A selection of news items from the Narragansett Times for Friday, July 13, 1888.
NARRAGANSETT
A new sidewalk is to be put down on the entire length of Taylor street.
The electric light station is being painted. A. T. Edwards is doing the work.
Edward Austen and family have arrived at their cottage on the “rocks.”.
Charles Jacobs of Wakefield opens his branch tailoring establishment on the beach Saturday..
Archibald C. Gunter the New York novelist, is with his wife located at the Continental for the season.
Ocean road presents quite an improved appearance since the hollows have been filled with crushed stone.
General Alexander J. Perry of the United States regular army is among the recent arrivals at the Rockingham.
Charles Carroll, professor of modern languages at the New York university, has taken rooms for the season at Tower Hill hotel.
One of the finest private equipages at the Pier this summer is that of Mrs. John J. Chew of Washington, who occupy one of the cottages at Bonnie Bourse park.
A new hair dressing room has been opened in the Mount Hope house for the convenience of the guests of the house, with I. Ives of Providence in charge.
The bell boys and porters of the Gladstone and Hotel Columbus blossomed out last week with new uniforms of blue, bright with nickel buttons and silver braid.
Mrs. J. R. Armstrong, formerly of this town, who has for several years been teaching in the south, is back again this summer as clerk and bookkeeper at the Ocean house.
Mrs. A. E. Robbins of Providence who has sung for a number of seasons in the Episcopal choir is the guest of Mrs. George H. Browning at the Maple cottage on Central street.
The handsome little Shetland pony that the children of Mrs. D. Stevenson of the Earlescourt cottage ride creates no small amount of envy among less favored juveniles at the Pier.
W. A. Nye has been fitting up and improving three bath houses at the lower end of the beach, and will utilize them this season, and next year will probably erect a fine bath house upon the site.
Lieutenant Alfred B. Jackson who is stationed as an instructor at West Point is a guest at the Rockingham. He is a son of Dr. Samuel Jackson for years a guest with Mr. Burns.
James O. Chandler, proprietor of the Delavan house, has the honor of receiving the first check from the district treasurer, E. S. Taylor, jr. It was on a Providence bank and for nine dollars and fifteen cents.
A large and very powerful telescope was set up Saturday for guests of the Tower Hill house by H. G. Lippincott, jr. of Philadelphia. Mr. Lippincott generous donation is heartily appreciated by the guests of the house.
W. H. Parker of Denver, Colorado, who is spending the summer at the Mathewson, is one of the leading young businessmen of that thriving western city. He is one of the principal owners of the St. James hotel estate there.
The Ocean house opened on Saturday. The first to cross its threshold this year as guests were Steven Vail and family of New York. Mr. Vail is a son of the gentleman to whom equally with professor Morse, the world owes the introduction of the electric telegraph.
Reckless Charlie has received a commission from Pierre Lorrilard to bring over his view wagon to Newport to secure a photograph of his eight horse dray with party. Charlie is waiting for his diminutive colored coachman’s livery to arrive when he will go over via the new ferry in great style.
Rev. W. U. Murkland, pastor of the Franklin street Presbyterian church of Baltimore, whose wife and family are spending the summer at the Atwood house, is now in London in attendance upon the sessions of the Pan-Presbyterian council now being held in that city. Dr. Murkland presided and addressed the council on Saturday.
John Whaley has taken the position of baggagemaster at the Pier depot, which had been held for a number of years by Ben Easton. Mr. Whaley’s place as baggagemaster upon the train is now filled by John Sims of Peace Dale, and the entire force of baggagemen are just now having their hands full as the trunks are beginning to arrive in large numbers.
James Gamble of the recently organized water company, is among recent arrivals at Greene’s Inn. The survey for the water pipes is now nearly completed and the site for the stand pipe on Tower Hill has been selected. This is said to be nearly two hundred and forty feet above the level of the sea, which should give an enormous pressure here.
Robert M. Wilcox and wife of New York, are to spend the summer at Narragansett Pier, having registered Monday evening at the Rockingham. Mrs. Wilcox is probably better known to the public as Ella Wheeler Wilcox, one of the most gifted and pleasing of our authors of American poetry. Mrs. Wilcox’s appearance suggest nothing of the lackadaisical poetress so often met, neither is there any suggestion of the blue stocking about her. She simply appears what she is, a woman gifted with one of those rare sympathetic natures capable of catching inspiration from the tuneful melodies of nature and putting them into verse that creates a throb of response with all who listen to or read them.
Mr. S. Jacobs of the No. 2 Casino block was a passenger on the steamer Pilgrim on its Sunday night trip from Newport to New York, and he characterizes the effect of the electric lights as seen from the boat as being brilliant in the extreme. The hotels at the Pier were as plainly visible as at midday, and he says it was difficult to make many of the passengers realize that it was Narragansett Pier that they saw and that few seemed to realize that the Pier was as large a place as it appeared. We venture the assertion that the electric lights upon the street will prove the greats advertisement that the Pier has had for years, and it is to be hoped that there will be enough of public spirit manifested to ensure the lights remaining where they have been placed. The company have well fulfilled their part of their promises; they have furnished an excellent light both for interior and street illumination and their lamps ought not to be removed.
As you pass by the TIMES office stop and look at the case of pictures hanging at the entrance.
Tucker & Briggs are building an extension to the plazza in front of Willared P. Ward’s cottage.
The old Gurney & Co’s photographic studio in Caswell’s building, Beach street, opened on Monday.
Professor W. D. Whitney of New Haven has arrived with his family at the Dr. Hodge cottage on the rocks.
Professor J. H. Foster has commenced a dancing class for young misses and masters in the Casino theatre.
J. M Lander, leader of Casino orchestra, has received a fine upright Chickering piano for use in the Casino theatre.
The Misses Eiman, daughters of the late Erastus Wiman of New York, are guests of Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Dun at Dunmere.
Mrs. George V. Cresson is to give an afternoon reception to the married ladies of the Pier at Stone Lea on Saturday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Justin Butterfield of New York, arrived yesterday at the pleasant Starr cottage of Mrs. Sarah Butterfield on Caswell street.
J. W. Lippincott, of the old and well-known publishing firm of Philadelphia, is with his family, sojourning at the Tower Hill house.
Mr. Grossman of Boston, and his wife, the daughter of the tragedian, Edwin Booth, passed Tuesday with friends at the Tower Hill House.
Tom Senate aught a sword fish weighing over two hundred pounds on Friday. His sword was three feet in length, a formidable weapon.
Wallace F. Kirk and family of Chicago arrived Friday evening at the Atlantic house where they have located for the past three seasons.
Rev. Robert C. Lowry, one of the prominent Episcopal clergymen of New York city, is among the recent arrivals at the Mount Hope house.
John B. Trout of Philadelphia, arrived last week at the Atlantic house where he has enjoyed the Pier breezes through many seasons in the past.
Frederick Tuggles, formerly of the Hotel Fiske at Old Orchard, and the Twin Mountain house, New Hampshire, is steward this year at the Ocean house.
S. Clarke and family, of Philadelphia, who have taken the Brown cottage just north of Greene’s inn on Ocean road, arrived for the season on Friday.
A station for the long distance telephone is to be established here at once. Anyone can then talk with New York as easily as they can now with Providence.
Rev. A. B. Carver, formerly rector at St. Peters church here and now of Yonkers, New York, is spending a few days at the Pier with his mother, Mrs. E. R. Carver.
Horace Fassitt and wife of Philadelphia arrived last week at Greene’s inn, where they have taken rooms for the season. Mr. Dassitt is an old habitue of the Pier.
William R. Tyler and family of Quincey, Massachusetts, arrived last week at S. T. Browining’s “Althea” cottage on Caswell street, where they have been located for the past three seasons.
A mammoth refrigerator or chill room has been build at Greene’s inn, capable of holding several wagon loads of ice, and so arranged that there is but little waste in proportion to the “freeze” produced.
Edwin Noyes of Kingston , and at present clerk at the Atlantic house, has been engaged to teach at the High school at Westerly at the close of his services here. Mr. Noyes passed a successful examination on Monday.
There were services on Sunday for the first time in Brown’s hall by the colored Methodists. Rev. I. Watkins has been appointed pastor to the mission here by bishop H. M. Turner of the New England Conference A. M. E. church.
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper of this week gives one page of the number to Narragansett Pier. The casino, the new life saving station, “Sherry’s,” “The Rockingham,” “The Mathewson,” and a moonlight scene of the beach from the casino, make an attractive page of pictures.
Rev. J. Aspinwall Hodge of Hartford, is not likely to enjoy much of the sea air of the Pier this summer as he has been selected as delegate to a Presbyterian council to be held in Brazil, South America, for the purpose of establishing a Presbyterian church there. He expects to start at an early date.
Rev J. Aspinwall Hodge, D. D. of Hartford officiated at the Presbyterian church Sunday. A new departure at this church this year will be singing by a volunteer choir, comprising young people from among the cottagers here and it is thought that it will prove a welcome innovation, as the choir will number several fine voices.
The travel between Newport and the Pier over the Jamestown ferry is increasing. Several parties of Newporters have driven over with their carriages, stopped and dined at the casino and driven around viewing the many points of interest on this side and gone back during the afternoon, while others from this side have been improving the opportunities of viewing the attractions of Newport in the same way.
J. A. Tucker at the Atwood house has secured the services of G. S. Giraldi, a prominent New York caterer as steward for the remainder of the season. With him is Henry Walther as carver, formerly with Cable, Bailey & Co. of New York. They with the efficient services of Pleasant Johnson as cook, and Fred Jessup as pastry cook, make a culinary force that insures an excellent table service at the Atwook, where the tables has always been highly spoken of.
The arc lights were lighted on Saturday night for the first time and gave general satisfaction. There are eighteen lights upon the street, and three private lights. The streets presented a brilliant scene. The lamps are powerful ones and cast their rays for a long distance. In some localities they will probably need to be nearer together, probably two more being needed on Ocean road and one more on Exchange place. The lamp in H. V. Gardner’s store in the Casino block gave a fine example of what the Thomason-Houston company can furnish in the way of interior lighting as the store was as light as in daytime, and the incandescent lamp beside it looked feeble in comparison. It is to be hoped that the powers that be will conclude to appropriate money enough to furnish twenty-four street lights during the summer.