The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-30
NEWS OF OLNEYVILLE.
How a Gang of Midnight Prowlers
Made Things DisagreeabIe at Merino.
SOME POLICE NEEDED THERE
The Lack OF Good Business Buildings In
Oineyviiie Deplored. Those In Use Be
ing Very Mean in Comparison With the
Towns Prosperity In Other Directions.

The many ordinary ways in which
Christmas was and is generally spent
have been fully described, and are familiar
to all, but the very unique manner In
which that joysome occasion was celebrat-
ed by some marauders or midnight prowi-
ers at Merino, has not yet been ventilated,
owing TO the fact that no complaints had
been made to the police, and it had seem
ingly been hushed up. According to re
ports, the entire plat was made TO suffer
from the depredations of a few unprinci-
pied fellows who went around cutting
clothes-lines, destroying the contents
thereof, breaking windows, and making
night hideous by their unwarrantable pro-
ceedings In the window-b breaking AFFAIR
Sergt. Holbrook was called upon to inves-
tigate il, and is now acting in that direc-
ton Yesterday he went all through the
district, hearing nothing, however, OF the
first case Nevertheless, the story comes
from what might be considered good au-
thority, the gentleman volunteering the
above information living in the immedi-
ate vicinity.
He SAID that the people in Merino should
be placed under police protection against
such lawless deeds, there being no officer
at present in that neighborhood TO pre-
serve order or protect their property. rms
is indeed true, but a year ago an officer
for that part of Johnston was broached by
the present chief of police, and the resi-
dents, for reasons best known to them
selves, would not have it. Consequently
they cannot blame any one now If they do
not get the benefit of the patrolman's SER
vices. If the above renorts be true they
certainly ought to be looked into.
The gentleman was very emphatic In
his detailing of the story and there must
be something in it,
How Does IL Look to You.
AS is natural in large manufacturing
center with thickly populated territory,
Olneyville represents almost every variety
of business in existence. There are mills.
the capacity of which equal or excel any
in the State, employing thousands OF
hands, the most important Industries In
the place. To correspond with the busy
whirr and din, Olneyville has everything
else in keeping. Her business men are
live, enterprising men, who always seek
the welfare of their town, while they carry
on an extensive trade.
But now that we have so many advant-
ages, which with innumerable others have
been mentioned so often before, why are
there so few buildings that would do honor
to the place?
All along the principal thoroughfare
from Messer street to the end of the Plain
field street route, there are stores and
shops of every description, all doing a
thriving business, but such ungainly,
sightless old shanties were never perhaps
seen. The question has often been asked,
and il still oftener suggests itself, why
does not someone endeavor to improve on
the present tumbledown, dilapidated fos-
sils of century ago, and build another
such structure as the new library, which
would certainly pay. 1t will eventually
have TO come to this If something be not
done soon that these old rookries through
whose rafters the wind of years ago
whistled with as much gusto as the good
December breezelets of to-day, will
be transported bodily from their
present sites Immediately to the Colum-
bian Exhibition ut Chicago, there to take
an honored position beside the house of
the Immortal bard" as mark of re-
spect for old age, but especially for their
value as antiquities. Why not utilize
them for kindling wood, and in their
places rear pile that will stand out n
monument of energy and getthereity.
A stray horse was caught on Olneyville
square last night by Officer Doom, and is
yet awaiting an owner at Waterman's s
barn. whence it goes TO the poor farm if
not called for soon.