Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-05-22
srAUNToN, vA,aTUEsDAY. MAY 22,@s 1888.
Snring. the Warren I.ne q. has m red,,ced Steer

age passage from Ireland down to SIS. =.
The seven street car companies run their
cars toiaimost every corner of .the fcity, as
well as to Lynn, Chelsea, and other places
outside. Boston proper is little more than
half the whole city-Charlestow Rox-
bury, and Dorchester, once separate places,
now being included within the corparate
limits and 80 the cheap and accommodate
ing street-car is almost necessity. Dur
ing the spring, efforts were made to get up
an elevated railway, but the legislature
seemed to think that the streets were mar
row and, dark enough now, and would
not grant the company a charter.
Several weeks ago Jordan, Marsh, & Co.,
proprietors of one of the two largest dry
tgoods houses i'll this city, engaged 400, ex-
ira employees, and put a two-page adver-
Itisement in the papers announcing gigan-
tic mark-down sale of their entire whole
sale stock. The sale was kept up for more
| than q week, during which time the rail
roads ran excursion trains, and the thou
sands that went to that store were simply
immense. The papers stated that this was
the largest sale ever attempted in. this
country, greater even than any of the fa-
nous house of A. T. Stewart s. Co., New
York. "a, igA8zs
The manufactures of pianos and organs
is an important industry here, as are also
the making of clothing and novelties, and
printing and publishing. A Southerner is
sure to be surprised at the large number of
girls he sees here at work in stores, offices,
shops, &c. The females form considera-
bly, more than one-balf of the population,
and suit nearly as we'll for much of this
work as men, though their wages are vast
| ly lower.
| In Virginia we talk great deal about
the schools of New England, so 1t might
be well for me to say something on this
subject. Boston pays more attention to
education and has finer public school build
ings than any other city in the Union.
There are 63 grammar and high schools in
separate buildings, one whole house Or
school generally being occupied by pupils
of only one sex, and 422 paimary schools.
Then there are a number of evening
schools open to all free of charge, even
those who are over age. The city super
intendent receives salary of "a, 200 per
annum headmasters of high schools,
S3,780; masters of grammar schools,
50, $50 the first year, which is afterwards
increased to 50. $50; the lowest teacher in
the high schools, $768 to S94S; lowest in
grammar schools and primary teachers,
$456 first year, increased to $744. There
are number of men called truant officers,
whose business it is to loook after truant
boys. The whole school work is brought
down to fine system, which Boston can
well afford to maintain, as it is one of the
richest cities in the world, there being an
average of nearly SO, 500 worth of property
to every inhabitant, aud the total rate of
taxation is $500 on the 81, 600 of value,
$2.54 of which is used for school purposes
The whole real and personal veulation of
the city is 1865, 000 900. A number of
private schools of high grade are situated
here, among which is Boston University, a
young, but prosperous, Methodist institu-
ton. The schools of music, art, and ora
tory are celebrated everywhere, and litera-
ry and art clubs abound.
The public library, containing over 300,-
600 volumes, is the largest in the country,
except the library of Congress. 1t has
twelve branches in different parts of the
city, and the use of the books is free to all
| residents, old and young.
| The police force consists of 755 men. The
ordinary policemen receive So so per day
the tlrst year, which is afterwards increased
to $500.
The main post-ofice is very large
granite building which is not yet completed,
and there are ten or eleven branch post
offices. The mail is delivered four times a
day to residences and six times to business
houses.
| There are nine or ten daily papers, and
do not know how many weeklies and
monthlies. The Herald is the leading one,
independent, with daily circulation of
about 114,000 Next comes the Globe,
Democratic, and then the AdUertiser, Re-
publican organ; the transcript and TraUel-
Ter are nice semi-literary liberal Republican
papers, and the Post is straight-out Demo
cratic, with smaller circulation than any
of the others. The native New Englanders
and wealthy men generally take the AdUer-
hSer; ministers and literary people the
transcript; and the Herald and Globe are
the organs of the rumsellers and bummers
Boston has about dozen first-class
hotels, the finest of which is the New Ven
dome, valued at 5000, 900.
There are five nice theatres, and four
variety places. The Boston Theatre is the
largest and finest in America Among the
eminent actresses and actors who have
played here last winter are Mrs. Laugtry,
Adelini Patti, Mary Anderson John Nc
Cullough, Lawrence Barrett and Salvini
Trinity Episcopal church is the finest one
here, costing $S00,000, and there are sew
eral other very nice ores. Including
| Curt SOClGClUS, LDero are i'll
Boston 81 Baptist churches, 80 Congrega-
iional, 90 Episcopal, 81 Methodist, 27 Uni
tartan, Presbyterian, and so Roman Cath
olic, besides many other kinds not SO we'll
know. This city is also better supplied
with asylums and charitable institutions
than any other in the world
/ The costs of living are not so high here
as I expected to find them. The cheapest
hoard is $4.00 per week, and very nice can
be gotten for $3.50 to $500. Rents,
though, are high, as they always are in
large cities, and tenement of any size
cannot be gotten for less than from $50 to
$50 per month. By tenemeI t, mean a
suite of rooms generally up two Or three
flights, for few but the wealthy occnpy q
whole house.
There are great number of foreigners
here, mostly Irish, and many people from
the British Provinces come to find employ
ment, especially servant girls There is
also considerable colored population.
The climate is not so cold as many i'm
agine, though, of course, it is much more
severe than that of Stsunton. During the
past winter the mercury was never more
than FIVE degrees below zero, but some
times the cold snaps lasted about a week.
The season here, however, is considerably
later than in Virginia. Now the trees are
lust putting forth leaves, and the cherry
trees are not in full bloom yet.
Very Respectfully, G L. B.
| To Gf0D To BE LOST -Oa cnurFday