Act to incorporate the Columbia Company.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives

in Legislature assembled, as follows:

SECT. 1. Charles P. Coffin, Franklin J. Rollins, Frederick Corporators. H. Harford, Albert B. Otis, John G. Brooks, William B. Swan, John T. Coolidge, Junior, their associates, successors and assigns, be and they are hereby created and constituted

name.

-powers and

a body corporate and politic under the name of the Columbia -corporate Company, and as such shall have perpetual succession, and be capable in law to acquire, hold and dispose of property, real and personal, and to contract and be contracted with, privileges. sue and be sued, and to have and use a common seal, and to alter the same at pleasure, and to make and establish by-laws, rules and regulations for the government of said company and the conduct of its business, not inconsistent with the laws of this state or of the United States, and generally to do all acts, matters and things necessary to carry into effect the powers and privileges herein granted.

SECT. 2. The said corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to contract for and acquire, by purchase or other wise, bonds, stocks, obligations and securities of any corporation, company, or association now existing, or hereafter formed or constituted; and to carry on the business of building, constructing and equipping railroads and of aiding in the construction thereof; and to make advances in money and credit to railroad and construction and improvement companies, in such sum, for such time, and on such terms as may be agreed on; and may provide in contracts to be made by it for payment to be made in bonds or stock of corporations.

May hold bonds

and stocks of

other

corporations.

-build

railroads and

make loans to

construction

companies.

SECT. 3. The capital stock of said corporation shall be Capital stock. two million dollars, with power to increase from time to time to such sum as may be determined by the stockholders, but not at any time exceeding the limit then fixed by the statutes of this state for the capital stock of corporations organized under the general law, and when such capital stock is subscribed for, issued or increased, it may be classified as common and preferred stock; the shares of said capital stock shall be one hundred dollars each.

SECT. 4. Any one of the persons above named as corpo- First meeting, rators of said corporation may call the first meeting for the

how called.

CHAP. 326

-when corporation may begin business.

Board of directors.

-qualification

of.

-vacancies, how filled.

-executive board.

organization of such corporation at such time and place as he may appoint, by mailing a proper notice of such meeting to each of such corporators, at least seven days before the time appointed therefor, stating the time and place thereof; and in case a majority of such corporators shall attend such meeting, either in person or by proxy, they may open books for subscriptions to its capital stock, and when ten thousand dollars are subscribed and paid in, either in cash or its equivalent in real or personal property at their market value, said corporation may begin the transaction of business.

SECT. 5. The stock, property and affairs of said corporation shall be managed by a board of directors of such number, not less than three, as may from time to time be determined. by the stockholders. The directors shall be elected by the stockholders at such time and place, and in such manner, and for such terms as the stockholders shall from time to time determine. No person shall be a director who is not a stockholder of the corporation. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum of said board for the transaction of busi

In case of a vacancy or vacancies in the board, or in any office, the remaining directors may fill such vacancy or vacancies. The affairs of the corporation may, at the option of the stockholders, be entrusted to an executive board of so many members as may be decided by the stockholders, to be elected by vote of the stockholders from the full board of directors. Said corporation shall have, at some place in this state, a clerk's office in which the records of said corporation. shall be kept, and the clerk of said corporation shall be a resident of this state.

Approved March 31, 1891.

Corporators.

-corporate name.

Chapter 326.

An Act to incorporate the Belfast Illuminating Company.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled, as follows:

SECT. 1. Thomas T. Robinson, Robert B. Taber, Robert F. Pierce and Percy C. Pierce and their associates and assigns are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of the Belfast Illuminating Company for the purpose of