The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-09

Gen. ARENAS Ward, and a delightful
discourser upon old Shrewsbury. Miss
Ward devoteS a chapter to the Pease
tavern, which is still standing at the
junction of the kings highway and the
road to Westboro, about one mile from
the Northboro line, and to Levi Pease,
who established the first line of coach
es between Boston and Hartford,
through Shrewsbury.
The west bound coach started from
the sign of the Lamb" in Boston,
stopped over night at Martins in
Northboro, passed through Worcester
next day, resting at Rice's in Brook
field, reaching Palmer the third day
and Hartford on the fourth. In a few
months the plan of travel was changed.
By the new arrangement the coach
left from the Lion, Marlboro street,
Boston, the first nights halt was at
Farrar's in Shrewsbury, Spencer being
reaching the day following. Here pas
sengers were transferred to another
coach and conveyed to Hartford. The
fare at this time Q7S4) was fourpence
per mile, or about $40 from Boston to
Hartford. Subsequently, Capt. Pease
bought the Farrar inn in Shrewsbury
and another hotel which stood opposite
Boston common on the spot where now
st. Pauls Church stands, and which
his stages.
Northboro. We sat in the car while
the conductor disappeared in a little
shop where pumps were advertised ag-
gressively, and wondered whether it
was pumps for raising water or stom-
ach pumps that were meant Later, q
wounded bicycle gave us c clue We
resisted the temptation TO get out and
sample the water that dribbles from
Oh ut, thA nnTh N N
square-a cross between a sarcophagus
and a squash bug-and presently the
conductor reappeared with his supper
in tin pail and sent us Changing down
the pleasant street between neat
houses standing in shady old gardens
ablaze with nasturtiums, marigolds,
salyias and scarlet geraniums.
At Marlboro we met with our first
rebuff The ticket agent in Worcester
had assured us that the across country
line from Marlboro to birmingham
was opened. and because it is the bust
ness Of ticket agents to know about
such things, we took his word for 1t.
Alas! he was gay deceiver. The troll
ley cars were running only between
Marlboro and Fayville, leaving stroll
of seven miles to be covered on foot.
So out we got, bag and baggage, and
spent a miserable two hours in the
hybioWn little railway station, taxing
turns at the one crazy old rocking
chair and gazing disconsolately into
an empty freight car. 90, the holiday
spiritD Before leaving, Polly took
the precaution of getting a lunch at
one of the restaurants that are
dropped along the cheap Main street,
where the tea was weak and the but
ter strong, and the lady who kept the
shop had gone to a funeral.
In something less than three-quar-
tiers of an hour, our train lounged into
South birmingham, where, after some
waiting, we took the trolley car for
Boston. At Natick there was a wait
and walk before the car came along,
which fltrted us 1--WE subsequently
changed cars several times) past the
grounds of Wellesley College and the
beautiful town hall and public library
of Wellesley, under the elms that glo-
rify Wellesley Hills, to Newton Lower
Falls, where the Charles river flows
like a stream of cold molasses under
Echo bridge, past the famous Wood
land Park Hotel, through the Newtons
TO Watertown, and so over the Newton
boulevard into Boston
Beginning at Newton Lower Falls a
marked change was noticeable in the
riding. Not only did the cars bowl along
as if rolling over the surface of bill