The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-01-18
Y HERE Is something instruc-
tive as well as amusing in n
misadycnture which recently


Master Cobb and a companion wer,
near falling victims 10 what might b,
termed unpremeditated chemical eX
pertinent. Some may even fancy tha'
there was n flavor Of the romantic in
their adventure. although 1t Is doubt
ful whether either Of the young partlc
ipants thought so at the time.
The CObbs are farmers. and live IN
one OF the midland rural towns OF
! Maine. Their farm occupies a bcauti.
ful tract Of upland on the east shore
! Of a lake known locally as the Great
! Pond. Their market and postOiiicc
! are at small village on the other side
Of the lake. The distance across by
| water Is not much more than mile,
! but the drive 10 the village around
the foot Of the lake, is fully seven
miles, and, moreover. the road Is hilly.
II Is, therefore. their usual custom
10 row across 10 the village, and they
have for this purpose a pretty, we'll
kept rowboat, capable Of carrying
/ eight persons, which they use In fine
weather and on special occasions, such
as going to church; an older, smaller
boat, which they use on wet days,
when one or two only are going over
To the postoilice, or on light crrands,
and strong, large boat which they
use for transporting heavy articles TO
and from the village stores.
They have an old-fashioncd two
story country farmhouse. painted
white with green blinds, which was
built two generations ago soon after
Grandfather Xenas Cobb cleared the
farm and settled there. II stands on
the height Of land overlooking the
lake, and has four very large elms at
the foot of the sIoping dooryard. OF
To the westward. across Great Pond,
the view Is an especially charming one
On very clear days the peak of Mount
Washington, In New Hampshire, can
be discerned, although a great dis
tanCe away.
So charming have the many relatives
and friends Of the family found the To-
cation and the plentiful farmhouse
table that for several summers, from
June 10 September, the CobbS have
been fairly throngcd with company.
often eight or ten visitors would be at
the farmhouse at once.
Purely in sclf-dcrcncc, and in order
not to be eaten out of house and homo
and worked TO death I'm the effort TO
care for their friends, the farmer and
his wife resolved To transform their
home hcnCeforth Into summer board
ing house. They reasoned that as about
everything that they could produce on
the farm in the way of crops aud
dairy products. was now required to
supply the table in summer. their only
hope Of escaping the poor house lay i'm
n charge of six dollars Il week for all
visitors during July and August.
This thrifty resolution was taken
about the tenth of last June. and by
way Of getting ready FOR the new ordp.
Of things. certain repairs had.'to he
made The kitchen. sittingr room and
five or six chambers needed To be re-
plastcred and newly papercd Now
plastering requires the making Of NOR
tar; and To make mortar. QUicklimc,
hair and sand have to be had
Immediately after noon on the thlr-
tecnth Mr. Cobb set off with his
horses and cart To draw home the
sand, and he babe his son, Hamlin,
cross over to the village in the market
boat, and get six casks of lime and
hair enough To make the mortar from
Dcnnet Bros general store. He also
told 1amlin to see n mason who lived
on the outskirts of the village. anl
bespcak his services early the follow.
Ing week to plaster the rooms.
TRY to get back by four o'clock,
Uamlin." his father said TO him. for
| shall want you To help me rig up
mortar.bcd and sift the sand when |
come"
lIamlin was not long in sculling
across, for practice had made him an
adept in navigating the pond. H.
hargaincd for the lime and then
wheeled the casks. each weighing
about two hundred pounds. down tn
the boat on n barrow, and rolled then
aboard, taking care to keep them dry.
They settled the small craft well In
the water But the two packages NJ
hair were light. and ON the whole the
boat trimmed well.
He had then to see Sears the mason
and walked to his house On his way
back, he met party of eight village
boys going out to the fair grounds 10
play baseball.
Here's Ham Cobb they cried.
Just the man we want Come ON.
Ham, and play baseball with us. W.
lack man, and we are going to play
Doblc's Corners. We want you 10
pitch"
Il guess | can't 60" replied Hamlin
i've got 60 bc home at four o'clock q"
"oh. well. but it's only half past
two now" they urged. You can play
an hour all right, till Bert Haiues
comes"
Hamlin looked at his watch Eyes. 10
said he. II can scull across i'm half an
hour, ! suppose. | will play an hour
| Just an hour and no more"
Good boy? they said; and all went
on together to the fair grounds
The Doble's Corners nine was al.
ready on the field. The game begaa;
and Hamlin could not well get away
Until Eve minutes OF four. when Bert
Haines appeared and took his place