Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
The Great Railway System Beneath
the Streets of Boston.
PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST
What a Washington Woman Saw
in Massachusetts, Capital.
COLLECTION OF RELIC
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Boston, and one is surprised how turn OF
the street or the sllirting of a corner trans
fers one in a moment from modern thor
oUShfare to some ancient precinct.
In Haymarket Square, to the right. you
can still see the city scales and weghers
office. where the colonists rendered strict
account. The term square does not mean
a charming inc'rsure, such as our own
Franklin Square-Boston mas no room for
those breathing places in the city proper
the title square is given TO any space, how
ever small. where the different car lines
intersect and the streets cross each other.
Some are large, some small, few are dig
niied with a statue, but alas for the per-
son who tries to find his way by any
methodical plan from any such nucleus.
The hub is there, but the spokes are put in
Unfortunately.
FnncuiI Hall.
Passing down Cornhill through Dock
Square by the statue of Jonathan Phillips,
you come to Faneuil Hall, sacred to every
lover of Independence day. The adjacent
buildings, which carry indisputable evil
dence of longevity, shine in its reflected
light, for you read "Faneuil lunch room
and dressing rooms on each sidc.
1t seems a dissertation that this cradle OF
liberty should be prostituted to the Use OF
r. market place, for the lower floor is given
thus endangerng this ancient structure to
loss by fire, through which the original
building was destroyed In 1!6l: IL was,
however, rebuilt in 1853. This building was
considered an ornament to the town. AS Il
now stands it is about glxSO feet, and the
decorations and remodeling. which were
added in 1906, were considered very ornase
at that time. The upper story is very low
studded and hung from the roof on trusses.
Here are the headquarters for the Ancient
and Honorable Artillery Company of Mass
achusetts, one of the oldest organizations
in America and branch of the same So
ciety in London of which the Prince Oh
Wales Is an honorary member.
The founder. Hon. Robert .keayne OF Lon
den came over to America in 1884. In 1913
ne founded the company, with thirty MEM
bers. Now there are over 600. There are
great many noted names on the roll The
walls are lined with pictures of these and
other members of the company. In tire side
rooms are treasured the neirlOOHlS, WHICH
are numerous
One interesting souvenir is the paper is
sued eight deys after. the battle OF Con-
cord and Lexington. The sheet Is very
small and in exceedingly fine print, all but
the headline-"Blcody Butchering by the
British" The details are put across the
top within the outlines of small cofiins, IN
tended to make them more narrowing.
on the story below is the clerks room,
where you are requested to register your
name, and the hall proper. AS you step
across the threshold that has echoed to
for their footprints within these historic
walls. There Is tier OF seats on either
side, ana a gallery supported by pillars OF
white and gilt. The steps leading to the
gallery are barred off by little gates, as is
the circular stairway leading from the
platform to the room below. On the plat
form are several antiuuated tables and
chairs, and the inches in the background
are adorned with a row of marble busts,
while above hangs Healy's celebrated paint
ing of Daniel Webster delivering his
speech, made famous by that one phrase,
Liberty, union. now and forever. The
walls arc covered with portraits of Adams,
Hancock, Everett, Andrew, Knox, Choate,
Peter Faneul, Caleb Strong and the kear-
sarge and the Alabama.
Faneuil Hall still echoes to the sound of
patriotism. for in it are held all enthusi-
astic celebrations.
The Old State House.
From Faneuil Hall it is natural to turn
your steps toward the old state house. 1t
stands in the center of the daily traffic of
our modern Athens. Washington street
pours its ceaseless flood of humanity by it
from morn till eve. Just beyond is the
dear old corner book store, sacred to the
literary lights of the past. a slab of wood
on the side tells the passerby that it was
erected in 1Il2. On the next corner stands
the old South Meeting House, mantled with
ivy, and bearing its weight of years from
1000 with the inherited pride of its owners
served here, and a twenty-five-cent en-
trance fee is charged.
Certainly in this lktle nest egg of an
tiauity the old state house stands pre-
eminent. Its outward appearance strikes
one from every point of vantage. 1t has
an aspect of venerable antiquity, with its
quaint tower, its corners embellshed with
the lion and Unicorn, the braZen eagle in
front, with the seal of Massachusetts be-
low. narrow, curving flight of steps
leads to the entrance, and circular stair
way also leads from the central hall to the
stories above. The upper floor is given up
to the Curtis collection of old Boston pic
lures, and room devoted to relics, such
as the old weather vane off the Hollis
Street Church, which was altered to a the
alter In 1888; the cornice from the house of
Cotton Matthew, 4 printing press used by
Benjamin Franklin. and purchased from
the estate of Ben: Perley Poore, and a fire
bag used in Boston in 1894 for removing
goods from buildings. On the story below
is the old council chamber. Here assem-
bled the honorable council composed of
twenty-eight citizens, who formed the up
per house of genera, court. From the bal
cony under the east window it was Gus
tcmary to read commissions and proclaim
laws with beat of drum. From this same
balcony the Declaration of independence
was read The walls are lined above with
ancient shields and coat-of-arms Here
are old documents, such as theater bills Of
1i9J, advertising new play by Kotzebue,
and an account of the cost of repairing
the state house from the loss by fire in
1T41, the cost bang given as fS52 15s sd
On the opposite side of the hall is the old
representative hall. The building was last
occupied in 1IgS, when the general court
marched to Beacon Hill to occupy new
quarters.
After exhausting the old state house it is
natural to wish to view the modern one ON
beacon Hill.
You wend your way up Washington
street. through newspaper row, to School
street. and thence to fremont. Here, on
the corner, is Tiny Kings Chapel. with its
gray Corinthian pillars and its adjacent
graveyard Standing close to the street,
the restful tone of its walls seemed to
throw a shadow of peace on the turmoil
that sweeps by its doors. On the opposite
corner stood the old fremont House. and
just beyond is the Granary burying ground.
1860. Here is the monument to BENZ Frank
lin and here, also, two simple slabs mark
the resting place of Adams and Hancock
Up above you CLEANS the gilded dome of
the state house, with the green sweep of
the Boston common lying at its feet This
common is the peoples play ground 1t dates
back to the time of the Puritans when a
place was set apart for a "trayning field"
The digging of TIE present subway sent a
thrill of horror to the hearts Of thousands
The sword of innovation should not desc
crate this shrine of the past and the tide Of
ir dignation was only appeaseC. by the GER
tainty that ii would not interfere with its
general preservation. The statement in a