The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-11
NEWS OF 0LNEYVILLE.
Last Nights Meeting Of the Business
Mems Association.
A MAN STRUCK BY A TRAIN.
The Business Men DO Not Believe olney-
VILE Deserves to be Advertised as "a
Sink of Iniquity.

served at Owens restaurant after the
transaction of business. j. j. Donnelly
was admitted TO membership. The COM
mittee appointed TO place clock In the
Library building, submitted report OF
$40 due Mr.. Halstead, who took it upon
his shoulders TO pay for it. On behalf OF
the Library Association. DIR. f. A. Twitch-
ell rendered thanks 10 the business men,
and said that an electric light would soon
be put into the clock. All hands now ad-
iourned 20 the restaurant, and the repast
was followed by several post prandial
speeches.
Olneyville's crying evils, so-called, were
the subject Of most serious discussion;
the popular sentiment being that owing
20 the various sermons in which Olneyville
has recently been advertised, through the
pulpit, and hence through the press, the
world outside us has been startled into
the very false impression that Olneyville
is the cesspool AT iniquity.
William l.. Whipple referred 10 the SER
mons and tracts which have been circu-
lated, and advocated the necessity of the
business men taking the matter in hand
10 suppress the unsavory impression
which must inevitably follow them, il
their influence be not counteractsd. He
was aware, he said, of the real enormity
of the sins of Olneyville, and was ready
20 compare its w1ckedneSs with the city or
any town in Rhode Island.
w. A. III. Grant, as toastmaster, called
on the Rev. Il. ii. Cocroft, who briefly
stated his enthusiasm in the booming of
Olneyville.
DIR. +. A. Twitchell was then intro
duced, and the thread of his discourse fol
lowed the deplorable impression which
cha raking up Of the place has caused in
the minds of non-residents. The day
when Olneyville had, and deservedly so, a
bad reputation was over; the time when
there were only n few struggling cross
roads with nothing but number of road
houses TO mark the existence of the place
Now, with manufactures, schools
churches, etc, il has developed an indus
trious and intellectual class of people
He referred TO the sermons and newspaper
articles saying that while they would un-
doulSedly bring forth good fruit, they
could not help but be productive of evil
consequences; S,p1,g, as.,.,.d People who who have
peaceful peaceful and law-abiding & locality
will now stand aloof from us.
or that young men, stirred by motives of
curiosity, will wish TO explore these laby-
rinths of iniquity, 10 behold the scenes
pictured in the sermons. But, he says,
Olneyville is proportionately not as bad
as places n great deal smaller than itself,
as can be proven by comparison. Nobody
need fear TO be insulted on its streets,
even at night, and it is a well-known fact
that ladies have never been known to be
molested at any time. The town has es-
tablished q good reputation outside by
the engagements of its industries and
business interests, and people from with
out our better world had learned TO re-
gard us as a respectable and enterprising
class of people. 10 was the duty of every
business man. therefore. TO endeavor to
cry down that false idea of Olneyvilles
unholiness when elsewhere.
These remarks were endorsed by Toast
master Grant, Charles A. Halstead and
Leprilete Sweet in a few brief remarks.
They stated that never had the town so
bright an outlook as at present.
DIR. j. O'keefs praised the work of the
association, and said anent the sermons,
that although il was a fact that such
evils as were mentioned really existed
yet they should have been applied gener-
ally. not placing the whole stigma on
Olneyville, thus necessitating any steps
which the organization might take to re-
fute them.
The Rev. Il. H. Cocroft expressed his
surprise at the seriousness of the several
speeches made, supposting, as Is the case
generally. that all after dinner speeches
were inclined to be of lively order The
subject however was one Of vital interest
Ia him. He came, he said TO Olneyville
in 1862, when instead of large business
blocks lining our streets and sqcares,
there were nothing but tiers, with here
and there an occasional house. He frankly
admitted that there was a time, when in
his travels throughout the State he was
ashamed to let people know where he
came from, SO diservedly bad was the
reputation of the district. lie would tell
people his church was located in the
west end Of the city, but he said when one
considers the circumstances of to-day he
will find much that Is good in Olneyville,
and people after listening 20 its sins from
the pulpit, go away disappointed, for they
find the sins of Olneyville are about like
those of any other place
NJ. A. Mowry, Samuel Bottomly and
others followed with remarks of approba-
bation for the former speakers, and DIR.
l.awton, president, terminated the affair
by briefly recapitulating the whole, saying
that he agreed with them all and espec-
tally with DIR. +. A. Twitchell.
A Man struck by "a Train.
While walking on the track yesterday
afternoon Joseph DupreZ, a Frenchman
was struck 10y a train on the New York
and New England Railroad He was on his
way from Blackstone To Natick, H. l.. to
seek employment I'm one of the mills in
that locality. At the time Of the accident
he was walking on the track and had
reached a point almost directly under
meath the bridge over Atwell's avenue
when the freight train with passen-
ger attached, which leaves Providence at
3;l5, strnck him on the left side, very seri-
ously injuring him. The engineer, Ed
ward Roberts, blew several signals, but
could not succeed in attracting his atten-
tiOn, and before he could stop the train
the pilot struck the fellow, throwing him
some distance from the rails. The Sixth
station was Immediately notified and
Capt Leavitt responded. On question
ing the injured man it was learned
that he had been but three
months In the country, hailing from ST.
Paul, Canada. He claimed 10 have no
friends at all. His injuries, although very
serious will not IL is thought, result
fatally. lie was cared for by Conductor
Orrin B. Mason, while the ambulance was
summoned, on the arrival which he was
conveyed to the Rhode Island Hospital.
Protest Against Prize Tighsng.
a petition has been put In circulation
10y several of the citizens OF Johnston, TO
be presented 90 the chief OF police of Johns
ton at the proper time, TO put stop 10 the
prize hight in Dyer's Opera House the 18th
OF this month. Several have annexed their
signature to this petition, and many more
have expressed their willingness TO do so.
and every stone will be turned to sup
fol 4.