Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-19

Letter from Boston.
lFRoN OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

Boston, August II, 1871.
The conservation of the ground for the monu-
ment to Captain Miles Standish, at Duxbury,
took place to-day. A railroad to Duxbury has
just been finished; the portion from Cohasset
to MarSh6sld has been in use for some weeks,
but the last four miles were used for the first
time this morning, and it was pleasant to see
the excitement caused by the great event All
along the hill tops groups of men, women and
children were watching for the train; other
groups were gathered on stone walls, and were
arranged with fine picturesque effect; in the
door ways of the houses near the railroad
were crowded whole families, at least the
women of the families, grandmother, mother,
curly-haired children and babies in arms, and
from all the groups came cheers and greeting,
returned by the waving of handkerchiefs from
the car windows. Mowers paused in their
work and leaned on their scythes, while the
train rolled slowly by; farmers boys stopped
their carts and watched the engine out of
sight; and saw, standing on knoll, one man
with his apron on, wildly waving the unfinished
shoe he held in his hand. So we had series
groups, in the foreground, and background as
the scenery changed, of bare, brown hill side, or
closely mown marshes, or thick dark woods;
and we had time enough to enioy each as
1t appeared, for the train crept along as if it
were feeling its way in the dark over very dan
gerous ground. At the Duxbury station car.
riages were waiting for the guests, and a long
procession, led by band of music and com
pany of soldiers, followed the winding road for
mile and half to the very top of Captains
Hill, where the monument is to be built and
where the exercises took place. The sides of the
tent were up, and the audience, gathered to lis
ten to the Grafton, could enjoy the outside view.
There were Odes, prayers, hymns and music
suitable to the occasion, and the Grafton
| BY Gen. Horace Bnney Sargent was mod
erately long and moderately interesting; and
as orations go, that may be considered praise.
But II was noticeable that he called the Pill
grims, Puritdns, when historians have decided
that they were not Puritans at all, but Sep.
aratsts. The prospect from the hill is beauti-
ful; wide water view, bounded on one side by
the purple hills Of Manomet; the two long
beaches Of Plymouth and Ma-shfield. The
Gurnet with its double light, Saquesh, Clarke's
Island, and Rouse's Hummock, the terminus OF
the Atlantic cable; and on the land side a broad
outlook over woods and marshes, villages ponds
and creeks.
The dinner was served in large tent, and al
the arrangements were comfortable. Gen. Sar
| gent presided. The first toast was to Presiden
Grant and Captain Miles Standish; and Genera
Butler, introduced in a complimentary way re
sponded. He was evidently not in his bes
mood, for he hesitated and was neither eloquen
nor interesting. OF course, he praised Gran
and standish as great soldiers and great cit
zens, and his manner suggested all the time tina
he thought there was third person who Shout
ne ciassed with them; however, he did not sa
so-iet MN have credit for the reserve. II
, hoped Grant would be reelected. and had a goo
deal 70 say about the ways of Prov
dence, and how God chastened MS TO
) our completely with slavery, and how we de
served the chastisement Complicitv will
slavery was subject on which he was al home
but the audience looked little sstonsbad !,
hear themselves classed with him in this vav
as large majority were doubtless yery mpcl
opposed to Jefferson Davis, while Mr.. Butte
D was pressing his claims upon the country /
8 1900
. To the second toast, Massachusetts" NJ