The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-01-06
THE cURFEw RINGER.
Sleepy Heads of Boston In the
Seventeenth Century.

|
ringing Is an old custom abolished in
Boston in 1880. In 1640 Richard Taylor
was the curfew ringer here. Other
towns near by also had the curfew;
Ipswich, 1859; Hartford, 1868; Salem,
! 1873; Hadley, 1876; Charlestown, 1854;
Newbury, 17o6. Its original purpose
was that of fire extinguisher-couvre
re feu-at eight or at nine o'clock in
the evening. "Curfew shall not ring
tonight" In 1863 well-known writer
announces that the Boston curfew was
to warn young people home. In
"Romeo and Juliet" act. w., scene
w., the yesty Capulet, arousing his
household early in the morning, shouts;
Come, stir. stir, stir, STIR the second
cock hath crowd. 'Tis three o'clock"
Taylor was Bostonian from 1641. IT
business he was tailor. His shop in
1852 was "at the south end of Mrs. Ham
bros house," and in 1861 under the
stairs, northwest corner, in the town
house, 10 continue there during his life
and that of his wife. She died in 1878;
and in 1875 the heirs sold the lease for
the remainder OF the 61 years granted
him by the town in 1869. He held sew
eral public offices-wood corder, corn
measurer, superintendent of the town
watch, guardian of the town clock.
Clocks in those days were not COM
mon. Boston in 1913 had horologe on
Merchants row. near the sea, between
State street and South Market street,
which was known as Edward Tynge's
Dali poste;" and Charlestown. as late
as 1856, had q sun dial on its public
meeting house. Sand glasses were also
much in use. Thus, in 1914, Capt. Stagg,
in a man-ofwar of "a guns, demanded
the surrender OF a Bristol merchant
man then lying in Boston harbor be-
tween Copp's hill and Charlestown,
Sand giving them only 30 minutes BY
his sand glass in which TO comply. The
merchantman surrendered. But If you
lad seen the commotion which pre-
vailed along the water front, and If you
had heard the denunciatory sermons OF
the ministers Of Boston concerning the
affair, you would not have given much
for the safety of Stagg. his vessel. his
crew. or his half-hour glass But Stagg
carried away with him his vessel, its
cargo, and everything except, perhaps,
his daughter, who seems 10 have be-
come the wife Of an established BOSTON
known Boston family. The wisest OF
the Boston authorities took the sensi- |
bic view, in reference to this apparently
high-handed act OF stagg, that in the
contest then going on between King
Charles and the parliament they could
not afford to quarrel with the Earl OF
Warwick, 'magnus Admirallus An
gliae.' whose commission Stagg was |
obeyng.
The Bostonians in 1859 had at least
one bell. In 1852 another one. given to
the town by valiant sea fighter. Capt.
Cromwell, was set up as a clock. In
1867 the town paid Taylor "for repair
ing the clock for his direction to ring
by" and in future he was ito bee a;
charges to keepe clock and to repayrc
ii" out of G5 allowed him by the town.
In 1868 he still had charge Of the town
clock. At the same time the bell "neere
Goodman Taylor's dore" was rung at
5 clock and at11. During the eighteenth
century bells were rung at various
hours-5, II, and Q, though not always
the same bell-at the Old South church.
DR.. Sevall's. the Old Brick church. .he
Old North.the New South. the West.
and that of Rev. Mr. Byles. In 1894 bells
were also rung for opening the markets.
What a clangor. and for every day in
The year. too. The racket must have
been intolerable, even worse than that
of Independence day. Many were the
petitions from Boston bell ringers for
more bell ringing and more pay. Oc-
however, under the plea of
economy. the voters of Boston in town
meeting would do away with at least
part OF the bell ringing then prevail
ng. Bells have also rung for town
meetings and for funerals. Thus Rich
,rd Taylor appears as the first New
England curfew ringer.-E. Rider, in
Boston Transcript.
low siIkworms' Eggs Are Hatched.
The Umbrian cattle are snow white.
md form lovely bit in the landscape;
,ut, strange TO our American eyes.
ows as well as oxen are yoked TO the
How, and are never sent to pasture.
n fact, there is no pasture land for
hem, and at sunset peasants are to be
cen up in trees stripping them of their
caves, and filling sacks with them for
heir stable-fed cattle. Until in
uired. supposed they were gather