The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-06

are Timothy Dwight, ex-President of Yale; Daniel c. Gilman, ex-President of Johns Hopkins: and Donald G. Mitch ell, better known as Ik Marvel, the au-
 thor of ''Reveries of a Bachelor Pre-
 vious to 1872, the town had large mari time interests, although it is situated
 more than a dozen miles from the
 mouth of the Thames river. After the second war with England it assumed
 manufacturing importancesand gradu-
 ally it became the center of an exten-
 sive textile industry. In later years US
 tendency has been toward lesser in-
 dustrial activity New London, at the mouth of the Thames, is outstripping It
 in a business way. It seems to be side
 tracked among it's charming hills.
 Only little while ago its mayor ad-
 dressed the city council with sharp
 tirade in which he intimated that the
 names on the shop and office signs or
 Norwich do not compare for enterprise
 with those on the gravestones in Yam
 tic cemetery. Norwich of course was
 not pleased with a philippic of this sort in place of the usual congratulatory ad-
 dress of the mayor, and MT. Thayer
 was COIID6lleu lO ldhe uOl BLU N-CiiA all quarters. Perhaps he was too se-
 were; but since his cricicisms were made the city seems to have taken on new life and new ambition. one mani
 festation of which is this old home
 week, suggestion, by the way, of the mayor himself.
 Old home week has been tested in most of our New England states with good results. Governor Rollins Of New Hampshire is the originator of the idea and he is entitled to much credit for it. Thousands of former New Eng flanders now come back to their old homes for few days in midsummer or early fall, renew old acquaintance, visit familiar spots and so keep in closer touch with their early associations. The effect of this cannot be otherwise than good. Widely separated sectious of the country are brought into more intimate relations, and the new and the old both gain Renewed interest in the hill towns of New England should show in practical way during the next few years in the purchase of oncient village and farm estates for summer homes, the erection of memorial libraries and churches and the infusion of modern ctivity into many decadent town.
 Let Norwich, however, remember that her chief glory to-day is not as manufacturing center, but as fine old town. the Rose of New England" as her sons and daughters delight to call her. If she hearkens to Mayor Thay- er's plea for greater industrial enter prise, she should go about the business determined to maintain due regard for her external appearance. Her com mercial highways are too cheap and sordids Her Main street is neither beautiful nor dignfied It is when the visitor gets away from the center of the business section of the place that ne finds out why the term Rose of New England" applies. Washington street and Broadway are beautiful residential thoroughfares, and 1t is the elms or Norwich. the impressive old mansions, the air of dignity and repose that cause the stranger to come away charmed with the ancient town. Manufactur- ing enterprise is desirable, but let us start a scheme of aesthetic improve ment in our manufacturing communi- ties. Who really wants to live in a place where there Is row after row of soualid tenements, each as like it's neighbor as a pea to it's brother pea in the pod It pity that northern Rhode Island is disfgured by the lack of aesthetic aim on the part of some or its mill owners in the past. We have built up a great industrial Common wealth. only to see on every hand the dsfguring influence of work that has taken only material things into consid- eration Norwch will make mistake she puts too hgh value on the acduisl- ton of the factory tenement and too low price on the beauty of her digni- fled estates and comfortable homes.-- Providence Journal