Articles V. and VI. of Wellfleet's By-Laws of 1898. The
town published these in a pamphlet, of which there is one at the
Wellfleet Library.
p 8
ARTICLE V.
REGULATION OF CERTAIN TRADES.
Section 1 . No gunpowder shall be kept in any place within the town
unless it is well secured in tight casks or canisters. No gunpowder
above the quantity of fifty pounds shall be kept or deposited in a
shop, store, or other building or in a ship or vessel which is within
twenty-five rods of another building or wharf. No gunpowder above the
quantity of twenty-five pounds shall be kept or deposited in a shop,
store, or other building within ten rods of another building. No
gunpowder above the quantity of one pound shall be kept or deposited in
a shop, store or other building unless it is well secured in copper,
tin or brass canisters closely covered with copper, tin, or brass
covers. No gunpowder exceeding the quantity of fifty pounds shall be
conveyed through the town without a permit in writing from the
Selectmen prescribing the means and method of transportation. No
vehicle conveying gunpowder shall be drawn or permitted to travel at a
speed greater than a walk. Each dealer in gunpowder or other explosive
shall be required to maintain a printed sign, "Gunpowder," immediately
over the place where the package of gunpowder or other explosive is
kept in stock. No gunpowder shall be weighed within the town except by
daylight.
Section 2. Every violation of the provisions of this article shall be
punished by a penalty not exceeding twenty dollars for each offence.
p 9
ARTICLE VI.
POLICE REGULATIONS.
Section 1. The word "street" and "streets," when used in these By-Laws
shall be construed as including all public ways, roads, alleys, lanes,
and sidewalks, also those parts of all public squares and public places
which form travelled parts of highways.
Section 2. No person shall ring a church bell or other bell, when, on
account of illness in the neighborhood, such ringing is forbidden by
the Board of Health.
Section 3. No person shall move a building over a public street without
the written consent of the Road Commissioners, or of the Selectmen, if
no Road Commissioners are elected, who may, in their discretion,
require a bond, with sufficient sureties, in such sum as they shall
require, from the owner of such building or the person or persons
moving the same, with condition to reimburse the town for all sums of
money which it may be liable or compelled to pay in consequence of such
use of the way.
Section 4. No person shall break or dig up the ground in any street or
erect any staging for building, or place or deposit any stone, bricks,
timber or other building materials thereon without first obtaining the
written permission of the Road Commissioners, or of the Selectmen, if
no Road Commissioners are elected.
Section 5. The Road Commissioners, or the Selectmen, if no Road
Commissioners are elected, may grant a permit in writing to any person
for the purpose of building or for other lawful purposes to dig up,
obstruct, or encumber so much and such parts of any street as they deem
to be safe and proper.
Section 6. The person licensed under the preceding section shall comply
with all regulations in his permit contained, and shall at all times
maintain such suitable barriers around any excavation or obstruction
made by him in the street and shall so light the same with lanterns or
other means from twilight through the whole night to daylight as to
render the street safe and convenient for travellers.
Section 7. No person shall throw or sweep into or place or drop and
suffer to remain in any street, any hoops, boards, or other wood with
nails projecting therefrom, or nails of any kind, shavings, hair,
p 10 BY-LAWS.
manure, rubbish, offal, or filth of any kind or any
noxious or refuse liquid or solid substance.
Section 8. No person shall coast on any street except in accordance
with an order or permit of the Road Commissioners, or of the Selectmen,
if no Road Commissioners are elected.
Section 9. No person shall throw stones, snowballs, or other missiles
or shoot with or use a bow and arrow or sling or play at ball in any
street.
Section 10. No person shall permit any horse, cow, swine or other
cattle to go at large in any street.
Section 11. No person shall tie a horse or other animal to or post a
bill or notice upon a tree in any street.
Section 12. No person shall post up or affix in any manner, paint, or
write, or cause to be printed, painted, or written, a notice,
advertisement, or bill upon a post, pole, fence, wall or building in
the town, unless he has previously obtained the consent of the person
or persons having possession of such post, pole, fence, wall, or
building.
Section 13. No person shall make any indecent figures or write, print,
paint, or cut any obscene word or words upon or break, deface, or
injure in any manner any fence, post, sign, street lantern, building or
structure, or extinguish or remove without authority any street light
placed to denote an obstruction in any street or way.
Section 14. No person shall expose in any street any table or device of
any kind intended for playing a game of hazard or chance, and no person
shall play at any such game or any unlawful game in any street.
Section 15. No person without suitable clothing, shall swim or bathe in
any of the waters surrounding or within the town so as to be visible
from any dwelling-house, wharf, street or beach.
Section 16. No person shall accost or address another person in any
street with any obscene, profane or insulting language.
Section 17. No person shall wilfully or negligently obstruct the free
passage of travellers in any street or upon any sidewalk in any street
nor shall any person saunter or loiter for more than three min-utes
upon a sidewalk after being directed by a police officer, watchman
employed by the town, or constable to move on.
[no Section 18. in the pamphlet]
p 11
Section 19. No person, shall tie or fasten a horse or
animal of any kind to an ornamental, shade or fruit tree or to any
fence or other thing erected for the protection of such trees in any
street or highway in said town.
Section 20. No person shall behave in any indecent, or disorderly
manner, nor use profane, indecent or insulting language, in any public
place or building, or on any sidewalk or street in the town.
Section 22. Three or more persons shall not continue to stand or remain
in a group or near to each other on any sidewalk or street or crossing
or in any public place in such manner as to obstruct a free passage for
foot travellers after having been requested by a constable, police
officer, or watchman employed by the town to move on.
Section 23. No person shall by loud hallooing, hooting or making loud
and unseemly noises in the public streets and squares of the town
wilfully annoy and disturb another person.
Section 24. No person shall fire or discharge any pistol, gun, fowling
piece, fire-arm, cannon, or shall set fire to any powder or other
combustible matter or throw any such lighted combustible or other
explosive articles in any street of this town except in the discharge
of some legal duty without permission of the Road Commissioners, or of
the Selectmen, if no Road Commissioners are elected.
Section 25. No person shall make any bonfire or other fire in any
streets of this town or upon any land not his own.
Section 26. No person shall allow any sink, pickle, or other impure
water to run from the house, barn, or lot occupied by him into any
street of the town.
Section 27. Whoever violates any provision of this article shall be
punished by a fine not exceeding twenty dollars for each offence, but
all prosecutions shall be begun within six months from the date of the
violation of this By-Law. Prosecutions may be entered by any citizen;
but the Selectmen, police officers, constables, and watchmen of the
town shall prosecute every violation of the By-Laws of this article.
The foregoing By-Laws are approved.
February 16th, 1898.
FRANKLIN G. FESSENDEN,
Justice of Superior Court.
posted in capecodhistory.us, 10 Feb 2004