January 23, 1933 
Dear Weatherby: 
Your card inquiring about the "Official Gaxeteer of Ehode 
Island" has Just reached me. 
Within two days after I was in Cambridge last 1 heard of the publication 
of this pamphlet and immediately (on Jan. 9) wrote to the Superintendent of 
Documents in Washington, inclosing ten cents, for a copy. So far I have 
not received it, although 1 have a copy from another source. For my ten 
cents they have now sent me a copy of Foreign Geographic Names-- something 
I did not order nor do 1 want it. 
Preston & Rounds of this city have had a stock of them (at 15 cents each) 
but the demand has been so great that they were sold out before 1 got wise 
to the fact that they had them for sale. They ordered a new supply e£~4heffl 
about a v;eek ago but it may be a week or two more before they get them. 
They say it always takes a long time to get what you want, 4f you get it 
at all, from the ^upt. of Documents. And that has certainly been my 
ezperience. 1 have already placed an order with P & R for a copy when their 
new supply arrives, thinking that the NEBC would need a copy, especially if 
2lslStS = donated. 
Now for a few words regarding the "Gazetteer" itself, it is published by 
the U.S.Geographic Board from material compiled by the Rhode Island Geo¬ 
graphic Board, it is planned eventually to have such a Gazetteer for every 
state in the U.S. This is the first one. 1 certainly hope the forthcoming 
ones will be more complete and accurate than this one. 1 know the chairman 
of the K.I.Geographic Board and he tells me that the typewritten material 
(which i have seen) that was sent to Washington for the use <8f the U.S. 
Board comprised about 4000 accepted names and some 6COOj2f cross reference 
names (10000 in all). The U.S.Board, without consulting the local board 
or letting then see proofJ cut out 2000 accepted names and 3000 cross 
references (5000 in allj, and published it. The result is what might be 
expected; gone trivial or entirely obsolete names appear as "official" 
while some important and well-known names cannot be found. Mr. Chapin 
tells me that he has checked the names that begin with "A" and has found 
about 150 omissions or efrors there alone. To cite a few cases that I 
have noted in a casual perusal, which refers only to the matter printed 
in the gazetteer: Beacon Pole Hil] is located as being e. of Iron Mine 
Hill, sw. of Oatamint Hill and nw. of Tower Hill. If you look up the 
first two mentioned hills you will find them located, but the only Tower 
Hill mentioned is in South Kingstown (some 30 Miles away), although there 
is a prominent Tower Hill within half a mile ot 3eacon Pole Hill. 
Again, The Blunders is (according to the gazetteer) on Ridge Hill, two 
miles from its real location. Woody Hill is given as being in Exeter, 
Kent County, when Exeter is in Washington County. Sally Rock is located 
by bearings from Potowomut Rock and Potowomut Point, but neither the rock 
nor the point are located. Well, enough of this. The publication, however, 
is well worth the price in spite of ff the fact that half of the original 
anuscript has been nnintelligently deleted 
Sincerely 
JFC 
