The times., 1895-06-28

ground is alive with the early history of oul
country, and one breathes in fresh inspira
'tious of patriotism with every breath of thu
pure, invIgoratipg air. West Somervill'
boasts of possessing the most interesting
historical relic IN Massachusetts, with bu
few rivals in all New England. 1t is thu
-s'Powder House" or old mill, which stands
high on the summit of hill one side o.
which presents natural battlement OF pre-
cipit0us rocks. 1t was built and used for
time as grist mill; is about thirty feet high
with diameter of fifteen feet at The base
walls two feet thick and built of blue stone
It's date is uncertain but thought to be
about 1704. 1t is now owred by the city
and the grounds around 1t are used as
public park. 1t commentaries one OF the
earliest hostile acts of the revolution, for on
the morning of Sept. I, 1774, Gen. Gage
sent an expedition to seize the powder al
the magazine, by which the colonists lost
fifty half barrels of powder.
sour fathers raised their breastworks high
To drive the British from their sight;
The powder house was strong and dry,
Am ready for the Concord Fight"
A granite slab close to the street in front
OF Unitarian church in Arlington which
was founded in 1856, is inscribed to the
s"Men of Old Menotomy who captured a
wagon train of supplies on its way to the
British lines on the 10th of April, ITS"
: and further on a similar slab marks the
0 MIA
captured and murdered that same day on
the retreat of the British after the battle of
Concord. Arlington was formerly called
Menotomy. An old-fashioned building of
bam-like proportion announces itself as
>''COoper's Tavern, 1776" though it is not
known as the Arlington House.
The approach to the Heights is bordered
with villas and gardens and stapdpipe Is
conspicuous on the elevation, yet much re-
mains of wild beauty in woods and rocks
where wild flowers and birds thrive unmO-
Tested. A few rods from the public high
way in some directions is sufficient to plunge
one into the solitude of the forest primeyal.
Long may it remain undisturbed in native
3oveHness.
SSnmervile is ahead of Rome in the num-
Der of bills on which it ''sits,' for portion
OF 1t rs known as "Ten Hills Farm" while
Winter Hill, Prospect Hill, Central Hill
and Spring Hill are elevations of special
historical prominence. The residence por-
tion, of Somervile in which now live COW
ers Winter Hill and is so designated. A
! portion of Central Hill is reserved as pub
Iic park, and from its brow fine view is
obtainable of Boston, Charlestown, Cam
bridge and other adjacent cities. The
Bunkerhill monument looks like tall
finger post across the intervening listance
Sturdy General Putnam made stand on
Central Hill after the battle of Lexington
and putnam street leads off from the park.
IDaviug the memorable seige of Boston the
heights of Somerville were the strongest
stssgetic points for the American lines. On
Prospect, Central, Winter. Convent and
Asylum Hills were built the Citadel and
other invlnclble works. A battery COM
posed of number of large guns donated by
Congress occupies substantially the same
position on Central Hill as the old fort
which 1t commentaries. A tablet not far
from the battery is thus inscribed: ION
This hill the union flag with its thirteen
stripes, the emblem of the united colonies,
Airst bade defiance to an enemy, Jan. l.
I776." Near the bottom of Central Hill is
A slab erected to the memory of James
Miller, a minute man, aged 65, who was
slain by the 'British, April 10th, 1775.
Urged to retreat he replied heroically "Pm
too old to rum" and kept on firing until he
fell pierced by thirteen bullets. These last
Nwords are inscribed on the tablet.
sSomerville is said to contain about forty
Thousand inhabitants and is residence
rather than business city. 1t has been
built up quite rapidly within the last four
wears, thus most of the houses are modern
though good many fine specimens of
colonial architecture are to be found.
Among these are two old houses used re-
spectively as the headquarters of General
Greene and General Lee. A round dwell
ing house on Spring Hill is one of the GU
-xioslties of the architecture of the city. 1t
three stories high and the inside arrange
sments are said to be as peculiar as its out
ward appearance. 1t was built about forty
years ago.
ssomerville Is. and has been for some
years, a no-license city, and this is another
sof its attractive features. 1t is said that
oxuite number of the saloon keepers of
Boston live here. They appreciate the ad-
wantages of bringing up their families away
from the atmosphere of the saloon and IFS
sceacomitants, and they find the taxes light
ser of course.
The Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michi-
gan Ry. will sell tickets at one fare for the