Taken from the pages of the Warren and Barrington Gazette this week in 1919:

A boom, headed toward bust
Warren oyster business is booming. Over 1800 gallons were sent out one day the past week and each day sees heavy shipments. The oysters are going to New York, Boston and the West.

This is the biggest season that the oyster men have seen for three years and the prices are also good. The oyster men are receiving from $2.25 to $2.40 per gallon, where three years ago the price ranged from $1 to $1.50. Oyster openers are being paid 35 cents where they used to think they were well paid at 20 cents.

The oyster men are worried despite the good business and fear that  it will end within a very short time unless there is something done to prevent the destruction of the spawn by the oil and other refuse which comes down the river. At a great expense the oyster companies have planted the oyster shells in the hope of securing sets, but without results. The spawn comes to the top of the water and remains there for two days before settling on the shells, and it is during this time that the oil does its work, destroying the life of the spawn.

Legislation, which will prevent the oil and refuse from being dumped into the water should be enacted and the people of Warren should use every means within their power to see that this is done, for if it is not an important industry to the town will surely cease.

Collar your dog, or else
There will be a large number of dogs missing in Warren after December 1st and for information as to their whereabouts it will be necessary to inquire of Joseph Wylie — the dog officer. That gentleman has received his instructions and he intends to obey them to the letter.

His instructions, which he received from the council are to kill every unlicensed dog in the town and to give the same treatment to every dog which is found loose about the town, which does not wear a collar with the name of the owner and the number of the licensed attached thereto.
Dog Officer Wylie says he will use no discrimination. If the dog be valuable or if he be a mongrel pup he will receive the same treatment, providing he is properly licensed and collared.

Warren has been pestered long enough with the stray dog and intends to rid itself of these undesirables and at the same time compel all owners of dogs to license them. If you have a dog and it is licensed, but not collared — get it a collar and have your name and the license number placed thereon or you will say farewell to your dog after December 1.

Bad sidewalks
Complaint after complaint reaches the Gazette office in regard to the condition of the sidewalks about town. The town council knows about it — the superintendent of the streets knows about it and the latter surely has endeavored by the means of ashes and gravel to do what he could to alleviate the trouble. But a few shovelfuls of ashes and gravel cannot repair the trouble.

Some time ago, Supt. Brown told the council of the return to Bristol of a man who had previously engaged in the work of repairing sidewalks. It was thought then that something was to be done, but nothing so far has materialized.

On Main Street in the heart of the business section there are places that unless great care is taken, one is apt to measure their length on the sidewalk. Loose bricks, holes in concrete, great cracks, etc are a few of the troubles. Other streets in the town are just as bad, if not worse. Something must be done or the town will find that it will have a few expensive suits on its hands, and while the question of responsibility is an open one it will cost the town a few dollars to find out where it stands at any rate.