A selection of news items from the Narragansett Times for Friday, June 29, 1888.
NARRAGANSETT
J. J. Matthews is again engineer at the Gladstone.
Arnold H. Tefft is the steward this year at the Massasoit house.
W. P. Ward arrived at his cottage on Mathewson street Friday evening.
Edgar Saltus, the novelist, is among recent arrivals at the Pier.
Philip S. Minton of New York is among the recent arrivals at the Atwood.
Charles E. Dana of New Bedford is steward at the Atwood house this summer.
L. Blumenthal, the tailor on the beach, has opened his establishment for the season.
Mrs. Sarah Butterfield has taken possession of her Starr cottage on Caswell street.
David Zewalthoff of New York s the clerk at W. C. Clarke’s pharmacy this year.
George H. Courson and family of Baltimore have arrived at their Central street cottage.
D. Stevenson of New York is the occupant this year of one of the Earlscourt cottages.
Dr. George S. Alland and family have arrived at their Taylor cottage on Mathewson street.
The Gladstone opened on Monday. A large number of guests are expected to arrive this week.
Lewis F. Bell & Co. have contracted to build a barn and an ice house on the Sherry property.
Admiral J. L. Davis and wife of Washington, are among the recent arrivals at the Mathewson.
Mrs. Herbert Tucker of Washington, R. I., is the guest of Mrs. George H. Browning at Maple cottage.
Dr. Samuel Jackson, medical director, U. S. Navy, is among the recent arrivals at the Rockingham.
W. C. Clark has added a handsome Tufft’s soda fountain at his pharmacy in the postoffice building.
Elmer E. Clark and Benjamin Clarke have been appointed on the police force and will go on duty this week.
Edgar T. Welles of New York has leased the A. M. Cunningham cottage on Ocean road, through C. E. Boon.
Hing Chong, has opened his Chinese store on the beach with a large line of the peculiar goods of the celestial empire.
Road surveyor Littlefield is improving the surface of Ocean road by applying fine crushed stone where needed.
Captain E. A. Waterhouse of Providence has entered upon his duties in the office of the secretary of the Casino.
J. G. Barns is having electric lights put into his new dining hall. There is no doubt that the lights are giving satisfaction.
H. N. Knowles has contracted to build a house for Brander Matthews, the novelist of New York, on his lot near the Massasoit.
W. E. Chalmers, a student at the Peddie institute at Highstown, New Jersey, is the clerk and bookkeeper at the Revere house this summer.
The steamer H. S. Caswell has commenced its daily trips to and from Newport. The pleasant sail should ensure a large patronage this summer.
Mrs. W. R. Garrison and family of New York have arrived at their cottage at Earlescourt. They occupy the western cottage on these pleasant grounds.
A movement is underway to have a grand display of fireworks on the evening of the fourth of July to eclipse anything given here during previous years.
There are already a larger number of fine turnouts on the streets this summer than usual. With the proposed improvements in the roads the number will multiply.
The main office of the Western Union Telegraph company in the Mount Hope house opened on Friday. Miss M. A. Newton of Boston is again here this season in charge of the office.
J. H. Foster, the Parisian dancing master who had classes here last summer, was at the Pier on Tuesday. He intends to secure pupils here this season. At the Newport casino he already has two large classes started.
Frank Watson opened his pharmacy on Saturday. He has added to his soda apparatus an ice-shaving machine and shaker of improved pattern to make the popular summer temperance drink known as “milk shake.”
Frank G. Nicols of Hope Valley is back again at his old post as clerk and bookkeeper at the Rockingham. Frank has just returned from his last year at Colgate institution in Hamilton, New York, graduating there this year.
The news of Harrison’s nomination at Chicago was first received at the Pier over Spencer Trask & Co., private line, beating the Western Union and the Postal lines, and bulletins were at once posted in front of the postoffice.
John Perry and J. H. Blackler have purchased the bottling business of Thomas Blackler and will carry on the business at the old stand near the depot under the firm name of Perry & Blackler. They also will run the restaurant in the building which was last year under the charge of S. H. Hale.
The Ocean house is all ready for opening, and the hotel and grounds never appeared in better condition than now. Mr. George N. Kenyon has been busily engaged in preparing for this season and has left nothing undone to advance the comfort of his prospective patrons. Many improvements have been made and electric lights added. It is to be hoped that the house may enjoy a prosperous season.
Broad canopy covered pavilions have been put up in front of several of the bathing houses on the beach, and they are a great improvement, affording pleasant seats to the patrons of the bath houses. The largest one is in front of William Taylor’s bath house. Others have been erected by John Davis at the Massasoit bath house, at the Atwood house, and also in front of John Whaley’s.
Broad canopy covered pavilions have been put up in front of several of the bathing houses on the beach, and they are a great improvement, affording pleasant seats to the patrons of the bath houses. The largest one is in front of William Taylor’s bath house. Others have been erected by John Davis at the Massasoit bath house, at the Atwood house, and also in front of John Whaley’s.
George Giles of New York, an expert cricket and lawn tennis player, who for the last ten years has been with the St. George’s cricket club, has charge of the lawn tennis courts at the casino this season, and the grounds already show the work that they have received. They are in fine condition. The land leased on the south gives room for three extra courts, and no pains art to be spared this season to cater to the comfort and pleasure of lovers of the game.
The first parlor car of the season arrived on Monday.
The DAILY TIMES will be enlarged to a five-column paper in a day or two.
Bernard Carter of Baltimore, who has again leased the Burr cottage for the summer, has arrived with his family.
W. S. Lee, a New York florist who is to occupy the new building on the corner near the postoffice, arrived Wednesday.
The steamer H. S. Caswell leaves the Pier at 8.30 and 11.40 a. m. and 3.15 and 6.30 p. m.
The office of Spencer Trask & Co. in the Casino building has opened. J. S. Wall of the Providence office is installed as manager.
Misses Cahill and Downey, the manicures, who have been here for several seasons arrived on Tuesday. They have their rooms at the Sea View house.
Some of the enthusiastic republicans celebrated Monday evening by firing a salute from H. V. Gardiner’s cannon in honor of the presidential nominee, Benjamin Harrison of Indiana.
Franklin W. Smith of Boston, the well-known architect, is, with his wife, among the recent arrivals at Greene’s inn. Mr. Smith was the designer of the Casa Monica hotel in St. Augustus, Florida.
Some of the electric lights at the Casino were lighted Wednesday evening for the first time. Over the arch on the promenade the lamps are of red glass and the effect from the street was very handsome. The restaurant opened Wednesday evening and the gatemen then went on duty.
The Tower Hill house will open this week under the management of Charles A. Oakes of New York, who was one of the proprietors last year. Among the guests who will be at the house this season are: R. S. Ely and family; H. G. Lippincott and family, and J. G. Lippincott and family of Philadelphia, and Dr. W. J. Swift of New York.
William Dorsey was arrested on Sunday by officers Quinn and Wilcox. He resisted and officer Quinn was obliged to use his club to subdue him. This is the first trouble of the season. In the district court on Monday, Dorsey was fined two dollars and costs by judge Lewis. The fine and costs amounted to seven dollars and sixty cents.
There were eight hundred electric lights in operation at the Pier Tuesday evening. The second engine of eighty horse power has been placed in position and another dynamo is expected this week. This evening it is expected that the lights in the casino will be lighted, which will add about four hundred to the number. Several cottagers desire the light put in and it is quite likely that the number in before the close of the season will approach two thousand.
THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING
An adjourned meeting of the district council was held at the police office at one o’clock Monday. All the members were present. It was voted that W.A. Nye present in writing the communications referring to the condemning of certain land on Beach row, to a future meeting of the council.
The boundary lines of the compact parts of the district, where no swine, etc., are to be kept were adopted as follows: Beginning at a point on beach just north of the new Washbourn’s cottage; thence on a line southwesterly to the beginning of the brook from the Sprague pond; thence southeasterly to the railroad to embrace the Beach station; thence following the railroad south and on a line extending south, embracing the grove on the cattle grounds; thence easterly to the ocean; thence northerly following said ocean to the point of beginning.
Permission was given to Mrs. Sarah S. Knowles to have removed three bodies from the Stanton farm near Narragansett Ferry to a point in North Kingstown.
The ordinance as in force in the town of South Kingstown relating to contagious diseases in schools was adopted.
Rules and regulations for the government of public schools were adopted.
George G. Pearse and H. N. Knowles were appointed a committee to define and report for record the boundaries of the school districts in the district of Narragansett.
N. Grinnell was authorized to remove a building through Caswell, Central and Mechanic streets, to be moved within three days of commencement.
A petition referring to an alleged nuisance on Yost avenue was referred to the president of the council for action.
Rules and regulations were adopted for the government of the police force. William Sprague, president of the council, was appointed a police constable, and elected chief of police, without remuneration.
The voting list was canvassed and the jury list made out.
P. O. Little field was authorized to purchase crushed stone to repair Ocean road, not to exceed fifty yards, also to repair incline leading to beach.
Alex. Kissouth was authorized to repair plank walk leading to the “rocks.”
J. A. Tucker and W. G. Caswell qualified as bondsmen of W. Herber Caswell, district clerk, in sum of three hundred dollars.
The council then adjourned to Thursday of this week.
Notes to 21st century readers:
— “Edgar Saltus, the novelist” — Edgar Evertson Saltus (1855-1921) was a popular American writer. In addition to two books of philosophy, a collection of essays, a book about Oscar Wilde, and a biography of Balzac, he produced more than twenty novels. Two of his novels were made into motion pictures (during the silent era). He was highly acclaimed during his lifetime, but is almost unknown today. Some of his works are available online through Project Gutenberg.
— “Brander Matthews, the novelist” — James Brander Matthews (1852-1929) was an American writer and educator. He played a key role in establishing theater as being worthy of formal academic study and was the first full-time professor of dramatic literature in America (at Columbia). In addition to academic books (about drama, writing, language, and collected essays) and an autobiography, he wrote a number of novels and collections of short stories. His novels and plays are forgotten today. Some of his works are available online through Project Gutenberg. If you are a regular reader of the news from 125 years ago you may recall Brander Matthews being mentioned in the April 20, 1888 Narragansett news. (Interesting coincidence: Both Saltus and Matthews had law degrees.)
— “The news of Harrison’s nomination” — The 1888 Republican National Convention in Chicago nominated former Senator Benjamin Harrison (Indiana) for President and former Congressman Levi P. Morton (New York) for Vice President. The convention was noted for having Frederick Douglas as a guest speaker. His name was placed in nomination and he became the first African-American to have his name raised for consideration for President in a major party’s roll call vote. In November, the team of Harrison and Morton defeated Democrats Cleveland and Thurman.
— “The first parlor car of the season” — A special railroad car with better seating and accommodations than standard. Think of it as the equivalent of airline “first class” seating. This was a sign that the summer season had begun and the wealthy tourists were heading to Narragansett.