Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-04-27

LETTER FROM BOSTON.
BosToS, April 20, 1871.

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To the Editor of the Kennebec Jouraal:-
THE FRENCH FAIR.
The great sensation of the past two
weeks closed to-day. 1t has been de-
cided success in every particular. The
exquisite music under the direction of r.
S. Gilmore during the evenings drew
large crowds. They had no auction rs is
usual at Fairs, but for the last few days
large reduction has been made in the
prices. At first the admission fee was
one dollar, but since Tuesday it has been
fifty cents. On account of this, certain
narrow minded persons have found much
fault, claiming that the first price was
asked in order to make the Fair select,
and now the aristocracy have taken all the
newness and freshness from the affair
they want the hard-working sons and
daughters of the Hub to come forward
with their fifty cent scrips and make the
affair success.
THE COMMON.
The principal attraction now in Boston
is the Common. 1t draws larger crowd
even than the Howard Atheneum. At
all hours of the day and in the early part
of the evening the walks are thronged
and the seats are filled with the weary
people. Walking quietly along shady
path is seen tidy looking nursery maid
with her little charges, and farther along
on an obscure seat you can see bewil-,
dered rustic eating his frugal meal brought
from his home in the country. e..s.
Richly dressed ladies', dirty little Arabs.
fine looking gentlemen, cripples and ped
dlers of every kind, nation and descrip-
ton, are here to be seen mingling for the
enjoyment OF one breath of Gods pure
air. Truly the Common is a blessing.
But whenever your correspondent wishes
to study human nature in its most interest
ing developments, he takes seat on one
of the Iron settees ON the fremont street
side of the Common and there watches the
Boston STREET CHARACTERS.
There are many characters that seem to
exist only in the street. You can meet
them at any time of the day whether the
sun shines or it storms. They sleep some
where, but it is impossible to tell where
or when they do it. There is the poor
blind man, selling shoe-laces, with large
placard on his breast stating: II Am
Blind" And who always says, Thank ye,
SIR or THANK ye maam'," to just the
right persons. Here comes an old wrin-
kled, wizen-faced woman selling candy
and apples. Hers is sad story of sin
and misfortune. Hark! here comes a
hand-organ and it is evident the proprie-
tor is no stranger to the Darwinian theory
of the human race, for he intends the sim
gle dimimutive car:cature of humanity
he carries around with him to make his
fortune, as the monkey tribe is likely to
make the fame and fortune of Mr.. Dar-
win.
'IIere's the Daily Journal-Herald-
Times: Mother great battle in Urup." 1t
is the newsboys. The critical opinion of
these Juveniles have considerable weight in
the newspaper world, and they can soon
tell if paper will sell. An editor in this
city once said if he wanted to catch the
popular ear he should convene congress
of newsboys and submit his forthcoming
work to their judgement
There, too, is the man who has made
himself famous and rich by whistling
Yankee Doodle on the streets.
| witnessed a comical occurrence the
other morning on Cornhill. A little, dirty,
dried-up, old woman-a rag picker-was
helping herself to the the valuables in an
ash-box on the sidewalk in front of book
store, and as the bag in which she put the
pieces of rags and paper was very large
and half full she had to stoop over and
into it MANY times in order to pack it
snug. While her head was under cover
and half her entire body was in the bag
ragged little urchin running past with
whoop and yell that would have done
credit to an Indian gave the old woman
tremendous push in the rear. She imme.
diately disappeared all but pair of mis-
cradle old shoes that moved back and
forth for few seconds and then were
still. Tom MrRuM