The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-08-15

BIZ X. B. LARSON.

" Notes by the Way" we promised your
readers description of some of the points Of
interest in and around Boston, and as Bunker
Hill monument is the highest point, we will
begin with that. This monument is placed
upon an eminence known in revolutionary
times as Breeds Hill, the adjacent eminence
being called Bunker's Hill but the whole
elevation is now known as Bunker's Hill.
That part Of it upon which the battle took
place is enclosed. paths are laid out, seats
placed at convenient intervals, and guide
boards indicate the position of the redoubts
and the arrangement of the troops, so that
one may picture to HIMSELF with tolerable
fidelity, the scene this historic ground present
ed on the morning of the nth of June TITS,
when fifteen hundred brave men, cheered by
the presence of their gallant leader, Prescott,
Putnam and Warren, calmly awaited Lord
Howe with three thousand British troops adj
vancing to dislodge them.
The monument is an obelisk of Quincy
Granite, thirty feet square at the base, and
fifteen feet at the top, rising to the height of
220 feet. The massive masonry is unrelieved
by single decoration, and so compact as to
give the appearance of solid shaft of granite.
Viewing it from the outside, you receive an
impression of solidity and permanency that is
quite comforting in these days of architectural
shams. At the base is an entrance way which
is carefully enclosed, the only means of ingress
being through a sort of porter's lodge, where,
by the payment of fee of twenty cents, you
are admitted into room containing a life size
statue and fine oil painting of Gen. Warren.
The statue is said TO have been executed from
the painting which represents the General as
a young man of noble presence, dressed in
the courtly costume of '76. when ruffied shirt
front and flowing hair, gave stately grace to
the most ordinary individual.
Gen. Warren, however, was in no respect
ordinary. Physically he was a type of perfect
manhood socially, none stood higher, in
evidence of which l quote from letter of
Mrs. Adams, written soon after the battle of
Bunker's Hill In speaking of the burning
of Charlestown, she says "Not all the
havoc and devastation they have made has
moved me like the death of DIR. Warren. We
want him in the Senate, we want him in his
profession, we want him in the field. We
mourn for the citizen, the senator, the physi-
clan and the warrior"
Gen. Warren's commission, and other an
cient documents of like import, were framed
and hung upon the wall. Among them per-
ceived a relic Of the Prince of Wales visit to
Bunker Hill In 1860. The leaf upon which
the Prince and his suite inscribed their names
had been removed from the visitors list,
framed, and placed in a conspicuous position.
examined the autographs carefully, which,
if remember correctly, were eleven in num-
Der. If it be true, as is sometimes affirmed,
that persons chirography is an index of his
character, the Prince evidently is not a
bombastic parsonage. There was no waste of
ink in heavy curves and fourishes and titles
just these words in a rather faint, neat running
hand, "Oct 10Th, Albert Edward" If the
prospective head Of three Kingdoms could in
scribe himself simply, albert Edward,
would it not be we'll for our citizens to be less
lavish Of titles? We passed from this room
out into little court and from thence into
the obelisk, which viewed from the interior,
appears to be hollow granite cylinder, en-
closing a similar, but smaller cylinder. The
space between these two is filled with spiral
stairway of stone. And up this stairway passed
your correspondent. l did not count the
steps, but was told that there were 294 how
ever, before reached the top, felt certain
that there were twice that number. Yet the
weary ascent. So complex is the plan of
Boston, that quite despaired Of gaining any
accurate notion of it's intricate windings, but
from this elevation the topography of the city
is clearly defined. From the window looking
northward, you see the Mystic river, which
supplies the city with water. 1t is spanned by
two bridges. Over one of these rode Paul
Revere into Medford town, when he took that
midnight ride ON the 18th of April In rs,
spreading the alarm through every Middlesex
village and farm, for the country folks to be
up and to arm. Across the river lies Chelsea
and Everett. Towards the east and s. east
you see East Boston and the Harbor. At the
nearest wharf the Somerset British man-of-
war was anchored, and down there at Grifin's
Wharf one clear frost night in Dec. 1773 three
hundred and forty two chests of tea went over
board. By the aid Of a field glass you can see
the ocean. Looking towards the south You
can see the main part Of the city of Boston.
As look the gilded dome of the State House
is the most conspicuous building. The city is
separated from Charlestown by the Charles
river. Two fine bridges join the towns. Upon
this river the Harvard boys have their roget
tas. Longfellow calls it the Silent River, and
dedcates poem to 1t.
River that in silence wiDdcat
Through the meadows, bright and free,
Till at length thy rest thou fndest
In the bosom of the sea
Thou hast taught me, Silent River
Many lesson, deep and long,
Thou hast been generous giver,
can give thee but a song.