Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-23

the endorsement of the Street Rail waymenS Union. It is contended to be safety first measure and the union men denied that it was intended to check the importation of strike break CTS in the event of strikes. Prominent labor organization officials favored the measure. Attorney Frank D Filling hast. who appeared for the Rhode Is land company, and Attorney Shields spoke in opposition and argued that the proposed act was unconstitutional. President A. E. Potter of the Rhode Island company alse opposed the act.
 Conditions have changed in Wester- ly in public sentiment since the pub lieation ef-Westeriy and Its Witnesses 36 years ago. The author writes: "Tne town Is annually visited by cireuses, attended by musicians, singers and clowns, always drawing around them the lower closses of society, and while mfnistering to the aInuSements of the hour, leaving a train of low and dis Sipating memories.
 Since the opening of the public halls in town, various wandering com panies, bands troupes. mostly comic and vulsRrly theatrical are often Haunting their handbills in the streets and Seducing vulgar crowds to attend on their mtInicries. Usually the characters of the actors comport with the scenes. Such buffoonery, set off by stale songs and monkey dances, only degrades and corrupts the spectators. Yet every populouS town, in these modern times, is afflicted with these imported nuisances under the cloak of amusements
 For some time past the various Sabbath schools in town have had pleasant and profitable custom of ob- serving Christmas eve or Christmas evening decorating their places of meeting, enjoying songs, addresses and exhibitions of Santa Claus closing with refreshments and the distribution smoothed its brow in reference to Christmas
 Westerly has never given it's moral sanction to card playing or billiards, An attempt to open a billiard saloon in 1So6 was promptly put down by the public voice: but in 1867, tables were licensed on the Sto11ington side.
 Each generation has its popular pastimes. or late the young men of our country have awakened a very clubs and indulging occasionally in rowing matches. The young men of Westerly-athletic clerks and strong armed mechanics-have had two or ganizations of this kind, and their long. light, beautiful boats.
 There exists also at present a fash ion. which is well nigh fever. of ball. playing. Every village has its base ball club. Westerly did boast of three such companies. duly officered, equip ped and trained-the Niantics the Pawcatucks and the Emmets. Among these the spirit of rivalry ran high and constant; the smooth lands around the town were the arenas where they con- tended for victory and where crowds of people resorted tos witness the con tests. A club also existed in White Rock village. The young ladies. mean while, with the less robust and mus cular of the male sex, may be seen on many a lawn and quiet house lot, engaged in the popular game of cro- auet. This amusement. as well as ball playing. has been reduced to 8 sort of science. calling into use textbooks, lessons and urnpires.'
 The author tells of a nIisnap to 8 revenue cutter that intended to at tend 8 ball, in this style: During the last war with England the United States cutter Revenge, commanded by Com. Oliver H. Perry, bound from Newport to New London, to attend a great bah in the night. struck on a reef at Watch Hill, by the Spindle, and was a total loss. A few years since, divers searched the remains of the wreck, and found a little specie"