The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-08-15
CorrlSan
THE APOTHECARY.
OLNEYVLLE SQUARE.

Kerosene period, while this slender
hold was warmly contested 10y the
roll of birch bark until it was discOv-
cred that wad of cotton waste or a
handful Of old rags saturated with
kerosene and fastened upon a stick
was vastly superior TO either and this
gave the coup dc grace To both.
With the advent Of the lallow candle
period came the tin lantern pcrlorat-
cd with innumcrablc holes by means
OF cmsel, which permitted the dim
light within to- penetrate the outer
darkness with weird and lrccklcd
glow. This was an improvement
on the pitch knot SO far as safety,
ncatness and convenience were con-
ccrncd, but as TO the amount of light
a failure.
In the fall OF early winter a day
was generally taken to dip a supply
candles for the ensuing year, and
some OF the housewives would have
baybcrry tallow III readiness for the
last three or four dips, which would
form a hard coating around the can
die that would not melt SO easily as
the rest, and as the candle burned IT
kept a rim around the top, which
held the melted tallow within from
disliguring the candle by running
down it's sides and forming stalactitcs
from the upper rim OF the ccandlc-
stick.
With the advent of whale oil came
glass lantern which at first consisted
OF square frame holding lour square
pieces Of window glass which was a
decided improvement on the tin Ian
tern, and from this pattern the eyolu-
ton OF the lantern has steadily con-
tinucd until it has reached its present
state of perfection and convenience.
While these progressive changes
were going on the pine swamp had
become entirely neglected and for
gotten. The fact of its beng a res
crvation and It's former importance
had been consigned TO oblivion and
packed away with the lost arts. The
farmers around knew that nobody
claimed it. but did not know why,
and being conSclcncious, God fear
ing men, the thought of grabbing
what was not their own had not oC-
CURED To them Thus the swamp
continued to escape ownership.
Within this swamp there lies a
knoll or elevation ot firm day land
whicn they used to call an island,
and at the present time $ one in fact
Back a little before the revolutionary
days how long rohody knowS-ouc
Richard Taylor, IN impCCuuiouS per
son and unfamiliar with the Strcnu-
Gus life, being in want of a home and
not having the whcrcwithal to buy
one, conceived the idea of Squltliug
on this island. He accordingly bull,
| himself hut and settled there where
he lived for many years, working out
| among the farmers, and reared a
/ family OF children. His wife, in the
intervals of her household duties
spun rolls for the ncighhors around.
Gideon Harris, who owned the lldr-
ris farm at Elmdale used To send his
daughter there ON horseback with a
bundle of rolls behind her for Mrs.
Taylor to spin. She would tic her
horse at the edge of the swamp and
skip from bog to bog to the island
with the bundle of roll ON her back.
Mr. Harris owned a cardiug machine
which he probably ran in connection
with his grist mill, as was generally
the case. By their residence here
the family gained the sobriquet of the
Pine Swamp Taylors, which is not
yet forgotten. None of the children
succeeded the old folks upon this
island, and with their exit the pine
swamp again lapscd into fly wear
slumber, when Mr.. Saunders again
awakened curiosity by building, the
reservoir, and people wondered with
him, how it came about that nobody
ever owned the Pine Swamp.
{. w.