The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-01-04

A special correspondent of the Indianapolis
Gazette, who belongs in the West. in writing
from Washington gives some account ofb;s
visit to Boston, and of the impressions made
upon his mind. We copy few extracts:
What would you think of filling up hun
dred acres OF low land serenteen feet. and COW
eIing 1t with fine houses, paved streets shons
and churches? Chicago would crv itself
hoarse in praise of such an exploit there bnt
Boston has done it without winking," in the
last three years, on the flats Of the "back Bay.o
But what streetsl Contract your broad main
avenue so that there should be Just room for a
street car in the middle, and carriage on
either side, make the side walks half their
present width, and the street crooked as a
coW-path, and then throng the walks with
ladles and pour ceaseless tide of cars and
carriages over the pavement, and you have
washington street-Boston's Broadway-on
either side OF which are shops of all styles,
nom the giant old buildings of past century,
10 the elegant and ample show rooms of latest
fashion. No where in our country can he seen
such beautiful works of arts, such pictures,
carved frames, busts, vases, books of natchless
elegance, as are in those shops, at this HOLIDAY
season, and the aspect ofthe men and women
who buy from these rarely precious collections
is proof OF culture, health and rich life, cheer
ing indeed to see. The noble school houses.
public and free, show care for popular culture,
and friend told me that private schools for
the children of the rich, were less patronized
than formerly, owing to the excellence of these
public institutions.
This, surely, is the noblest democracy. And,
fronting the famed "Boston Common is the
great Hall of the "Free Public Library" where
are 10000 books, open for ALL Rostcrians
are human, like the rest of us and have pecu-
larities, limitations, odditie S, il you VII. but
such diffusion of culture and enjoyment among
the many, such fine society among working
people, are worthy Of all commentator.
spoke of Washington street as narrow and
crooked; but as you go toward the wharves,
on the wholesale thoroughfares, it is a convo-
luton of all labyriEthine confusion, through
which the familiar wind with an ease surpris-
ing to stranger.
There are exceptions, as State street, with
its granite pillars ofBanks and offices on either
side, reaching straight from Washington to
the Custom House, and going to the salt wa
ter just beyond vast granite warehouse
| Sometimes these curves are very handsome. as
on Federal street, where the eye takes in a
| long range OF noble stores, five and six stories
high, their fronts OF gray granite carved with
wondrous labor in fine and beautiful orna-
| ments. Such buildings for commercial uses,
are not seen elsewhere in America-hardly in
the world, it is said.
think, as part of an education, that every
western man or woman, should visit the East
and getsome insight OF its private and public
lite, and all from the East, should go west
| ward in the same way. We should know
each other, and like each other the better for
| it.
The suburbs of Boston are very beautiful,
many men of wealth doing business in the
city, and living out from five to twenty miles,
passing to and fro by street and rail cars, at
small cost. For instance, friend asked me
to take tea at his house in Roxbury. 1 took
street cars three miles, left them and went
past pleasant homes, with their gardens and
evergreens, turned into rustic gate, climbed
upward thirty feet to reach a neat cottage
amidst rocks and pine trees, and meet the
cheering welcome Of a happy home. Passing
an evening in rarely pleasant talk, 1 lef. for
the cars, and in fifty minutes was in my room
at hotel.