St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-06-04
From Burlesque Report in Psckards Monthly for Jul
The Boston Peace Jubilee.

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the world never saw anything like it be
fore, and never will again. Yesterda,
and the day before the performance wa
brilliant one, but all its excellence wa
surpassed in the last grand act, who's
echoes are still resounding in my ears
Two millions of chorus singers were en-
gagged, and for the past week the train
have been pouring them in from all di
rections, the last instalment arriving a
half past ten to-day. There was TWEEN
ty-tiye thousand wind instruments anc
the same number of stringed ones, anc
even the great organ in Music Hall wa.
pressed into service. Three Thousand
(sea) bass drums were in the foreground
and, by the kind permission of the Presi
dent and Admiral Borie, all the ships o
the United States Navy were gathered il
the harbOr to fire their guns for the heav,
lest notes. y temporary platform, for,
ty-three feet square, was built on the TOP
of Bunker Hill monument, to hold the
director Of the entertainment and his as
slstants. Sub b-directors were stationed
on the State House, the old South Church
and the Water Works. and connected
with the chief by means of submarine
cables. An enormous. semaphore was
erected In the centre of the monument
platform, and, in order TO facilitate mat
tiers, each chorus singer and musician
was supplied with a Misunderstanding
telescope, which bore the arms of tho
city of Boston and the names of the May
or and councilmen. The telescopes were
paid for by the city, and will prove ex-
celIcnt $0uretu'S of the occasion | en-
close you one of the smallest
The Fish Commissioners. who are en-
deavorlng to stock the rivers Of Massa-
chusetts with salmon, shad and sculpins.
protested that the noise would ruin their
business and drive the fish to sea. The
authorities We're at first inclined TO listen
to their protest, but they happened to
think that Boston was commercial city
and her prosperity depended upon bring
ing large amount Of people here 50
they decided that the affair must 90 on.
regardless Of the consequences to the fish.
may add that they made arrangements
for taking the census during the jubilee,
and accomplished it at noon to-day. The
result Is tiattering in the highest degree
Boston has larger population than any
other city in the world, as her figures
will show-and she Is heavy on figures.
AT the hour indicated the director took
his place and Set the >emaphore in oper-
alton. Ten millions of eyes were turn
ed upon him two millions Of throats
were cleared. and the host OF blowers
and drumrnerS made n preparatory sound
10 assure themselves that all was right
Tins busy note otpreparatiOn sounded like
distant thunder, and made the leaves and
corn-stalks trcmble. The telescopes were
ieNclled and the signal anxiously looked
Tor. Some confusion was caused bv
many of the holders of telescopes stop
ping to read the inscriptions thereon
and other confusion, because many OF the
telescopes were without lenses. The di-
rector was aware of this, and So operated
the semaphore some time before giving
the signal for the music.
When it commenced the effect was
magnificent. The gentleman who did
the ro"tralt" solo had been supplied with
4 speaking trumpet two hundred feet in
length, which had been extended by at
tachlng it to the ropewalk OF the Charles
town Navy Yard. His voice was dis
tinctly audible more than seven miles.
and when the quartette Joined hin the ct-
feet reminded many listeners of vocal
Aurora Borcalis. The entire multitude
OF many millions stood breathless. and
when it ended loud cries of Hi, ILL.,"
bully" and the like were heard from
the quarter where the solid and venera-
b!e citizens of Boston were assembled
The director fairly yelled with delight,
and, had it not been for his dangerous
position, he would have turned double
by way of maniteSting his
qualification. But when the chorus CHM
al IN 1t was lovely. Think. my dear
Packard, of those millions of throats
which the Maine law has kept from iniu-
ry, think Of them rolling out a volume
OF IUng lsland) sound that spread over
and the adjacent States
and waters rs hay cart spreads over Il
flock OF chickens on Il wet day. Napo-
Icons batteries at Borodino. or Grants
at Nicksburg, were no comparison and
when the cannon Of the myriad war ships
in the harbor added their thunder to help
out the bass drums on tie heavy notes.
the result was something never before
witnessed. 1t was tremendous.
The birds fell from the sky and 80
high did the effect extend tkat several
new species, which fly forty or fifty miles
from the earth, and cannot live in lower
air, have dropped down upon us. They
have been carefully gathered and sent to
Cambridge College, where they are be
ing examined by Professor Agassiz. 1t
is currently rumored that Agassiz and
the venerable President of the college ac-
tually danced the Can Can in their de-
light at discovering these new and won
derful birds. One species will be called
Jnjitia Bostomsnsis in honor of the occa-
sion.
The rivers running into Massachusetts,
Bay were damned for two hours, both
Dy the terrific force of the chorus and
many irreverent and suffering farmers
living in the vicinity. The tide was
stopped for the same time, and the pub
fishers of the Boston Almanac will get
out new edition (fifty cents in cloth),
showing the tides upon the new schedule.
Thirty-seven tons Of dead fish have
been taken from the harbur and rivers.
One OF the Fish Commissioners has re-
signed, and another took to drink and
was carried home singing "Up in Bal
loon, boys"