The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-04-15
Original 5kttfbes.
[For the Literary Echo.
SKETCHES OF
GRIPEVILLE AND ITS DENIZENS.
BY L'INCOG NITA.

Gripeville has, perhaps, nothing in its
situation, character, or inhabitants, to
make it more distinguished than the
thousand and one other rifles which are
scattered up and down through the
pleasant vallies, and by the clear blue
winding streams of New England and
it is not that its skies are purer or sun
nier, its streams more limpid and spark
ling, its woods and flowers fairer, its
gray old granite rocks thicker, or its in
habitants more remarkable than those OF
other New England villages, that l now
attempt to delineate their various char
acteristics but it is because a review
of these scenes awakens in my mind a
train of ideas and associations which are
to me peculiarly pleasing to dwell upon,
and yet self-gratifcation is not my sole
object, for then, indeed, would my aim
be selfish one but if the incidents and
characters here portrayed shall have
been the means of beguiling or cheering
the sorrows of the unfortunate, of ad-
monishing the erring, of encouraging the
good or amusing the merry, 1 shall feel
that have not written in vain.
Gripeville was factory village (do
not therefore regard it with contempt,
gentle reader, for / can assure you that
its worthy owner did not, surrounded
by factory villages, for the quiet unpre-
tending little river that silently wound
its way through Gripeville and its envi-
rons, onward to mingle with larger
streams, and through their channels to
descend to the far distant ocean, was
cramped and harrassed throughout its
course by obstructiDg dams and ugly
waterwheels; and especially was this
the case at Gripeville, where, within the
distance of half mile, was situated no
less than four mill ponds with their noisy
accompaniments ofmills, wheels, ,spindles,
looms, &c. &c. The first, or upper
water privilege, with its little and loud
grist mill, a large dwelling house, ard
several lots adjoining belonged to Miss
Charity Holdfast. The next one, which
like its near ncighbor, had a grist mill
pertaining to it, together with the great
stone mill just below, and large pro-
portion of the surrounding land with
dwelling-houses, gar,lens, barns, pigstys,
&C., were the sole and exclusive property
of Mr.. Aminadab Gripe, Esq. Last
and least in this interesting group, came
the little, black, dingy, oily forlorn-
looking spell of woolen factory which
was "run" by one Jedediah Catchall, of
the firm of Catchall & Gainlittle. A
road from the north entered the village
on the eastern side of the river and ter
minated among the group of dark, low,
dirty dwellings appertaining to the
establishment of the aforesaid Catchall,
and two cross roads passing over two
small bridges which spanned the river,
the one just by the side of Miss Charity s
grist mill, and the other at the end of
Gripe's factory, connected this road with
the main street of Gripeville, which COM
ing from theSouth, passed up through the
village on the western side of the river,
and after meeting the two crossroads
turned its course in westerly direction,
and was lost from the view among the
woods and hills of the surrounding coun-
try. This situation of the streets of
Gripeville formed in the center of the
village an irregular quadrilateral area
which was honored with the title of the
Square. Through it flowed the river,
and on it were many of the houses occu-
pied by Mr.. Gripe's Z" hands," On the
western side of Main Street was his
store, and close byit his dwclling-house,