A selection of news items from the Narragansett Times for Friday, June 22, 1888.
NARRAGANSETT
“Let there be light.”.
George Caswell of Peace Dale is to be the engineer at the electric light station..
The office of the Postal Telegraph company was opened this week in the Gladstone hotel.
Rev. John M. Buchanan of New York will preach at the Presbyterian church next Sunday.
Miss E. Oliver of Baltimore arrived on Monday at her cottage “Cliffe House” on Ocean avenue.
The Sunday school connected with the Baptist church held a picnic last Saturday at Gould’s grove at Gould.
William C. Caswell has taken the contract to water the streets this summer and the carts were put on this week.
Rowland Chappell has opened the old corner barbershop , and C. J. Maloney is to have charge of it for the summer.
The Atwood house opened on Monday. Mrs. Coffee of New York was the first to arrive, and a large party were expected on Thursday.
The new water works are now a surety. The pipes are now on the way and it is claimed that there will be water furnished at the Pier before the first of September.
At the Delavan the first guests to arrive were J. M. Hardy, Virginia; Mrs. Horace R. Kelly, seven children and two nurses, New Brighton, Staten Island; Frank Gallager, Boston.
J. D. Caswell opened his millinery department this week with a large assortment of the latest novelties and fashions. Miss Sarah P. Wilcox, who was here last season, is again in charge which insures satisfaction to their patrons.
Peleg Brown arrived home last week from the west. He brought home with him two carloads of horses, thirty-four in number, including both driving and work horses. Among the number is a handsome iron grey Percheron stallion. Three pairs of these horses have already been sold to William C. Caswell.
W. S. Webb, who taught school at this place in the years 1861 and 1862, is now the commissioner at large of the Florida Subtropical exposition. He is now traveling through the northwest with a car loaded with samples of Florida’s products, her wealth of wood and mineral; her curiosities and the beauties of her luxurious tropical plant life. The exposition on wheels is for the purpose of advertising Florida.
To visit the graperies of James Robinson on Main street nowadays, is only to covet the luscious looking black hamburgs that hang in such profusion upon the vines. Mr. Robinson has attained a reputation in grape culture, but this season he has surpassed himself, and the interior of his grapery never looked finer than now with hundreds of pounds of the choicest grapes all ready to cut and more fast ripening.
The Massasoit house was opened on Monday. Mr. John Babcock has been busy for the past two months in preparing for the season and the house never looked better than now. A large number of the rooms have been connected since last year and the halls newly carpeted and many other alterations made, besides which electric lights have been added in the office floor and hallways. The first guests to arrive were Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Shepard, two children and maid, New York.
The newly elected school committee met at the office of the district clerk in the Mount Hope house on Tuesday and organized by electing Thomas G. Hazard, jr. chairman and H. N. Knowles, secretary. Lots were cast to determine the terms of office and as a result Thomas G. Hazard, jr. will serve one year, H N. Knowles two years, and Edward D. Taylor three years. H. N. Knowles was elected superintendent. A number of matters of interest to the schools were canvassed before the committee adjourned..
The TIMES office will open on Monday..
Blumenthal, the tailor of Providence, has arrived.
The first service will be held at St. Philomena’s Catholic church on Sunday.
Hon. Allan McLane and family of Washington, have arrived at their villa on Ocean road.
The steamer H. S. Caswell will commence running between Narragansett Pier and Newport next Monday..
A new building is being erected on the corner next to the barber shop to accommodate a new florist from New York..
Montague Marks and family of New York arrived this week at the What Cheer cottage south of the Mount Hope house.
The DAILY TIMES will commence for the season on Monday. Send in your advertisements and subscriptions at once.
Dr. Bacho McE. Emmet and family have arrived at their summer residence in the cottage next to the casino on Ocean avenue.
It was no wonder that James T. Caswell was even more affable than usual on Wednesday. He had just received a welcome guest in the shape of a son and heir.
Among the arrivals of the past week was the family of Edward W. Warle of New York, who are occupying their pleasant cottage in the Earlescourt grounds.
S. T. Browning at the Atlantic house is having water put in from the Mathewson spring. Edwin Noyes of Kingston will be clerk and bookkeeper at the Atlantic this season.
George Crandall of Peace Dale has nearly finished a large addition to his stables on Beach street. The building now extends to Beach row, with a carriage entrance of either end.
The Mathewson house opened on Wednesday. Its first guests this season were Mrs. E. P. Stevenson and family of New York. The outlook for the season at the Mathewson is even ahead of last year.
William Potter of the Clarendon hotel at Green Cove Springs, Florida, who was clerk and bookkeeper at the Gladstone last year, is back at that hotel this summer and is busy in preparing for the opening on Saturday.
A new Delamater pump has been put in at the Continental hotel, and it was put into operation on Wednesday. Manager S. A. Saunders has the house nearly ready for opening and it never looked better either on the interior or exterior.
The Pier is now policed by officer John R. Wilcox. It is expected that the second man, who will probably be Thomas Quinn, will go on duty Saturday. There are to be four officers this summer, one of whom will probably remain on all night.
A handsome addition to the ornaments in the rotunda of the casino is a large tarpon, one of the gamiest fish that frequent southern waters. It was caught last winter by James W. Cooke of Philadelphia, in the Gulf of Mexico, and mounted for exhibition here. The fish was six feet and three inches long, sixteen inches wide and weighed one hundred and forty five pounds. An idea of the gaminess of the fish may be gained when it is known that it took Mr. Cooke an hour and fifteen minutes to land it after it was hooked.
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT
The dynamos and engine at the electric light station were placed in position on Saturday , and the large iron smoke stack up up. The dynamos were run for a short time at a late hour on Monday evening and a few lights lit. On Tuesday evening the lights on one circuit, including the Delavan, Gladstone, Metatoxet, Mount Hope, Massasoit and the Rockingham, and also Billington’s cafe were turned on. At the Metatoxet the whole house was illuminated and the spectacle was said to be very fine. In the other houses the lights have been put in only on the office floors, but the superiority of the light over gas was maintained. Of course, the machinery being new there were some hitches and some adjustments had to be made along the wires, but the light appeared more than satisfactory to all who have put it in, in fact it was above the most sanguine expectations, the lamps furnishing a brighter light than had been expected. On Wednesday evening the machinery worked more smoothly. The managers intend to have all the lights that have been put in lighted by Saturday night. Another dynamo and engine are expected. None of the arc lights upon the streets have been lit as yet, owing to the non-arrival of a pulley, but next week it is expected that both the arc and incandescent lights will all be in working order. It will take three engines and six dynamos to run the plant. Louis Sawyer will be the superintendent in charge of the lighting and it is expected that the company will be organized at once. At present the affairs are in charge of a committee appointed by the bondholders.
THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING
An adjourned meeting of the district council was held on Monday. All the members were present.
Horatio N. Knowles, Walter H. Chapin, George G. Knowles, James F. Cross and Daniel A. Caswell were elected as assessors for the ensuing year.
The collector’s bond was fixed at twelve thousand dollars.
Upon a communication from Dr. Charles Hitchcock, William G. Caswell, Dr. Charles Hitchcock and Edward D. Taylor were appointed a committee to report to the council the expense of a preliminary survey, also cost of work or map, to include a consideration of the plate and record of the town of South Kingstown relating to the district of Narragansett.
The salary of school superintend was fixed at fifty dollars.
The salary of truant officer was fixed at forty dollars.
William Sprague was appointed a committee to ascertain whether the council has power to order a portion of the district lit by electric lights.
A petition in reference to needed repairs on Beach row was referred to S. W. Mathewson and F. P. W. Tefft for action.
The treasurer’s bond was approved and the meeting adjourned to meet on Monday the twenty fifth.
A special meeting of the council was held on Tuesday the nineteenth.
It was voted that John R. Wilcox, Elmer Clark and Thomas Quinn be appointed police constables for the ensuing year, with compensation at two dollars per day while employed, and John R. Wilcox was ordered to report for duty to the president of the council at once.
Voted that the president of the council be authorized to place on duty the two or more other officers not otherwise assigned.
Voted that the committee appointed at previous meeting be authorized to repair Beach row.