A selection of news items from the Narragansett Times for Friday, April 20, 1888.
Narragansett Pier
Earl C. Whaley of Matunuck is employed at J.C. Tucer, jr’s.
About every other man at the Pier has turned painter just now.
Caswell’s building on Beach street is receiving a new coat of paint.
S. T. Caswell has sold his three-masted schooner to Boston parties.
Arnold Tefft is painting the cottage of Miss Brown next to Green’s Inn on Ocean avenue.
The Evelyn arrived at the South Pier on Wednesday with a cargo of brick from Greenport.
It is to be H. V. Gardiner & Co. this season at the Casino grocery. A prominent Providence merchant is the partner.
Steven T. Caswell’s new cottage on Robinson street has been rented to Frank Adams of New York through the agency of James A. Rose.
The windmill at the Gladstone has been put in operation during the past week, filling the reservoir in readiness for the season.
Quite a large addition is being made in the rear of the Mathewson house to provide increased accommodations for the servant’s quarters.
Esbon S. Taylor of the Narragansett house is gradually recovering, greatly to the gratification of his many friends who hope to soon see him out again.
Surveyor Littlefield is making an effort to open the drains at the lower end of Main street so as to do away with the water that has so badly washed the street in that vicinity this spring.
The interior of the Revere house is being entirely painted and papered, besides which a number of other changes are being made and alterations made in the water supply of the house.
W. H. Dabney, the Boston architect, was at the Pier on Wednesday. He is looking after the alterations on W. W. Newton’s “Lion’s Head” cottage where an addition is being erected by A. Congdon, and other improvements made.
The old Coates cottage recently purchased by Edward Earle is to be moved at once to a new location on the lawn fronting the Earle cottage on Mathewson street, and has been rented to the Casino association, together with its former grounds.
Electric light workmen commenced operations on Wednesday. Five men, the first of a large force
expected, started wiring the hotels for the electric light. The Metatoxet was the starting point, where the light is to be put into every room in the house..
Another large tract of land has been purchased on the beach by Charles G. Washburn of Worchester. This is located just north of that recently purchased by Mrs. M. E. Washburn of Worcester. Both of these sales were made through the agency of George T. Lanphear of Peace Dale. On the first lot a cottage is to be finished by the first of July.
Andrews & Tisdale, proprietors of the City hotel stables of Providence, who have been at the Pier during the past three seasons, have leased the stables erected this spring by George Schaeffer on Congdon street, and opened the same this week, bringing down ten horses and a number of carriages. The new stables are to be known as the Narragansett stables and equal in capacity to any in the state. The carriage room, which is made from the old skating rink building, is one hundred feet by sixty feet wide. On the east a large and well lighted addition gives stall room for forty three horses, besides two box stalls. These stalls are arranged on either side of a thirteen foot alley and are wide enough to accommodate large carriage horses. The offices is neatly fitted up, carpeted and makes a fine waiting room for patrons. The harness room in the rear is provided with separate lockers for private harnesses, besides the stock of the stables.
The number of rooms engaged up to the present time at the Masssasoit exceeds that of the same time last year.
The indications all point to another big season at the Pier this year, judging from the way cottagers are renting already.
R. G. Dun and family are expected at Greene’s Inn this week. They will probably remain at the Pier for a week or more.
Mrs. M. H. Steward of Washington is among the recent arrivals at Greene’s Inn, where she is visiting her daughter Mrs. E. W. Davis of Providence.
Carmot cottage, the property of Mrs. John Earle, has been opened and Mr. and Mrs. Earle are thus the first cottagers to arrive for the season of 1888.
Slaters are at work on the roof of the new life-saving station. The large seven ton stone forming a part of the southern facade was hoisted to its position on Wednesday.
The exterior and interior painting of Greene’s inn is being done by W. J. Culverwell, who has also the contract to paint the new cottage t be build for Charles G. Washburn on the beach.
Brander Matthews, the novelist, who was at the Massasoit last season, will with his family spend the coming summer in Europe. They may return and be at the Massasoit the latter part of August.
Brander Mathews, the writer mentioned in the last news item above, is probably not known to moder readers but he would have been quite well-known to readers in 1888. Although he had graduated from law school, he had turned to literature and became a well-known novelist and short story writer, as well as a noted essayist, and became a professor of literature (and then chair of dramatic literature) at Columbia. He published more than thirty books.