The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-02-26
OUR BOSTON LETTER.
Visits of General Washington
to Boston Recalled.

First Made a Sensation Second Mixed
War and Social Affairs Third Was a
Triumph Birthday Celebration Indi-
Gates the Approach of Spring Seals on
the Coast Bounty on Their Heads Mock
Auctions Done Away New Head of Con-
servatOry of Music Bicycles - Dramatic.
The observance of Washington s birth
day recalls the fact that the Father of
his country was no stranger to Bos-
fonians years ago, and that three timeS
he visited the city, each time being more
Joyfully received than on his previous
visit. If read history correctly, Wash
angton, on his first appearance in Boston,
In 1885, caused a mild sensation in the
provincial town. Although but "a years
of age at that time he came on military
business, and was the guest of the gov
ernor While of striking appearance, the
youthful colonel personally caused less
talk than did the colored servants in
livery, who attended him. The Hub was
not exactly prepared for that sort of
thing then, and the visit was the talk
of the town for some years.
Washington's second visit came with
his appointment of commandments
of the army. He journeyed hither on
horseback, esta blished himself in Cam
bridge, first at the house of the president
of Harvard college, and later at the
Longfellow house. Here it is of course
true that he was earnest in the cause of
the colonies, but history and narrative
handed down to us relate that he also
found time to enter the social swim. 1t
was to Cambridge that Madam Wash
ington came, accompanied by her routine
OF servants, and dinners and social events
aided the winter of 1876 to pass pleas
antly and with little of the horrors of
war intruding. 1t was not till March
of the latter year that the redcoats evac
uated Boston and allowed Washington
to enter it's precincts. War in those days
evidently differed from that carried on
at this day, with heavy guns, dynamite
projectiles and the like. Contending
forces in 1897 would not feel comfortable
when situated in positions so near to-
gether as Cambridge and Boston.
The generals third visit to Boston, in
1888 was, Of course, after the war was
over, and when, as president, he con-
trolled the destiny of the government .
he had helped to establish. The doings
of that visit have too often been re-
hearsed to demand more than a casual
mention. He came, he saw and was seen
and now as time rolls on monuments
and tablets are being erected to show the
spots where he was entertained. To
him we owe a debt of gratitude and
full measure of love, and perhaps in no
better way can we show the feeling
within us than by following the custom
established in 1856 of observing the ami
Versary of his birth and defeating the
day to patriotic utterances and deeds.
I fix the date in 1856 because in that
year Feb. % was made a legal holiday,
although there were patriotic observ-
ances of the day at an earlier period.
King Solomon lodge of Masons celeb
sated the day in 1887. and the fraternity
elsewhere observed the day quite gen
orally.
Feb. % means another thing to us in
this city, and that is that spring is fast
and that the boys and girls
who have not yet enjoyed a sleigh ride
must, in all probability, wait for about
10 months at least. In few weeks the
grass in our parks will be green, the early
flowers in the public garden be in bloom
and we shall have reached a season
when Boston is blessed with desirable
climate. And we shall be thankful fol
the change. You cannot crowd theaters,
parties, balls and social entertainments
enough into the winter months to COM
pensate for the chilliness of the outside
world. Go down on the coast any bright
day and you will find an evidence of ap-
spring on the rocks that pro-
trude from the water. The rocks are
there at any time, but on them in spring
are thousands of seals, appar-
emily baskng in the sun.
With this sight however, should come
no dreams of seal skin sacks, for the an
finals are not the same as those that are
constantly making trouble for us up in
waters. The New England seals
are known as dog seals, and are entirely
different in outward appearance from
the fur seals of the north. Their skin
Is smooth and leathery, a good deal like
that of porpoise, only tougher. In
their general shape, however, they are
4 good deal like their northern con .
generers, having the same round head
and large, soulful eyes, which make it a
matter of considerable difficulty for a
person to shoot one But
the shooting takes place, as there is a
bounty of So on each and every seal
killed, and last year the Essex county
paid bounties aggre-
eating $3.50 for seals, which means $50
Of the animals were killed within few
miles of this city. This, it is probable.
does not represent more than half of
those actually destroyed, as only about
half are recovered, for the reason that.
unless killed at once. they nearly al
ways manage to reach the water when
shot, and sink to the bottom when they
are dead.
The reason for the bounty is not hard
10 understand, when you know that
these seals livs on fish, and that they
have the most wonderful appetites
known. 1t has been proved by expert
nents that a seal with normal appetite
will eat from 20 to 25 pounds of fish a
lay, and it can be seen that at this rate