The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-12-11

daily from all over Massachusetts IS
the state library. This book treasure
chamber Of the commonwealth on the
third floor, OF the state house is not
"A conspicuous room. Yet IL attracts
to its tables and alcoves every day 300
OF the wisest and weakest citizens.
Here an honorable member OF the
senate hunts frantically for some
quotation, dimly remembered, where
with TO garnish a speech. Beside him
farmer plows through volume after
volume In search OF information about
the history OF some rural Methodist
church. on which he is TO deliver an
Grafton at Christmas. A Radcliffe Col
lege girl is reading up on curious
mel DDS Of fishing employed in diff
ferent parts 70 the world. Here Is just
plain tramp, a bit feeble minded
perhaps, who has for months been
Iansacking the statutes for some par
ticular law devised only by his own
poor wandering wits.
Upon the shelves which line the
walls are 10000 volumes, covering
nearly all subjects under the sun, in
nearly all languages. Included among
these thousands OF books there is the
greatest collection OF statute law in
the country Since ne library is pri-
marily for the use Of the legislature,
this imposing asscmblage Of statute
laws is eminently fitting.
From EastpOrt, Me, TO Cape Sable,
from Cape Gable to Bermuda from
Bermuda 10 Charleston. $. c., that is
the cruising ground Of the most re-
markable naval vessel now ahoat, the
u. S. s. Seneca, which recently went
into commission. She is the only
vessel of her type In the world; a craft
whose purpose and aim is TO destroy
dersliCts, which is at once an engine
of destruction and an angel !of mercy,
for 10 destroy those grim vestiges OF
the oceans wrath Is performing a ser
vice to mankind. She will appear as
rescuing friend TO many vessel in
desperate straits, for she is designed
also TO succor ships I'm distress.
Is no prototype Of the Seneca although
there soon may be. Her equipment is
unique, and her work will make the
North Atlantic as safe for big vessels
rs Il country lane for rustic stf0Ilers.
The Seneca Is on her first cruise.
She Is an ocean free lance. Capt.
Reynolds, her commander, sails where
he wishes, always bearing in mind that
his work is 10 destroy derelicts and as
sist vessels In distress. For these pur-
poses she has the most complete equip
ment which was ever placed on a yes
sci She has large magazines where
tons of gun cotton, mines. detonat ors.
electric cables and other appliances
are stored The largest and most dan
gerOus derelict afioat can be easily de-
stroyed by this vessel.
Boston has suffered in many ways
from the unprecedented drouth. but
we have been fortunate I'm having fore
seen such a contingency few years
ago, and gone in on the construction
of the metropolitan water system, for
The water supply here has been con-
slant and abundant. and the use of the
water has been in no manner curtailed.
There is now enough water stored in
the great Wachusett reservoir and in
the subsidiary reservoirs of the metro
politan system to give the people OF
Boston their necessary supplies of wa
ter for drinking. cooking, bathing and
other purposes for more than year
even If not another drop of rain should
fall within the precincts of the great
watershed. But many other communi.
ties throughout New England are
much less fortunate, and in some
cities and good-siZes villages the low
stage of the reservoirs is already
grave problem.
III the weather should continue cold
and the ground should freeze up now,
the situation in New England would
be very grave, II is sufficiently serious
already to arouse widespread alarm.
Much of the sickness throughout the
east is already attributed to the dry
ness Ot the country ana the SITUATION
will grow worse instead of better. un-
less there are copious rains before the
frost closes the ground against the ad-
mission of the water.
In the 81 years which have elapsed
since the L. 5. government established
a weather bureau in this city there
never has been "A year In which 50 lit
tie rain has fallen here.
Robert Hilliard. than whom there
has never been a-grcatcr favorite in
vaudeville, that is among those who
have come from the legitimate stage,
is the headline feature at keith's the
atre this week lie is appearing in a
one-aCt drama that will be seen here
for the first time. In his present piece
which is entitled Convict 97S," he
plays the title role.
OF all the pleasing attributes TO shat