'794: 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (RHODE ISLAND.) 



Real Estate. A summary of real-estate 

 transactions in Providence and Pawtucket, based 

 on the Providence City Hall records, reflects the 

 general prosperity of the community. Convey- 

 ances show a gradual increase for the past five 

 years, 1901 being 20 per cent, in excess of 1897. 

 Real-estate mortgages, though fewer in number 

 and amount in 1901 than in 1899, gain 5 per cent, 

 in number and 11 per cent, in amount over 1898, 

 and exceed those of 1900 by $50,000, excluding 

 several trust mortgages recorded in that year. 

 Discharges of real-estate mortgages show an in- 

 crease of 14 per cent, in number and 30 per cent, 

 in amount over 1898. Chattel mortgages were 

 larger than in 1900, but were less than in 1898 by 

 20 per cent, in number and 22 per cent, in amount. 

 There were 2,580 real-estate conveyances recorded 

 in 1901. The total number recorded in 1900 was 

 .2,375. 



A total gain of $5,071,140 in the real and per- 

 sonal property valuation of Providence was re- 

 ported by the tax assessors, whose labors for the 

 year were completed Sept. 2. Of this total gain 

 $3,177,920 was in real estate and $1,893,220 in 

 personal property, a contrast to the valuation of 

 1901, in which there was a gain in real estate of 

 .$2,439,100, and a loss in personal property of 

 .$1,754,480. 



Insurance. In his report for the year, dated 

 Feb. 15, 1902, the Insurance Commissioner recom- 

 mended the creation of the office of State fire 

 marshal, and urged other reforms. The report 

 gives a summary of the condition of Rhode Island 

 stock companies, which shows that while their ad- 

 mitted assets have increased by $41,455, their lia- 

 bilities have increased by $256,631, and their sur- 

 plus shows a decrease of $215,176. The report 

 shows that 60 per cent, of the total amount of 

 premiums collected in the State from both fire and 

 marine business last year was paid for. losses. The 

 report contains a statement of the condition of 

 other insurance companies doing business in the 

 State, showing a decided improvement over the 

 figures of the preceding year for United States 

 branches of foreign fire-insurance companies, the 

 percentage of losses incurred to premiums re- 

 ceived being materially reduced. The business of 

 the mutual fire companies shows a decrease of 

 $66,198,257 in the amount of risks written, $422,- 

 813 in the amount of premiums received, and an 

 increase of losses incurred of $104,109. The busi- 

 ness in the mutual fire companies of other States 

 reporting shows an increase of more than 100 per 

 cent, over the figures of 1900. 



Education. The school census shows a mate- 

 rial gain over the figures of 1901. The enumera- 

 tion was as follows: Public schools, 25,207; Cath- 

 olic schools, 4,569; select schools, 583; no school, 

 3,922 ; total enumeration, 34,922. This was a gain 

 over 1901 of 4.8 per cent. The attendance showed 

 a gain of 4.5 per cent, in the public schools, of 9.1 

 per cent, in the Catholic schools, and 21.7 per 

 cent, in the select or private schools. The num- 

 ber attending no school was exactly the same in 

 1901, viz., 3,922. 



The Rhode Island Institute of Instruction held 

 its annual meeting in Providence, Oct. 23, 24, 25, 

 and attracted more than the usual number of vis- 

 itors from the New England and Atlantic States. 

 The proceedings were of more than ordinary in- 

 terest, the exhibit of educational methods being 

 particularly important. 



Brown University. The opening of the aca- 

 demic year, Sept. 17, was marked by a large num- 

 ber of new courses of study, showing a wider range 

 and broader selection in electives than heretofore; 

 among them a new course in mineralogy, a course 



of research work in economic problems, in which 

 the laboratory method is applied to economics, a 

 new course in Greek and Roman life, and several 

 new courses in history and advanced German. 

 Extensive additions were made during the sum- 

 mer to the equipment of the chemical laboratory. 

 The entering class was the largest in the history 

 of the institution. 



The university received $100,000 from the estate 

 of George L. Littlefield for the establishment of 

 the George L. Littlefield professorship. All the 

 estate, exceeding $500,000,. was to go, after certain 

 bequests were paid, to Brown University to estab- 

 lish a fund to be known as the George L. Little- 

 field fund. 



At the beginning of the year John D. Rockefeller 

 offered to give the college $75,000 for a building 

 for social and religious purposes, provided $25,000 

 were raised before the next commencement. This 

 sum having been collected, a suitable site on the 

 university ground was selected for the building. 



The university celebrated, June 17, the one hun- 

 dredth anniversary of the graduation of Henry 

 Wheaton, a native of Rhode Island, distinguished 

 as a lawyer, author, diplomat, and writer on in- 

 ternational law. 



Rhode Island Hospital. The deficiency ac- 

 count of the hospital stood at $110,815.07. This 

 was the excess of the expenditure over the income 

 since Sept. 30, 1880. The patients admitted in 

 1901-'02 numbered 3,282. The hospital received a 

 bequest of $4,000 from the George L. Littlefield es- 

 tate. 



Harbors. By the river and harbor bill Rhode 

 Island secured $100,000 for improving Point Ju- 

 dith harbor, $30,000 for a harbor of refuge at 

 Block island, and $50,000 for Great Salt Pond har- 

 bor, Block island. 



The work on the naval coaling station at Ports- 

 mouth Grove was so far advanced in December 

 that it was expected to be in commission next 

 summer. The framework for the great steel shed 

 was already in place. The pier was built and 

 used as a landing-place for material, and the 

 work of putting on the T-head was in progress. 

 Along this head there will be room for the largest 

 and heaviest ships of the navy to be tied up. 



Foot and Mouth Disease. Immediate action 

 was taken by the State Board of Agriculture, at a 

 meeting on Nov. 23, to check the foot and mouth 

 disease, which had suddenly made its appearance 

 among the cattle, sheep, and hogs of northern 

 Rhode Island. As the disease had established 

 itself in a very virulent form, attacking whole 

 herds, the board decided to take prompt measures 

 for its extirpation, anticipating the next appro- 

 priation. 



Political. At the Democratic State Conven- 

 tion, in Providence, Oct. 4, the following nomina- 

 tions were made: For Governor, Lucius F. Gar- 

 vin; Lieutenant-Governor, Adelard Archambault: 

 Secretary of State, Frank E. Fitzsimmons; Attor- 

 ney-General, Dennis G. Holland; General Treas- 

 urer, Clark Potter. A State platform was alone 

 recommended by the State convention, which left 

 national issues to be taken up by the congress!.. n 

 al convention that was to follow. The platform 

 declared that the paramount issue was " the re- 

 demption of the State of Rhode Island fnmi tli' 

 hands of those who have used, and still intend to 

 use, the executive and legislative branches of the 

 State government for their own personal aggran- 

 dizement"; that legislation "has been in the inter- 

 est of the quasi-public corporations, and has gone 

 so far as even to divide with these corporations 

 the sovereign power of the State." It declared 

 that the truest principles of government require 



