St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-06
MASSACHUSETTS BY-wAYS
TraueIing om Foot Through the Old Ba
State.

TrdUeling oH Foot Through TIE Ola bdH
State.
am travelling through a small part of
Massachusetts on foot, stalking it easy from
town TO town aud village, and often starting
out at morn with no idea where 1 may bring
up at night. / am learning how little We
may see Of the real country while travelling
by rail. The people of the state live on their
country roads. The railroad generally runs
by everybody's back door, and often far out Of
sight of that.
Last week visited in this manner Salem,
Marblehead, Peabody, North Reading, Read
ing, Woburn, Lexington and Concord
These places lie from ten to seventeen miles
from Boston.
Salem seemed 10 me as one Of those ''hn-
ished" old towns, very pretty to look at,
where all the fortunes have long since been
made: where there is just room enough for 81
many people and no more, and from whence
all the sons of families in moderate circum'
stances move away TO "do BETTER anc
where half the daughters never marry, but
die old maids.
Msrblehead's single hotel being fall from
theatre company's invasion, found
quarters at boarding house. 1 lost tha
! boarding house three times in six hours
owing TO Marblehead's crooked and confus
ing streets. It would disappear suddenly
and after hunting vainly for 1t an hour
would find it again turning up at my elbow
Entering about .. m. enquired for th'
dining room. No people were about. haS
been shown my room several hours before
BY good looking landlady in curl papers
| IN. B. There seemed here general ten
dency TO curl papers and pins in the after
noon. / never could see the sense OF a wo
mans making herself hideous all day il
order to look nice in the EVENING" asked
Il presumable landlord where | could fine
supper He asked me: sin what hoase ar,
you stoppingw / said in this house, / sup
pose" ''Was 1 stopping in Mrs, Wheel
locks houserr didn't know. Didn't in
quire of the landlady her name. He said
would be well for me to know in what hols
l was stopping. Because "'this'' was tw
houses with bnt one hallway, and '.bot
took boariers.'' Mrs. Weelocl
kept house at The right q
the hall and Mrs. Smith at the left.
didn't know whether I was stopping wit
Mrs. wheelock OF Mrs. Smith. The appaI
ent landlord disappeared. heard him call
ing for ''Ssrahr' / presume ''SaFah" eS
planned matters satisfactorily. l was led /
the right hand supper room and supped.
know not whether was the guest OF Mrs
Wheelock or Mrs. Smith. ] know only wa
''Sarah's'' guest. presume Sarah is ID
So - ~,
pins and curl papers.
Leaving Salem by one Of its southern exit
l Travelled broad highway, and finally cam
to another meetingit at right angles.
asked man where II led 70. ''To Peabody.
''How large a place is Peabodysn ''Oh, nC
much of place. and about two miles away.
Going on l assembled rising ground and be
held Peabody's tine church streples. Get
ting into Peabody found what IN Califoi
mia would be called a considerable OF
place." with banks, street cars, hanson:
town halls, an imposing soldiers monument
wide streets, and rows OF residences, on
wardly indicating fortunes, leisure
and luxury. had never hear
Of Peabody before. presume that nj
ions of my fellow citizens have never hear
of Peabody. Let no PeabOdian feel hur
} His ignorance may be as profound regardin
some .'slnart town" not 100 miles from Pc:
body. There are great many people j
this world-especially in Massachusetts.
From Peabody l Travelled norihwari towsr
North Reading. think the country woui
have satisfied me that was 10 Massachnset
D had been landed on it from above. Roal
e wide and well kept farm houses and barr
( large and well painted, pumpkins apparent
= bursting from barn doors, pumpkin pies -
on kitchen window sills to cool, and gre
elm trees over shadowing roofs.
( ! found roads, called Streets after lea
: ing miles away in the country travel
on Lowell street nearly the whole distan
I from Peabody TO North Reading. 81!
\ boards indicating the neighboring plac,
: their direction and number Of miles distaI
: are numerous both in town and country,
n that the foot traveller is never at a loss
d his bearings.
Inquired OF the young man how far d
tant was Lexington. He didn't know. II
never been there. \. Bile lived atS
fourteen miles from the latter place.
near. Of course. 10 have visited ii.
d iourneyed on TO North Reading aloI
n There is no hotel at North Reading. AZ
some trouble l found a private family
board me for the night. and was obliged
he put my case pretty strongly to obtain su
privilege and pay for it. At the front d.