New-York tribune., 1879-12-22
BOSTON TOPICS.
AND ART

ART GOSSIP
tynoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT on THE rRlnuNEI
Bosrox Dec. l9.-The women Of Boston who
aspired 10 be politicians oveTreached them
selves very deciaediy in the recent el c.
tion There were eight members OF the
School Board TO be chosen. 1hree-fourths OF the
male voters Of the clty were qnite willing to give
one of these to the women. and the nndoubted ma
jory were ready concede the advisabilty ot g'v-
ing them two. But they thought they saw chan
in the general scramble for the election OF three OF
their SEX and persisted in running that number
against the earnest advice OF MANY gentlemen WHO
wished tn make sure of electnC or two The
result was just what the older heads politics sup
posed il would be-the women candidates were all
defeated. There werc votes enough east TO elect
two il they had been sensibly concentrated on that
number. OF the 0S9 women who registered. s62 1p-
peared and voted Women were noticed distribute
ing ballots in every ward but two aud at nearly all
the precincts in most o the wards. They were gen
orally carly at the polls. aud nowhere encountered
any dIScourtcsy. Old city reporters saw tley never
knew another election when everything was so
decent aud orderly the poIlingplaces. Lynn reg
istered l76 women the two of their number uoni-
mated on the school Board defeated. Salem
must be declared the banner city the matter OF
giving Office to women oy AZ of them registered,
and four of these elected membcrso the School
Committee. The l62 women voters of Worcester Sc
cured the nomination OF two of their members on
one Of the school tickets. but were not able TO COM
pass the election of either No woman was noml-
mated in Ncwbnrypori and Lowell
Whether Iamilton-pace shall be extended is
question that gould have possible interest to per
sons in NeW-Yurk DID not the proposed extension
probably involve the destruction Of Music Hall and
the great organ. When the matter MP earlier
in the year such action had as led folks gene
rally TO suppose the project would not further
be pressed. But the Street Commissioners kept the
thing in hand through the Summer aud tall. and
recently surprised 10y recommending the extern
sion at an estimated cost of $l53,OO0. The sub
jcct is now before the City Council, and IN charge
of tho Committee Streets. which has given one
or two public hearings thereon, much 10 the en-
hghtenment of the community. Mr.. EbeD Dale
owns OF controls a tTIfle more than one-hall the
shares of the Music Hail Association. aud is one 0f
the advocates of extension, while all but two OF The
remaining sixty odd shareholders arc strongly OPP
posed 20 IT, Tue trustees of two or three other es-
tates on the line of the proposed new street favor
IT, otherwise nearly everybody in the immediate
neIghborhood belongs 20 the opposition. OF course
the cxtcasouists claim that the opening oi the
street through from fremont to Washington viii
render available for business purposes large terri
tory now itte used because 0i its inacceSsibliiy.
aud thereby add materially 20 the taxable property
OF the city bat really believes that the pro-
icct can bc carried out for less than 5000 and
il is objected that, aside from question abont
the destruction of Music Hail. the gain would not
equal the cost and that The scheme Is after all not
for the publc good. bat for private benefit Those
actively ursing the project have sccsgcd consid
erabc Endorsement among business men. but tho
great body Of citizens have ilpt set discovered
any valid rcison for the proposed extension. and
doubt If the Aldermen and Couuol can be brought
10 the street Commissioners view. Certain os the
extcnsIruiss profess to believe that Nusic Hall can
be saved bv turning It round IN way. hut no
architec; of standing allows himself 20 be COM
mittcd 90 this opinion.
Doubtless most readers Of the January
number of The atlantic will first turn
90 what is given OF Mr. HOwells's new story.
1t is nothing less than careful and elabo-
rate report of a spiritual seance held at IA hcuse in
one of the lately gentee SIDE streets OF Boston Ac
counts of such affairs, by Bl Bodkins and other
writers, whosa pay Sl5 or $50 per week. can be
found IN OF papers; here is an account by one
Of the foremost writers Of the country.
Deeuiing 1t worth while for purpose to print
report of thc sayings ana dOings at one Of these
test -nrdun,ship meetings. there Is now an oppor-
tunity fur any TO how much better worth
while ~ would be 20 have II written by W. d. How
els than by Bill Dodkins. Just what relevancy
there Is ia the title given by Mr.. llowels to his
novel does not yet clearly appear bat the install
Iremt of the story in this Indntc is most excellent
reading and there some bits IL the second chap
Ter that are as good anything he has ever printed
Somebody once remarked that when Boston folks
can find nothing else to do they get together and
organizc a new club or society Whatever degree
oftruth there may be in this remark, il is a iact
that the Boston Memorial Society was organized
last MONTH and tie Boston Antiquarian Club Will
be Organized next month. The Aemoriasts pro-
mos. IA ,tfgrg.t fLelneel matters connected
with the ador.incnt of our pHblic grounds and the
ctrc.i,i If structures commemorative Of events in
onr lecal history. They are feeling their way along
cautiously apYarcntly meaning TO win the respect
and confidence II the better class Of citizens that
The small politicians who 20 into the city govern
Inent will bo compelled 10 give some heed
to their judgment and advice. They are tolerably
certain to come 10 tho front early next year Oh
uucstipns relative to the extension OF our park
tenn The Antiguarians set themselves to the col
lection and preservation of facts and things belong
ipg TO the Boston of yesterday and to-day-a some
what bumbler task than that of the Historical and
Genealogical Society, with which organization
many Of the gentlemen interested IN the new move
ment are connected. Had this club been in exist
ence some years ago there could hardly have been
such destruction as there was OF useless papers
and records ly the Old South Church folks
The very latest thing that have discovered in
Boston is something in the Sunday evening concert
line. One can hardly say that the mantle OF the
Rev Mr. Murray exactly fell anybody, but the
Rev H. 4. ShuTcy succeeded 10 the editOrshiD OF
tie paper hc established, and 70 the pastorshiD OF
the congregation lac gathered The paper is bright
and readable ~ certain fashion,. but the congrcga-
ton II moi as large ~ IL used to be. However. 10
takes large name--the Metropolitan Church. Mr..
Sbcrcy defined ihe plans and purposes of the new
society last week sunday morning at much iength.
saying among other things: Sunday concerts are
objected 10 by many but only q matter Of prcju
xVbi IA be- shall