The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-01
John Hancocl1 ana His Times.


AOAii tli0 ANCW 4 bIk IICSS.
Though John Hancock wrote his name
where all nations should behold it and
where all time should not efface IT," il is
a singular fact that so far no adequate
story of the life of the Signer has been
written. AT the unwilling of the memorial
to Hancock in Boston two years ago Cur
It's Guild, Jr., said in his address: "He
who would study the career of John Han
cock must CLEAN It piecemeal from the
brief notices of the encyclopedias the
pages of general history and the biograph-
les of other men,"
John Hancock was young man when
his rich uncle took him in to his business
house in Boston. The young man. when
he went into business, started a "letter
book and that letter book is i'm existence
to-day. Extracts from it, with other let.
tiers of HancoclCs, have been pu blished un-
der the title of John Hancock, His Book"
and thus we are given a glance at the
commercial world of the American colonies
in the days when the agitation was in
progress which resulted in the American
revolution, and are carried through the
trouhlous days of that struggle from 1.-THE
inside" as il were. Through the medium
of this book we can sit in the colonial
counting house of Hancock & Co.. mer-
chants of Boston, and see the growth and
operation of the material causes which led
to the separation of America from Eng
land. Everybody knows, in a general way
that the Stamp act, the Boston Port bill
etc, were injurious to American interests
and subversive of American liberty In
this book we can see just how those
oppressive measures operated. and how
the business of the merchants of the col
onies and the material welfare of the in
habtants were interfered with
Though this was John Hancock's nrivata
letter book he evidently foresaw that its
contents would one day be of interest
for of a strong letter in which he records
his views of the Stamp act he says that he
places il in his letter book as a standing
monument 10 posterty."
The book not only gives an idea of the
mercantile and political life of the times.
but also of the social and domestic condi-
tons under which the wealthy and in
fiuential people of the colonies lived Han
cock used 10 order his wine from Madeira.
and furniture and clothing of expensive
kinds were constantly being ordered from
London for himself and family From
London also he got out his books and his
tableware. He had his coach with his
crest on the panels-and he had the gout.
In those days the planters of Virginia
were not more expensive in their equipage
or more stately in their manners than me
merchants of Boston. and while the tables
of Virginia might claim the palm for
abundance. they certainly could not com
pare with those of the wealthy Bostonians
for luxury. In one of his letters Hancock
writes TO a firm in MADEIRA. Il am now.
there fore, TO desire you win please 10 send
me by the return Of this vessel on the FIRST
opportunity 10 this place, two pipes OF the
very best Madeira. ] don't stand al the
price let 81 be good. / like a rich wine Z"
Another time he orders las neat ma
hogany cabinet rs can be made IN Lon
don suitable for a ady's chamber" The
'nsh dinner of Boston used 10 be an in
sutution, ana Ia some OLD families is 80