Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-03

there has not been some stingy or oonser-
vative men to oppose it and make great
clatter about it. Then there is the other
extreme men whose projects are Ethiopian.
1t seems necessary that a growing and
active city should be made over from
time to time and paid for at the concur
ring time. Many years ago New York
was in the need of great and thorough
improvements, as soon as it was realized,
money was most generously appropriated
and SO much of it was needed and for SO
long times. that the public authorities
have become corrupted. They do things
upon liberal plans in that eiry but steal
as literally.
We have hanging in our shop windows
map of Boston as it was in 1922, which
is very interesting, and suggestive of
what would be true of most places in New
England, if mp of the towns as it was
a hundred years ago could be traced out,
before it is too late to do so, as historical
matter. To Appletons Journal for July
18th, is an interesting article upon our
Common, and of appropriate length.
Upon this old map is represented pas
ture near the center of which is large
tree-an elm. 1t being then, 1929, fully
grown. 1t was not until about one hun
dred years later that this pasture, which
had been called bommon for some time,
was laid out into walks, and trees set out
in great numbers, which have now be-
ceme large and graceful. In 1854, while
DR. J. V. G. Smith was mayor, (who was
the Native American parties candidate,
and who is not too old to be mayor again
an iron fence was placed about this tree,
upon the gate of which is tablet reading
thus This tree has been standing here
for An unknown period, it is believed to
Boston, and being fully grown in 1922.
Exhibited marks of old age in 1892, and
was nearly destroyed by storm III 1882
Protected by AMI iron enclosure in 1854.
J. V. G. Smith, mayor" 1t may be added
that d storm in 1860 and another in 1869,
carried away some more of its limbs and
branches. The tree presents the appear
ance of having very large limbs and small
branches, the out-reaching limbs and
most exposed being broken off all over the
outer boundaries of the tree causing small
branches to sprout out of and cover those
huge limbs with a foliage, which makes
the tree appear young and thrifty, sut-
ficiently at least to complete this century
in its lifetime. The general interest IN
thess old trees, wherever located, is a !
sufficient excuse for my alluding to this
Que again. Among the twelve hundred
trees on this Common are few foreign
varieties, and quite a large number of
varieties of American trees. The tree
which has prevailed in our streets to a
great extent, the horse-chestnut, Is rapid
ly Disappearing, with all others, before
the modern compact method of building,
there being no longer any front yard space
with soil to support them. Our trees are
going to our wide avenues expressly de-
signed for them, and to our parks. The
cosy little front yards and side yards,
with a shade tree or two, being Of the
poetry of the past. The fact il, our mod
ern high brick and stone houses have out |
grown the slow growing and dwarfed |
trees at their sides, and their uugraceful
irregular forms out sf perpendicular DO
not harmonic very well with the newly
and ornamental fronts. B.