, 1872-11-14

that may benecessary. We presume the respon-
sibility for the FIRE will be fixed BY full and
impartial Investigation, and it is highly impor-
tant, in the interests Of all other cities, and Of
the art OF tfre-extinguishment,t that it should be-
BOSTON, PAST AND PRESENT.
The recent conhagration in Boston brings that
city, for the time being, more prominently be-
fore the public than any other, and creates
renewed interest in its history, It WAS origl-
nally called shawmutt by the Indians but the
co]onists OF 1890, who landed at Salem, moving
southwark, bought the peninsula Of its sole in
habitant, Mr. William Blackstone and, on the
18th OF September, Of that year, the Court, held
at charlestown, ordered thatit be called Boston,
in honor OF Boston in Old England, from
which many ot the colonista had emig1ated. It
was first called 4timountain from it's three hills,
afterward called Copp'a, Fort, and Beacon. The
place was at once selected as the metropolis Of
the Massachusetts Colony. It settled rapidly,
and, in ten years, no less than 10000 persons
came from England. In 1874, there were about
1880 families in the town. 1t WAS from the first
commercial town. Less than year had
elapsed since its settlement, when the first ges-
Gel built in the colony was launched. In
1719, there were $4,000 tons OF ship-
ping cleared annually. In 1741, there
were forty vessels upon the stocks
at one time. At the close Of the seventeenth
century, Boston was probably the largest and
wealthieat city in America With the prom
inent events which happened in Boston immo-
diately preceding and during the Revolutionary
Wharf.-The naval riot OF 1747, the agitation over
the Stamp act; the massacre, the destruction Of
the tea in Boston Harbor, and the evacuation by
the British,-our readers are familiar. Bostonra~
tained it's town government until 1922, when the
citizens voted for city government, and, in the
same year, the Legislature incorporated it.
During the fifty years which have followed, the
commercial Importance of the city has steadily
increased. In 1880, the population of Boston
was II, ,033. The combined population Of Boston,
Roxbury, and Dorchester, the two latter towns
having been annexed within few years, was, in
1870, 250,526. The valuation, in 1885, OF real
and personal property Was SIS, ,a02, 600; in 1870,
it was 1854, ,089,400. The original limits Of
Boston comprised but 600 acres. By filing
in fats, $50 ceres have been added
BY the absorption OF South and
East Boston, and by filling the
flats surrounding those districts, 1,7o0 more
acres we're acquired, and Ro1bury contributed
2,1oo acres, and Dorchester 1890, so that the
entire present area Of the city is 1o,17o acres.
As Chicago has it's North, South, and West
Divisions, SO Boston has its North, South. and
West "Ends," these being special terms ap
piled to various parts Of the city. The North
End was once the most important part Of Bos-
ton, containing not only the largest warehouses
and the public buildings, but also the most ele-
CANT residences. Now, however, = large part Of
the North End has been abandoned by all except
the most vicious classea. It is devoted to the
small retail business, and filed with thousands
OF cheap hucksters ahopa and small manufacto-
ries. The principal buildings at this "end" are
Faneui1 Hail, the property OF the city; the
Quincy Market, Immediately adjoining it; the
Massachusetts General Hospital, the depots Of the
Boston & Maine, the Boston t. Fitchburg, and
Boston d Lowell Railroads, the American
House. the Revere House. the Brattlo Square
Church, used ss barracks by the British during
the Revolution, and in which Edward Everett
once preached, and the Christ Church Episco-
pail, built in 1928.
The West End contains the literature Science,
and culture Of Bostan. It's boundaries include
Beacon Hill, the Common, the public gardens,
and most OF the new land made on the Back Bay.
Within its precincts are the State House, the
arfstoczctic old residences On Beacon street, the
finest churches in the city proper, the Public
Library, the Athennun, the Institutes ofNatural
History aqd Technology, the Club Houses, many
Of the leading publishing houses, and tho public
statues Of the city.
Tho South End is devoted almost exclusively
to residences, running out to Ro1bury. Busi-
ness has pushed residences southwark, as it has
With US. It contains many hotels and churches,
but as rule, it is giFen up ex-
clusively to residences, In addition
to these ends Of the city, there
is a central district, the very heart Of
Boston, and it was in this district that the fire
occurred. It is small, but compactly built, and
includes not only the Wholesale but large share
OF the retail business Of the city. The wholesale
merchants in iron wool, hides and leather, dry
goods, paper, clothing, and groceries. the
lawyers Of the city, the great transportation
offices, the daily papers, the music halls, and
the theatres, and many hotels, are all in this
district. Among the notable buildings are the
nem City Hall, the massive Custom House, the
old and new Post Offices, the United States
Court House, the fremont Temple, the Music
Hall, the Museum, the Boston aud Globe |
Theatres, the Masonic Temple, Horticultural |
Hall, Mechanics' Building, the old State House,
the Parker and Revere Houses, the old South |
Church, Kings Chapel, and ST. Pauls Church.
All OF these buildings, with the exception OF the
old State House, aeen1 to have been spared from