Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-22
Letter from Boston.
ID o sion in I777-The Common Mt Night
The Homeopathic Fair-Raising the
Truss at the COliseum-Mrs. j ohm Wood
Emerson.
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT
Boston, April 20, 1872.

Boston, April 20, 1872
In turning over the pages of an old book re-
Gently came across a letter containing the fol-
lowing description of Boston in the year 1777.
1t was written by gentleman OF distinction,
who shortly afterwards, on account of his neu-
rrality in the great struggle against Great
Britain, was upon the Limits" in the town of
Leominster with an allowance of only a mile
from his residence. He says "Ths town at
present exhibits greater scene of business than,
believe, any place upon the continent. 1t is
the capital not only of this state, but of all New
England. 1t is situated on a peninsula, com
muncating with the main land by narrow
neck upwards of mile long, which is all paved.
The town is about as large as New York, full as
compact, and the streets as irregular. The most
conspicuous public buildings are the town
house, in which the general court sits, and Fan.
neuil hall, where public town meetings are held,
and in which we attended the selectmeu. On
the west side of the town is Beacon hill, a very
high eminence, which commands delightful
and most extensive prospect of the harbor on
the south, which is interspersed with a great
number of islands, among which is that whereon
the castle stands. On the east, you see the ruins
OF Charlestown and Blu lker's Hill, rendered
famous by the blood which was shed on it. in
the battle, the 18th June, 1775; and 10 the north.
ward is Cambridge, a beautiful little town, in
which is famous college. From this eminence
there is a view of great extent of country
Roxbury, Dorchester, etc, at which places. as
well as on the neck, Bunker Hill, etc, are
number of Notifications, erected during the two
last campaigns" Boston tlIen had population
of15OOO, while the last census gives 250, 000 The
filing in of Back bay has widened the "narrow
neck" nearly mile, while the paved street
mile long now extends to the Highlands,
distance Of nearly three miles, where buildings
are rapidly going up, while Chelsea South Bos-
ton, and other suburbs now are as large as Bos
ton itself was at that period. Then the state
house, with its yellow-capped dome, and .he
grey sentinel rising from the .populous city of
Chariestown, with the grim walls of Fort War
rem in the harbor, are to-day the reminders of
that past upon whose scroll in the portion
| allotted to Boston so much has been written so
well.
Truly "times change and we are changed in
them" In one particular however, our Puritan
fathers show the effect of only u brief stay
among the Dutch of Holland, for a deep-seated
inclination to lay out irregular streets, like
those of New York and Albany is apparently
one of the bad habits contracted there, Re.
Gently, in conversng with an old resident, he
alluded with great noncbalanee to the days of
10 and IA, and gave graphic description of
the city as it appeared at that time, when
Cops Hill at the north end was the great re-
sort, and Beacon Hill as reckoned way up
town, though the common was not surrounded
by buildings, and my informant described the
view Of the harbor from the hill as almost
ryaling the varied splendors of the bay of Ma
pies. The latter remark was called forth by an
observation from the writer regarding the pic
turesque beauty Of The common in the night
time, when the lights glmmer in every direc-
uou far and near over its broad expanse, and
the parallel rows of lights stretching up Beacon
street, gradually blending into a continuous
llne, presents, with other accessories, on 10 n
scene OF enchantment
MaIhmoth lars are one OF the features of the
age The great expositious of London and
Parls are famous over the world, while the huoe
L
scale upon which the fairs of the sanitary com.
mission we're carried on throughout the country
during the latter years eethe war, are still fresh
in our remembrance. Last spring the French
fair at the Boston theatre was the most extensive
and brilliant assemblaee ofthe kind since the war
and now it is fairly rivalIed, il not eclipsed. by
the fair held at Horticultural and Music halls,
to aid in establishing The homeopathic hospital
on Burroughs Place, upon more stable founda-
ton.
The decorations Of the two balls are perfect
" gorgeous" in the language OF some young
ladies; the tables, which represent Lowell, Lynn,
ana all the neghboring towns, are tilled with
all sorts Of useful and ornamental, rare and
costly articles. Fair and fascinating ladies be-
siege you with bewliching smiles TO aid the
worthy object TO which they are devoted, and
llai winch Is as amusing, instructive and pleas.