Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-19
BosToN-PARTIcULARLY AS WELL AS GEN
ERAIIY

To The Editor Of The Spy;
My last letter appears to have created some
little commotion in certain quarters. Two or
three of the papers appear to dislike one or
two of its paragraphs and go into very pref
ty little passion about the matters in them.
This is quite unnecessary if not little absurd.
Your quietly disposed and inotfensive cores
pondent is made the subject of their wrath in
no stinted measure. He is accused of vare-
| ty of offences, some of which are limited at in
the decalogue, and some are not. But, my
dear SPY, don't be alarmed, The worst thing
one can write or speak, sometimes, is a little
truth. This will, l expect, turn out to be the
head and front Of my offending. So you see
there will be no great harm done.
How have l offended First, in asserting
that the Mercantile Library lectures this sea-
son have been a failure. l repeat the asser-
ton, and so will every one who has attended
the course. Only on one or two occasions has
the fremont Temple been more than half full.
An audience of this size will not "pay," it is
well understood. The young gentlemen con-
nected with the Association well know this
and they know, also, compared with former
seasons, that the Course has been a most no.
ticeable failure. These facts cannot be chang
ed even by the pretty paragraphs of the Trans
cript. In relation to the amount of loss your
correspondent may have been in error. He
used qualifying term, and did not pretend to
be accurate to fraction. His general asser-
ton, however, is correct, The tea-tabe ora
Gle may swell its periods and air its rhetoric,
and pirate of manufactured news, and "bo-
gus intelligence" but the fact and failure re-
main. The growing of the Ledger is, as Mr..
Toots says, "of no consequence"
1 may as well state, at this point, as any
where, that your correspondent has as good an
opportunity to know the doings and sayings of
the city of Boston as most other people-quite
as good as those who wake up at midday, and
in fit of spleen, prejudice, and disappoint-
ment, growl dismally, and call bad names at
those who rise in the morning, and see and
hear what is going on betimes in the world.
l shall use all care that nothing is sent to THE
SPY that is not worthy its readers and its repu-
tation; but in doing this l cannot undertake
to please all the Boston editors, though some
of them appear willing enough to draw freely
from my letters. One of these days, will
send you a letter devoted to the Boston press,
with inside views. Possibly, the public may
like to know little on this point-what and
who is, and isn't.
Ex-Governor Gardner is Change man
again. His change in politics are well known,
but he is now a hdbitue of State street, of the
keen race of Shylocks, and may be seen daily,
looking up paper" shaving notes, and "nego-
tiating" generally. His ex-Excellency is sharp
at trade; no man stands ahead of him. He
has erected a great, blazing sign, with letters
sufficiently mammoth, and gorgeously golden,
to be read from the suburbs, but for intervening
piles of stone and brick.
The new law, in relation to newspapers in
the Legislature, does not suit, and there is a
very decided talk of repeating it. Several of
the leading members of the House stand ready,
at proper time, to take the matter up. The
newspaper is not only a luxury, but neces-
sity; and nothing is pleasanter for those who
go up to the State House, than two or three
dailies, sandwiched with few weeklies 1t is
pleasant to the members in town it is, also,
pleasant reminder to the families of the men,
bers out of town. | think the act will be re-
pealed. 1t isn't for the State of Massachusetts
to be mean and niggardy in the matter of
newspapers towards its chosen servants.
A scene occurred few evenings since, in
the Common Council chamber, that would
have done credit to the city of Washington,
During the session of that body, a debate arose,
it was not fresh sore-upon the right of
certain member from Ward II to his seat it
having been disputed at previous meeting.
member from Ward 4, young lawyer, with
some little down on his chin, made a short,
peppery, and somewhat injudicious speech, re-
flecting on one of the Ward II members The
latter replied with decided energy and point;
and here the matter dropped for the time. But
at the conclusion of the session the two men,
bers INDUCED in conversation compounded
of something very like blackguardism and
scurrility, sort rarely heard outside the halls
of the National Capitol, and which came near
leading to a personal encounter. 1t is pre-
sumed that if such had occurred, the member
from South Boston, who is man of muscle,
would have come off first best The pot has
not yet cooled.
The proposed removal of the Post Office to
Summer street, will carry general trade and
business up that way. In fact, the whole city
tends Southwark. l hear that the journal es-
adjustment will remove into that locality soon.
If such should be the case, doubt not others
will follow. State street is no place for news
paper establishments. The rents are fabu-
lous the accommodations are astonishingly
mean.
The event of to-day-or this evening-will
be the Daniel Webster dinner, at the Revere
House. 1t is to be steep, top-lofty affair."
The tickets are ten dollars each, and all who
attend, are expected to wear their superlative-
ly best Sunday clothes. 1t is subscription
affair, and none will be able to ego in" who
have not position" (cash) in Society" 1t
was got up by Peter Harvey, sometimes called
peter the Great" title suggestive of his
corporal proportions Mr.. Harvey was one
of Mr.. Websters most intimate friends, and
since the death of the great man, has done
much to keep his memory fresh-particularly
at the dinner table.
Mr.. Everett's Grafton on Franklin, Monday
evening, at the Music Hall, was the best since