Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-23
DUAL INT MAR FAD
Redolent Of Ancient Fables and Some His
tory.
Home OF the Famous Myopia Hunting
Club and Other Historic
SURROUNDINGS.
Special Correspondence # The Evening Star.

ihere are SO many charming summer re-
sorts on the coast Of Maine and Massa-
ch"setts that one is often in a quandary
as to the approved choice to make. The
new England air is charged with ozone
| and health-giving properties, and a few
| months Inhalation of these salutarv in
gradients is warranted to smooth out the
wrinkles and touch I'D the complexion
| more thoroughly than any Injurious cos
| metics.
Quaint old Marblehead is a favorite
| among the summer travellers. 1t is the
headquarters for some famous American
yacht clubs. and there you have a view
down the harbor from old Fort Sewall such
| as painter might immortalize on canvas
Marblehead is historical, for here are the
birthplaces of many eminent men, In the
ancient burying ground are headstones 200
years old. The stones at that time were
sent from England. and consequently the
cost was SO heavy that poor people had to
suspense with that luxury. Here are the
homesteads of Elbridge Gerry, the signer
OF the Declaration of Independence. and
! Col. William Lee of revolutionary fame
The latter was considered a fine specimen
| of architecture in its time, and even now
| Is well worth seeing. It was built at q
cost Of $4,000, and the carved wainscotine
| the grand staircase and historic wall paper
are still wonder to slght-seers
Inc st. Michaers Episcopal Church, built
| IN liza, once had for its pastor the Rev.
| David Mosson, who tied the nuptial knot
for George Washington. The organ used
here was bought Of st. Paul's Church, in
New York, in 1918. and was used there
wnen washington was inaugurated in 1850.
The ancient part of the dear old town
might be termed a natural crazy quiit-the
quaint old houses dropped here and there
at the whim or fancy Of their owners-the
| that. in your deviating course, up hill and
down. the houses turn their backs upon
| you SO to speak. and give you view Of
| the rear gardens with their old-fashioned
posies.
On Orne street stands Fountain Inn, with
the old town pump nearby. This was the
background once for one of our renowned
Puritan romances-Cophetua and the beg
| gar maid. Pretty. barefcoted. Agnes Sur
| rage. the daughter of humble fisher folk
while scrubbing the tavern floor, attracted
| the admiration Of Sir Henry FARMLAND.
collector Of the port of Boston, as he
stopped for a draught at the town pump.
he gave her money for stockings and
| rode away. but came again another day."
educated the humble beauty, married her
and bore her far across the sea- Her after
| history was a sad contrast to that of our
American bellies in this end of the century.
But the house best known to curiosity-
seekers is the home of Floyd" .Ireson.
made famous by Whittiers poem, which Is
| founded more on fancy than fact This is
tender point with old Marbleheaders,
| who have been subjected to many annoy
ances by summer visitors. Descendants OF
Skipper Ireson still live here, and resent
| the ill-bred intrusion of the stranger within
their gates. Relatives occupy the so-called
Ireson House." which occupies the old
site. but, in its numerous alterations, has
| hardly an original timber remaining Not
withstanding this their home is treated as
public museum by pleasure, seekers, who
daily practice an exercise on the old brass
knocker and demand to go through the in
| terror. Whittier himself. when he heard
the facts of the case, regretted publishing
| the story.
Peter Ireson. nicknamed Floyd" was
skipper of Marblehead fishing smack.
and during gale in the bay of Chaleur
saw a vessel in distress and wished to go
| to the rescue. The crew, who We're mar
ried men, refused to risk their lives but
promised to go when the gale abated. They
| lay-to. but while the skipper was asleep
they pulled up anchor. and when he came
on deck the distressed vessel was left be-
hind. The crew threa tened to shoot him
If he told, and only after he had been un-
justly ''tarred and feathered" were the
true facts made known by the poor little
cabin boy, whose fears were conquered by
his soft heart The version that he was
''tarred and feathered and carried in a
cart by the women of Marblehead" is not
true. 1t was done by the r1en, Who were
fired with indignation and did not stop to
question; but the old shippers spirit was
broken, aud he was never the same man
afterward.
The townspeople have never ceased to
regret the occurrence, for they have in
herited from the dear old past that old
fashioned loyalty that changes not with
time, and it is for This reason that they
find the misinterpreted curiosity of visitors
SO hard to bear.
Near to Marblehead is Hamilton. where
a number OF families from Beacon Hill
have their summer residence. Here is
where the swell Myopia Hunt Club meets
and you can watch an exciting polo game
fine piece of horsefesh. for the blue bloods
keep their studs in fine training. The
Gardeners. one Of the old Boston families,
have fine place here. One of the sons
In Beverly, near by, is historic man.
sion, built in 1773 by Senator Lodges
grandfather. George Cabot. who was an
ardent patriot and entertained George
Washington on his trip north to inspect
the first cotton mill in America, operating
| then in North Beverly.
Another trip OF historical interest was
that. taken by the Christian Endeayorer
bicyclsts while in Boston to Concord
| and Lexington Of revolutionary fame. The
| route is memorable because 1t is the same
| taken by Paul Revere in his famous ride.
1t takes one through such a delightful
country, entranced by such varied scenic
views, that 1t is a favoritc route for bicy-
| clssts, who patronize it by the hundreds.
Bronze and stone tablets commemorate the
| historical events on the line Of march. so
that you live once again in the heart-beats
of that national struggle for independence.
The cyclers roll down Massachusetts ave-
the same name-across Harvard bridge
into old Cambridge Here you can get a
glimpse of the beautiful college grounds,
and you can take in the famous Wash
ington elm and the Craigie house, for
| merly Washington's headquarters. and the
house Of the poet, Longfellow. Then pass
ing through lively Arlington, with its
pretty stretch of water, you are pointed
out the site of the Black Horse Tavern,
where the committee of safety met in
ITS. and the tablet concentrating the
capture Of the British soldiers April 10,
ITS. On the outskirts of Lexington you
ride by the home of Jonathan Harrington,
| the last survivor of the battle of Lexing-
! ton. A little way beyond you come across
| the Monroe Tavern, fiat-roofed, weather.
beaten structure, dating back to 1905.
| This, too, was the headquarters of Earl
Percy April 10. 1175.
In the center of the town of Lexington
Is the green common, which is honored
by the hear proximity of tree planted
by General Grant April 10, 1875 Further
on is a bowlder, marking the line of the
minute men and inscribed with Captain
Parker's famous speech.
From Lexington you bowl through q
charming bit of country to Concord, which
| has full reason to be proud in being the
shrine Of such household names as Elmer
son, Hawthorne, the Alcotts and Thoreau.
You can see their graves in the "Old Hilr'
huryfno ground md Sleepy TJo1lou whiIa