Sept. 9, 1906 (Sunday)

SLICK MOVE IN NEWPORT: The battle against the dust in one of Newport's fashionable streets -- Bellevue Avenue (right). Although there have been few complaints about the watering of the road, some wealthy residents of Newport suggested another way to keep the dust down -- oil. I. Townsend Burden came up with the idea. The city sprinkled oil on the dirt avenue yesterday morning. It could have worked. However, people didn't wait for the oil to harden or soak into the roadway. It didn't take long for people to realize that the oil didn't mix well with daily life. Autos running on the road sprayed the oil-filled dust and dirt in all directions. This ruined clothing. It also ruined the varnish on carriages and lengthened the workday of the workers who had to clean the vehicles. Experts think the oil needs to remain undisturbed on the surface for 48 hours to be of use. But the social events simply can't wait.

BURGLARS ARE CLEVER, BUT NOT WISE: Two or three burglars broke into the offices of violin makers Gemunder & Sons on 23rd Street in New York City. They were smart enough to case the joint and avoid a clever burglar alarm. The store owners hang a harp in front of one of the doors. When that door is shaken it "starts up all manner of Wagnerian strains and motifs," which would be heard by occupants of nearby offices. Once inside, the burglars, however, showed they were mere amateurs. They stole some violins, worth about $1,600. But they missed 20 original Cremonas (right and walked right pas a $1,000 copy of Ole Bull's famous Gaspard de Salo. They did steal a violin that was made in 1650. It had been used in the Civil War and its finger board had been clipped by a bullet. The theft took place about Aug. 18 but it was just discoverd by August Gemunder, who just returned from Europe.