Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-28
LETTER FROM BOSTON.
Bosros. September 81. 1869.

There are several places in the world
| il NAV be remarked, called Boston, blu
there is only one real Boston, and its in
habitants honestly believe it is the Hub
of civilization. say honestly because
| it gives me pleasure to admit that on one
point they are honest, even though
blindly so. Veni, pidi: came, l saw
and came to see. This is my fret visit
and, for one brief hour, surrounded BY
90 many traces of that great and success
full revolution, in which it proved an
honor to be rebel, and in the presence
Of those great historic treasures which
belong to me as much as any Bostonian,
| l desire to pencil down, though even SO
cursorily and imperfectly, my first i'm
pressions of the City of Notions"
The trip from New York hence is ac-
complished most pleasantly, from what l
can learn, by the Falls River route. AT
the foot of Chambers street in New York
we took the steamer Providence. This
is magnificent vessel, finer and larger
than any thing ever seen on the Misss-
sippi river, and finished according to the
style of the latest improvements.
Through tickets cost Eve dollars, and
the distance is about two hundred
and forty miles. This vessel and
the line belongs principally to Com
modore " Fisk. jr., the celebrated Erie
railroad President. l saw him as we
came aboard the vessel at the foot of the
gang-way. He was dressed in semi
naval uniform, such as is prescribed for
all his subordinates, and looked not forty
years old. he is full-faced, rosy-cheeked
as if addicted to good brandy or early
rising; has black mustache, and is
handsome. He was originally Boston
dry goods merchant, hence the Boston
ese have great liking for him, and he is
about the only man or thing in New York
they do like. Backing out from pier No.
80, we soon were steaming down North
river, as If going out to sea. But we
swung around at the Battery, and had
good exterior view of Castle Garden, the
gateway of the New World to all Euro
pesn immigrants. Then passing up East
river, in full view of New York, Brook
lyn and miles of shipping, slowly passing
the numerous public buildings of stone
on Blsckwells Island, and threading that
treacherous eye of a needle, HelIs Gate,
we entered the smooth waters of Long
Islang Sound. which is over one hundred
miles in length, and often SO wide
that land cannot be seen on either
side. When night came on and the moon
.ose on the calm hnl beautiful scene, we
fingered long on deck before going in to
hear the soul-stirring strains of the spleR-
did band that always accompanies the
steamer. The crowd on board was an
comfortably large, especially so when we
went down to supper and had to wait the
pleasure of the important colored gen.
tlemen, vulgaTly called free niggers, who
seem to stoop to conquer a. taay aceept
a bribe of half dollar. The table is
kept on the European plan the traveller
takes his choice and pays his money for
VIA, he orders.
The trip was quite pleasant aside from
some of It's novel features ] looked 10
vain for familiar face outside Of the lit
tie party with me, and without that party
would have felt quite alone. This New
England nssal-twsng, combined with ar !
roganna epd vulgar manners, have
aroused withia nae some very disloysl
Southern pride, which may be mentioned |
again, and will be cultivated hereafter as |
a precious birthright, not to be re
nnnnced scorer than life ilself. Eo. |
vhsn ! compare the coarse-minded |
women end sil-Hapnered men Of evil. |
lied" New England With the pure and |
beautiful women and ehivalric men of
the South, ! feel prouder than ever be-
fore of my native South, and would
rather live in poverty all my days among
uay friends than to have the wealth OF
all the Lsyrenees aad be one of their
people.
At Fall River, forty-eight and half |
miles from Boston, we changed from the
steamer to the cars, and in two hours
were eating q good breakfast at the Par
ker House, an institation likewise kept
on the European plan. The house has a
fine name and probably deserves it,
though it does not suit me half as well as
the Peabody, in Memphis.
Thousands have written of Bunker
Hill monument and millions have read
of it who will never visit the place.
From my very infancy / have read and
heard of Bunker Hill and longed to
climb its tortuous stairway. The desire
hes been grati6ed, aud | am satisfied.
The sensation from the top equals my
expectations, though the monument is
insignificant from a distance. But at
the base il looms up considerably, aud q
human face at the top window looks lit
tie larger than cate. The inclosure is
about the size of Court Square, and the
ground is not adorned by a single flower
or bush. The spaces between the clean
gravelled walks are covered with short, |
green grass, which looks az il it had |
been cropped good deal by some Puri- |
tan for daring to grow on Sunday. Wis
itors have to pass through small build
ing Of two rooms before entering the |
monument. 10 the first we found |
it necessary to pay twenty cents
each in the second. an old gentleman
of the '76 school requested US TO register
our names. When this was done we
found that fifteen thousand others had
gone through before us since the first Of
last June, and that during the twelve
months preceding that time Sl,2O3 per.
Sons had registered their names. This
makes an income Of over six thousand
dollars per annum, sll of which is ex-
pended in keeping in repair and improv-
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