The Republican journal., 1872-11-21
Letter From Boston,


BOSTON, NOV. Is.
The smoke has lifted, aud now the ruins and
debris lie uncovered in their naked deformity,
q sOrrowiul spectacle to those loving Boston,
taking pride in her great prosperity, and above
all living on her business industry. AS this
veil disappeared and one by one were
spotted the sites Of former wealth amongst the
Disgusting rubbish people looked aghast, and it
came home to many hearts that had not realized
the devastation in the first excitement of the
moment. In tive days we have grown cooler,
and the panic of Monday has been succeeded
by a calm determination to keep stiff upper
lip and begin again, or at least to bear manfully
the present blow and not look forward to the
consequences of this coming winter. Men know
now that the worst is not yet; with all the cour-
age and resolue faith that seems to possess
everybody concerned, nothing can be done to
bridge time, at present the greatest enemy of
us all, and patience under the circumstances is
almost impossible. How to wait-how to live
till rebuilt, are questions coming closer home
each day. and each day the muddle becomes
worse
The streets are chokel with people and wag-
oDS of all descriptions, and its much AZ ones
life IS worth to get any where. The chiet of
police estimated thirty thousand strangers in
Boston the first two or three days after the fire,
and Saturday afternoon there must have been
nearly as many, though the roughs and thieves
that abounded the earlier part of the week had
vanished, making it safer if not leasanter
travelling by their absence. Tuesday attempted
with several others to make the tour of the
burnt district and see for myself the extent of
the horrors, but the smoke was yet too dense
and the stencil from bun ming wool and leather
so intoerable backed out a. ain, Il much sad
der if not wiser woman. Afterwards we tried
the top of a high building in the immediate
vicinity, and there | looked down into a sea OF
smoke and steam, with CHASTITY walls standing
in solitary woe, and guarded BY gangs of sol
diers on patrol-and saw The still red hot debris
sending up bright lights through the dull
November afternoon, made still more drear by
the heavy smoke, and heard the shouts of the
iiremen, the pumping OF the steamers, till was
glad to descend and rush through pandemonium
to Il heaven OF rest on terra iirma. | tried il
again on Saturday, at the point of the bayonet
literally, rs no women and children We're adj
mitted within the lines. However, with
other insubordinates managed to have my own
way, and scrambled over the scene of dcSoIa-
ton till the sun went down, and then we left
the ruins already cold in their misfortune. with
the pous wish to never sec the place again I'M
til rebuilt, 1t is really very idle curiosity that
leads persons into so much danger lust for the
sake of saying they have been there.
Many are the heroic acts performed by ire
men and others. 10 save property that awful
night, and the list of brave employees increases
daily, till one is actually proud of human III
tlre-for once. Some men, however, lost their
heads, from the chief down. and necessarily
their possessions too. One man | know of was so
dazed he left his money and papers in the store
outside the safe, ;tnd came home with the KEYS in
his pocket! Goodness and courage We're prompt
to act and the one who could lead made him
l-nnN nj A INA Rt.N,,. Il
street, whose employer lives III Salem, went
down to the store to remove the contents of the
safe, and the only means OF conveyance he
could find was Il buggy without any horse that
happened to he standing in the street With no
more ado, he lrags it round to the Office fills it
with books and valuable papers. and then pulls
the heavy load across the city to Brimmcr street,
where it is emptied and then given To Il stable
keeper to advertise. Two girls in Aliens we'll
known store, on Washington street, behaved
most crcditably. They lived in RoXburv,
but seeing the fire they came i'll town and made
their way to the store and alone, Mr.. Alien not
being a resident of the city, packed mp twenty
thousand dollars worth of rich goods and carried
them out TO their house in the Highlands. Half
an hour later the whole block was in flames.
Another instance of fidelity happened III my
own circle of friends where 4 cook hearing
that some valuable pictures and souvenirs
priceless from association, that Were stored in
building in Milk street had not been removed
with other goods, and seeing the grief it caused
the family to lose what had once belonged to Il
dearly loved member OF it, deter mined TO save
them ut any cost sac ran into the street. found
Il teamster that she knew and with tears in her
eyes begged him to carry her down 70 Milk
street He willingly complied. and the two to-
gether succeeded in carefully bringing out al
that had been left. with the exception Of some
two hundred valuable books, before the lire
licked up the building. But many are the eX-
amples of faithful service and noble dlSinere>l-
cdneSS To be placed on record Il, an oil set 10 the
want of cnergy. the ncryelesS sinking of re-
SponSbllty in higher quarters. Every ind-
Vihnal has some tale to tell of his own expert
encc or that of others during those memorable
twelve hours.
An amusing incident is related Of the editor
OF the PoSt-the brightest, best tempered news
paper in the city, rs You know. and one that
always takes life like Il philosophrr--that when
the fire was raging up Water street. and the
building adjoining was expected momentarv
TO iall, nc was moi prepared to 90. All the con-
tents Of the Offices aud rooms had been removed.
but there some matters still remaining he was
determined TO oversee. His men declared they
would not stay an instant longer 50 Mr. Greene
bade them Il polite good night, and they rushed
away like rats from sinking ship, leaving him
perfectly cool and collected to continue his
packing or be destroyed by Il sudden collapse Of
the building. Presently down comes the wall
with an awful reverberation and the Post brave
ly stands the shock, suffering on Il slight cash
in the north corner of the roof. Mr.. Greene
throws open the window and calls
ont 10 the somewhat ashamed spectators, My
friends, all danger is over; | welcome YOU in
again." The spirit of Il newspaper p;utikts
largely Of the character of its manager, and that
Mr.. Greene stood to his guns Will not asloniSh
any reader of that gallant sheet. Pluck and in
detatigablc vigilance have watched over its wei
fare these many years, and IN even, lmprrlur-
hable good temper has carried il safely through
many Il dark hour, when less ;miable and more
Journals have hoped TO see ii ahaSh-
ed and Disconnected AS this forced baptism of
fire and water have failed to eNtln@ul>h lis
brightness, we hope when matters are once
more settled it will be as thriving and spirited
as in the past.
Don't you wish YOU owned estates in fremont
street? Little shop keepers there are moving
out to make room for such big fellows as Call n
futile, Shreve, Crump Il Son, and Weeks
Potter, and they get well paid for 50 doing, too.
The store second door south of West street has
just been taken from its present occupants, and
a 80 900 bonus given. Several OF the untofll-
nate Washington street people have gone to the
south end, but the fear of isolation will speedily
bring them back again, rs soon AS Their places
are rebuilt. The large clothing establishment
of Maculler Williams Il Parker has gone to the
Masonic building, if anything Il better situation
than their enormous store in Washington street.
II is sickenlng to hear of the cruel advantage
taken Of necessities OF the burnt out men, aud
rooms in the first flush of excitement, places
hat would have remained empty all winter but
for this wind that has blown somebody good.
And that man who has let floor of his store III
lIaymalket square for $4,000, when ne never
received more than $500 in the best OF Times,
ought to have his usuriouS name published;
and | am sure the Journal would 10 nm ana
me that little favor were not pledged to keep
it secret!
Retrenchment is the ORDER of the day, and
how hard that will fall ON small retail dealers
and working people everybody knows. a
fs hlonable tlressmaker told me, the first OF the
week, that six of her richest customers had sent
for their incompleted dresses, as they were now
unable to pay for their making. Ii TINS con
tinues she will be obliged to discharge her girls
and give up her rooms. 81 cannot pay my
rent" she said, ''if | can find bread to put IN
my MOUTH But this IS but one instance where
rctrenchment falls hard. The rich can afford
to curtail their expenses and cut down their
but in doing what and how
are their dependents to do and live?
The first to feel such Il shock are the orna-
mental trades. When you consider the holiday
goods are all got in-its enough to make men
look anxious. Jewellers have imported large
" for Christmas and the holiday season. and
their stocks promised them rich harvest. who
now will venture to buy expensive Jewclry,
even if they We're not burned out?
Cards that were out for Il large wedding re-
ception this month, have been contaminated,
and the wedding will be private one. And the