The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-11-22

and Winthrop place, have persisted.
The principal wool warehouses we're on
Congress and Federal streets. and part of these
| streets IL also in ruins. At this moment il
would seem that the fire has been checked on
tie eastern side Of Washington street, and,
although IL has consumed the rear Of some OF
| the warehouses on that street, II has not
en- 'rokbthrough into that street itself. In
Broad street, Kilby street. and nearer the
water. are large stores containing stocks of
IRON and imported goods, but the fire has not
yet reached them.
| Old residents of Boston. who have not been
| here for five years should understand that
| the whole of Fort Hill has recently been dug
| down and carried away, and i'm its place Is now
| q level plain not covered with buildings. The
crowded pauper population, which. till lately,
| hlled every tenement on Fort Hill, has been
removed to other and, at present safer homes.
The swarms OF the poor, which, till recently,
| crowded the cellars Of Broad street, have
| nearly all given room to the growth Of trade,
and that street is no longer to be regarded as
one of the lairs of this degraded population
| To these two facts il il due chat so few people
are left houseless bv this disaster.
Not more than five hundred families have
! been unhoused. The real sufferers are the
most active business men Of Hoston. They
| represent mainly that Younger class Of mer-
| chants, and to whom, in the last fifteen years,
! the city owes its remarkable development a de-
! able 70 outsiders, has been q marked feature of
Boston growth. These men, conscious Of the
! immense advantages which the city had for
! trade, had availed themselves Of large re-
! sources 70 construct a system OF warehouses
| which had no superior in this country, per-
haps none abroad, and TO open new streets
which should answer their needs. The old
| byways in the more northern part of the city
had become crowded and inadequate. They
| looked with pride upon Pearl street. Franklin
street, New Devonshire street, and Summer
| street. AZ business thoroughfares nowhere
excelled. Every new year the development of
| the manufactures aud commerce OF the coun-
try and Of their own city had shown that they
built on no false hopes in constructing such
| solid and expensive storehouses.
Or this city, more than any other in this
country. it is true that the different branches
| Of industry liked to remain together and work
side by side. To speak of a Boston man Of
Milk street and Franklin street was TO call to
mind the large wholesale and jobbing estab-
| lshments Of the dry goods manufacturers of
New England. Pearl street and High street
were to him the centers of the boot and shoe
industries of New England Summer street
was that of the latest advances OF domestic
dry goods. These streets were occupied al
most distinctiyely for these respective pur-
poses.
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FIRE.
To strangers, the consolidation of these
different interests cannot be better explained
than by saying that here, in the region
| bounded on the water side, two-thirds of c
mile, on Washington street nearly half Il
mile and on the northern side and southern
side nearly half a mile each, lay the very
richest part OF Boston.
1t was, perhaps, the wealthiest section in
| the country In this district there were few
dwelling houses. no hotel Of importance, no
theater no church, except Trinity and the old
South Church, which has as yet escaped the
flames. The Cathedral block. which is de-
stroyed, was a magnificent collection Of ware
houses. The site was formerly occupied by
the Roman Catholic Cathedral. the ground
having been purchased few years ago for
S2l square foot.
No banks have been destroyed except the
Revere. North America, and Continental.
The North Bank and the Bank of Mutual Re-
demption were in peril, but have not yet suf-
fered.
1t is rumored that the old South Church is
destroyed but have no reliable information
of the fact at this moment. The name of
the church indicates period when Boston
was confined wholly to what il now known as
the North End, vixen this church. the third
built in Boston, was regarded as the most
southerly Of the three. 1t was established
about the year 1860. The present edifce WAS
erected in the early part Of the last century.
With the advance Of the growth Of Boston.
the Olu SOull Ouulcu lOllP lOuUd llSeIl III the
northern part of the city, and 1t IL melan-
choly reminder of the origin OF its name if 1t
be spared to-day, that IL II st the southern
point of that part of old Boston which re-
mains. Opposite the old South Church, in
the time OF the Revolution, was the Province
Rouse, which was used by the English Gov
ernofs az their residence Of state. When the
English army took possession of Boston, find
ing In the winter. no other building large
enough for the training Of cavalry. they
seized the old South Church, and used it az
riding school. This insult to the people was
one Of the most bitter inflicted by that army
upon the Colonists. The congregation own a
great deal of real estate in the nelghborhood,
and. like that of the Trinity Charch Of New
York, are very wealthy. They maintain other
churches throughout the city. and were con-
templating the erection of very fine church
IL the region known as Back Bay. As land
mark Of the old times, there is no building in
Boston the loss Of which would be more re-
GREETED by its older citizens.
FRANKLIN'S BIRTHPLACE.
Immediately opposite the old South Church
was building, in the rear Of the Transcript
Office, which was built on the scene OF the
birthplace of Benjamin Franklin. From
this house, II is known that he was carried,
OH the day of his birth, to be baptized in the
old South Church. Recent visitors to Boston
will recollect that there was an inscription on
the granite warehouse erected there. TO
show that il was the spot where Franklin was
born.
The new Postoflice, which has been, so far,
a barrier TO the flames on the north. is a mag
nfcent structure of granite and iron, the cor
ner-stone of which was laid little more than a
year ago. A considerable part OF the ground
burned over east of this building had, the
antiquaries say, been gradually reclaimed
from the water, bat this was done long be-
fore the present generation was born.
From an intimate acquaintance with the
commercial interests OF the city, am able TO
state that the fall trade in dry goods was con-
sldered successful, and that the different
houses had probably reduced their stocks of
domestic goods to az low point a. at any
period IN the year. 1t is not vet time for the
stocks Of the spring trade 10 accumulate.
These warehouses were the point Of delivery
for the great manufacturing establishments
Of all parts Of New England, and they held
goods in very large quantities at the place of
manufacture, to be drawn upon IN case Of
sales. This is true. in a limited degree, also.
Of the boot and shoe business.
The stock of wool was probably at its very
largest, a. dealers had held wool lately for
rise. The recent difficulty in transportation,
caused 10y the horse distemper. had in many
instances. prevented the delivery Of wool a.
though it was absolutely neededin the manu-
featuring establishments, and larger quanti-
ties of goods than have ever accumulated be-
fore are now in store from tue same cause at