Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-19

In addition to the large tract of land
donated by the Allen estate to be
utilized in connection with the Con-
necticut Women's College, the trustees
have acquired two tracts at Riverside
adjoining, comprising fifty six acres
with one thousand feet of waterfront
on the Thames river. This property
was purchased at fair price, $4,000,
and the college trustees were not re-
quired to exercise the right of eminent
domain that was granted TO the cor
poration at the present session of the
legislature. This purchase is in addi-
ton TO what was contemplated in the
original plan and gives an idea of the
magnitude of the proposed institution
The trustees are holding regular meet
ings and arranging the preliminary de-
tails for the college as rapidly as is
consistent with careful judgment and
studied forethought.
1t is proposed to have this a model
institution OF learning in the minutest
details and at least the equal in every
particular of any college for girls that
is at present in existence. and even
better if that be possible. 1t will be an
institution that will be alike creditable
to the state and city and if the plans
of the trustees carry the college will
have no superior in it's educational ad-
vantages or healthful location. Just
when the actual building operations
will begin. or just what portion of the
contemplated plan will be first COM
pleted has not as yet been definitely
determined.
The several contractors who are to
build new sidewalks in the different
sections of the city have commenced
the work of construction and it is ex-
pected that before the frost comes there
will have been laid about thirty miles
of uniform nnlithio CidaWa
as now improve State and Bank streets.
1t is planned to gradually extend this
work SO that in due time every street
in the city will have granolithic side
walks the full length, thus converting
New London from the worst to the best
sldewalked city in New England. Nat
urally there comes to the surface the
chronic kickers who do not want to
understand why every street in the city
is not included in the present con-
tracts, but shout aloud that all are
taxed at the same rate and that there
fore all property owners should re-
ceive like treatment in the matter of
new sidewalks, and that there is no
reason why any taxpayer should have
any advantage over another taxpayer.
Every hamlet village. town and city
has this unreasonable class of citizens
and New London certainly has her full
quota. Then there is another class of
conservative citizens whose spectac1es
are SO darkened by the methods of long
ago that they cannot discern anything
that reads like progress even with a
big P. But they can look beneath or
over their glasses and see something
that is prejudicia1 to anything that
pretends to radical change of methods
in keeping with the progressiveness of
the times. These good citizens, like
the unfortunate poor, we will always
have with US, for they have a certain
following among the less aged element
who are ready to step into the vacated
broSans and tell how things were done
in the oldfashioned days when NUM-
c1pal affairs were managed by such
refer to as old fossils and stumbling
blocks to the progress of the city.
The detail of state policemen who
came to New London to enforce the
automobile laws certainly did great
work and succeeded in regulating the
operation of automobiles to the full
satisfaction of the general public and
their excellent work received merited
praise. But it is now several weeks
since the police departed to other fields
of labor and their absence is known to
every man and woman, too. Some, not
all, have taken advantage of their alb
sence, for the laws are now being vio-
lated by many every day and every
night of the week, and the local police
do not seem to take the slightest no
tice of the violations. Ocean avenue
seems to have been selected for the
speedway and the avenue has not only
become an avenue of danger to those
that cross the avenue but also to the
careful drivers of automobiles and
other vehicles to keep out of the way
of the reckless fellows who drive au-
tomobiles at top speed and in open vio-
lation of law. Cars are not only
h1Jf
are actual races between automobiles
on that public driveway that would not
be permitted in any other place out
side of a regular racing speedway es-
pecially for automobiles.
Last Wednesday night there was a
race between three automobiles, evil
IDENTIFY containing joy riders, and at
times the racers occupied nearly the
entire width of the road, regardless of
the rights and safety of others. They
ran so close to each other at times that
there was imminent danger of COLI
sion that would have been serious in
result a the pace the automobiles were
travelling. But they did not happen to
come together and the automobiles
coming in the opposite direction were
able to get out of the way of the trio
of racers. If it is not the intention of
the local police to give attention to
these law breaking automobilistS, per-
haps It would be well for the local po-
lice authorities to make declaration
that they are not competent to cope
with that species of law breakers, and
to then recall the detail of young state
policemen of the motorcycle squad.
There is not a night but there is viola
ton of the automobile laws in Ocean
avenue, if not for exceeding the speed
limit into the reckless driving feature,
for the absence of the required lights,
driving with open cut out or some other
fragrant violation.
Arrangements are completed for the
Beach day celebration at Ocean beach
next Tuesday and. weather favoring, it
is expected that the events arranged
for by the committee will be witnessed
by greater crowd than on any prev
ious similar occasion. Besides the
aquatic events the automobile parade,
the band concert and the fireworks,
there is to be an added feature of more
than ordinary interest, when Clarence
w. Thompson, a local aviator will at
tempt his initial public flight in his
airship that has been christened Miss
New London. Mr.. Thompson has