The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-08-04

Rs14 ;59s.;s s%sas he ;5 eaa. S';,5 ,%i5 ana
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s''p'rG thing wishing 10 hide
Mn> ElS4P from the busy world,
vTUNl lWw ~tfiST-T6 asmail village,
StNNNNl I'M Y ~ which, for sake Of con.
St$S$i ulHSSN vcniencc, we will call
,esS HIM. Turkeys Point. IL is a
H(Sll Va "a river town, and yet
WXW/M1 ITTN the river can scarce be
&h.TCklfHN seen from its streets (;
fnW WIS and many times the
WV boats which still Oc-
caslonally plow that muddy stream pass
by without catching u glimpse Of the dull,
sleepy little hamlet. Tho town Is In u
valley, or rather lap Of land, among high
hills, with just narrow, obliquc
opening between two ridges, revealing
the broad bosom Of the rivor 10 view,
and IL one Of the quietcst places In
tho whole world small brook Rlides by
the village, with just murmur enough 70
lull one 10 rcpOsc; and from the streets the
notes Of the quail can bo heard, acconpa-
MED by the tapping Of the wOodpccker,
Just as they wcro century before the foot
Of the white man trod their sacred haunts,
Turlcy's Point was In state Of helpless
decay. Long before the days Of railroads,
n, being "A steamboat landing, seemed 20
cvincc some signs OF prosperity, and had
grown and thrivCd, but when the railway
began 10 usurp and absorb river naviga.
tiOn, BcntOnvllc, a rival town eight or ten
miles below, having secured one Of these
modern highways OF trafllc, began AT Onco
10 prosper at the expense and dctrimcnt Of
Turlcy's Point. Men having business in
tcrcsts at the latter place adopted various
means 10 rouse the dropping cnorgics Of the
Point, but thcr most hcrculcan efforts
could not generate ovcn an cmbryOtc boom
Slowly but surely IL was going down, and
unless something was done 10 revive its
business interests IL was only u question Of
smc when the village would be entirely de-
rrted.
awe must advertise, we must advertise"
Tom Simmons, an ambitious politician and
property owner, often declared. Tho qucs-
tion ~ advertising was given serious con-
sidcration b. the leading citizens Of this
moribund village. Aftcr mature dclibcra-
tion, II was decided that Turlcy's Point
must have weekly newspaper, which was
10 be IA rival of the Bcntonvillc Gdzette.
Tom Simmons was appointed one Of II com
mittcc OF hvo To find "a suitable person TO
manage such an institution, and I'm fcw
weeks reported that by making somc dona-
tlons 20 the enterprise, they could secure
young man with some experience and CAPT
tai, who was willing TO undertake tho pre-
carious business Of establishing paper ut
Turkeys Point
Early one summer morning one OF those
lonely steamers, which still occasionally
wander up tho Missouri, liltc the ghost of
Its former glory, sounded the whistle and
rang the bell whom opposite the Point, and
gracefully swung INTO the landing. The
stage plank was thrown out, and n young
man about four and twenty years of age
walked ashore II was Mr. Allen Gray,
the prospective editor Of the new paper.
II was not for lack of homo talont that an
editor had been imported TO Turlcy's Point
The village was not without its literary
aspirants There was Toncy Barnes, tho
poet, and Miss Lccthy Hopkins, the poctcss,
ossnyist, novelist md general "litcrarian,"
and many others capable of managing II
weekly newspaper; bat as neither of thcso
persons possessed the required cnpital, it
was necessary to find somO ono that did.
Allen Gray had completed his education,
and had had some experience IA news
paper man. At the time hc camo in con
tact with Tom Simmons hc was looking
about for II suitable location To publish n
weekly newspaper This was his first visit
10 Turlcy's Point, and he was bringing his
press, cases, Chaiscs, rulcS, fonts OF type
and all the manifold paruphornalia Of n
country printing otllco with him. Tom
Simmons was at the landing To meet tho
now editor. who was To revive Turlcy's
Polut and bring back lts pristine glory
While the steamboat hands wSrc carrying
the presses, fonts of type and boxes ashore
Tom had taken tho now EDITORS arm and
was conducting him up the ascent TO tho
village, all the whilo commenting on tho
golden opportunities that awaited tho now
enterprise,
To Allen tho prospect seemed any thing
but encouraging; but ho was young and
full of hope, and determined to mako n Wig
orous battle for position in the Western
world.
"This ia your Office said the volunblo
Mr.. Simmons. IA they passed in front of nn
old, dilapidl.cd building, which had at one
time bcca uscd rs u general store, "Thcrc
Is plenty O. roo;l hero for your presses and
every thing This IL the best we can do
now, but when your business grows, you
know, we can build an otllCo to suit it.n
BY this time the nows had spread oil
over tho village that the now editor had ar
rived, aud the little town, for the first time
In years, took on something like excitement
Toncy Barncs hls'cacl to the building
which was 10 hc the newspaper Office, for an
introduction, aud "a soon as It was possible
for him 10 IL a., secretly Informed the new
publisher that hN WIS u poet, and would
have ono of his crVsions IN tho very FIRST
issue OF the new paper, Allen hadn't boon
long enough Ia the newspaper business To
feel the thrill of horror watch M older edit
or would NJ coming Ia contact with
loca. poet. Then Miss LCc,hy Hopkins, the
ancient maiden, was next 10 scc,S an intro-
duction and nStound the new Publisher
with the fact that she WAS a versatile
writer She wrote stories, poems In
rhyme or blank vCrsC," tragedies, comedies,
essays, and, in fact, every thing from an
epic Ia humorous paragraph. Miss Hop
kins devoted her leisure lsurs, whom not en-
gagged IN literary work, 70 teaching tho vii
lagc school Shc WAS tail cnl slender, her
noso was ON tho lIcbraic plan, her small eyes
seemed Ia glare tri,mphantly through her
glusscs, ae she nstoandcd tho now editor
with hcr multifnrious accomplishments
Nothing could be done that day except get
the press and material into tho building,
which was 10 serve rs Office, pres scoom,
composing room and general storage and
mailing. room. table ut the front en-
trance was 70 servo as the editors desk,
and no Ind three chairs and ono bench do
mated him by tho good citizens. That after
noon several Of those persons who had DO
mated sums to the now enterprise met the