Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-11-21

The FEARFUL Calamity WHICH Has De-
fallen this deservedly proud city calls
to our mind her past history, and the
pre-eminent glory she has attained for
her deeds in the days gone by.
HISTORIC SKETCH OF THE CITY.
Boston was first settled In 1880 by the
followers of John Winthrop, who came
from England in that year. The col
ony which came over in the Mayfower
in 1920 and located at Plymouth be-
came acquainted with the peninsula on
which Boston was eventually located,
about q year after their settlement, and
regretted that they had not made it
their home.
The colony had many difficulties to
struggle against, and in consequence its
growth was very slow. 1t was retard-
ed by the constant annoyances of the
Indians, and religious differences
among themselves, and the severity of
the climate, by epidemic diseases af
fecting them before they became ac-
elimated, The difficulties of these col
onies with the Government of Eng
land began as early as 1850, when the
town was the headquarters of the rep
resentatives of the resistance to the
home Government, which lasted until
the separation of the countries. The
war of the House of Stuart was earn
estly regarded in Boston, and on the
18th of April, 1859, the people rose
against the Government to overthrow
if. In no part of the British Empire
was the revolution of 1868 more warm
ly supported than in Boston.
The town was the scene Of great riots
in 1747, in consequence of some of the
citizens having been impressed by
Commodore Knowles, of the British
navy. Upon receipt of the news of the
intent of the British Government to
enforce the revenue system in the col
Eonies, Boston assumed that determined
stand in behalf of liberty which drew
upon it the weight of England's law.
The decade was one of the most inn
portant mentioned in the history of
Boston. The Boston massacre hap
pened on the 5th of March, 1770. The
famous Tea Party, familiar to all our
| readers, occurred in 1773, and vas pro-
| nounced the boldest stroke yet made in
America.
The passage of the Boston port bill
was the retort of the Imperial Govern
ment to the proceedings of the Boston
ians. The commerce of the port was
| for the time destroyed. and the inde-
| pendence of the local government lost
| for ten years. Other places refused to
profit from Boston's sdfferings, and her
| people received from all sections SYM
/ pathy and solid assistance. The siege
of Boston, which followed immediate
| iy after the battle of Lexington, was
continued for about year. On the 4th
| of March, 1776, the besiegers succeeded
in taking a portion which commanded
both town and harbor, and this result
| ed in the evacuation of Boston by the
British, which took place on the 18th
1 of March.
| During the Revolutionary struggle
Boston sustained the reputation she
1 had acquired in the earlier stages OF
i the contest. siiiis = sisie ai.i g !tifii
After the declaration of peace Boston
earnestly supported the policy which
resulted in the adoption of the Federal
] lConstitution, and she shared largely in
the great commercial prosperity which
ensued, her commerce at once extend
/ ing to all parts of the world. The nu-
merous prominent events in which the
people of Boston bore so honorable a
/ Dftfl WCli hllOWue uOO0 OAlAy
| this passing glance. It can be said that
she has lead in all the great political
and social reforms of the country, and
that her people have always been at the
front in the advocacy and execution OF
works of philanthropy, and she has
ever been so active in works locking
toward the education and elevation OF
the people that she has we'll earned her
sobriquet, ''The Modern Athens"
| In 1922 Boston was made city. The
project to incorporate the town had been
Started one hundred and seventy years
before, showing that her people do not
make changes without proper delibera-
tion. -
The city now has population of
about two hundred and seventy-five
thousand, and its wealth per capita is
probably larger than that of any other
city in the United States. The district
| overwhieh the fire has burned embraces
many historical localities, and many
buildings about which cluster the men,
ories of the early days of our country.
The Boston fire will probably not be
as thoroughly disastrous To the busi-
ness men of that city as was the fire of
a year since to the people of Chicago
| for these reasons: The people of Chica-
go were in the habit of extending their
business to=the utmost limit, or we
might say, "going their whole length" {"
Everything many of them had was
hypothecated to obtain additional capi-
| tai with which to extend their business;
and then many of them had extended
their credit to the fullest limit, and of
necessity the fire not only engulfed all
they had, but left them involved in
debt. The Boston merchants are by far
the most careful and safe men in the
conduct of their business affairs we
have, aud probably few of them will
| be utterly ruined by this calamity; and
we may expect to see Boston rise from
its ashes with even greater rapidity
than did Chicago. Washington Gsron.