Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-08-12
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| SPECIAL coREESpoNpENCE.


Things are gradually assuming +
finished appearance in tae vicinity OF
the famous West Eo ton bridge here,
where important changes have been
! under way for some time. The tenn
porary bridge, which is to accommo-
date the traffic across the river during
the coustrurtio! o. The new bridge,
is piac lea ly conn letcd, but thee ase
several things to he done on it q ore
it can be opruel to travel and the old
b idge losel The plans for one thing
are still delayed by the question of II
lrAw, Us the final outcome of the
light for drawless b idSe will
affect every rart of the pro.
ect somewhat. An earnest effort
is to he made Mt the next session Of
Congress to get bill through giving
the war department the right to OBJ
! struct navigation on the Charles iiver,
as it is thought that the war depart
ment officials arc not of necessity OPP
posed to the building OF the bridge
without draw, but think it is beyond
their authority to allow any mavisa-
tiou whatever to be obstructeI. If
this effort is successful, the commits
sion will then be able to proceed with
the construction of the bridge.
The recent death OF Joseph Alfred
Smith, so long the "NIr. j. A. Smith"
of the famous old Museum at the For
rest Home, Philadelphia, marks the
last exit Of another of band of play
ers which will always maintain place
in the history of the American stage,
and about which cl :ster tender mcm-
cries, that will be transmitted to sue
cessive generations of Boston theatre
goers. Mr. Smith was not what conlu
properly be called great actor, bnt
he was good actor, and there
was an individuality, rs well rs fin
ish, in his delineation OF the fo,,
! which all who ever saw him--and
who OF the elderly country folk who
visited Boston has not-will easily
remember. He has gone to join his
old associates, and if the spirits of the
departed are privileged to Sc. and &
know one other, the meeting between
him and them on the last stage of all
will be joyous one. Think of the
stories they will have to relate, OF the
triumphs, and also the reverses, in
which they mutually shared!
John Lawrence Sullivan, who was
formerly one of the few demigods in
L.:
good or bad, and will not be IL can IL
date for mayor in 1899 Mr.. Sulli-
van, following the example of many
who have once too often entered
the pugilistic arena, has opened IL
saloon in the metropolis, thereby imi'
tating the example of that other $.
tinguished actor and author, James
Joseph Corbett, who is doomed to go
through life under the burden of hav-
ing been born outside of Boston.
Perhaps Sullivan may acquire n for
tune. Perhaps, and that wonld be
stranger still, he will retain it, and,
when he goes on that long journey
from which no ex-clampion returns
to announce that "there is one more
fight left in me yet" he may bequenth
to his native city fund to provide
typewriting machines and stenograph'
ers for deserving prize-ighters.
One of our noble body of aldermen
here has just distinguished himself by
opposing motion to givea reception to
Dewey on the plea that he wanted no
Boulangerizing. His nervousness OF
the possibility of Boulangerizing his
country is touching in its sincerity.
AID his feeling OF loneliness whel
that vote was taken lit was IL to ~
was almost enough to cause him
to wash his hands Of the whole basi-
ness, and let the nation 60 to the dem
nation bow-wows its own way. How
ever if anything in the shape Of Bou-
langerism should overtaAe us, he can
proudly tap his waistcoat over the re-
gion of his heart, and with sal
smile of knowing it all from the first,
proclaim that he sounded the note of
warning in ample time for us to avoid
the yawning abyss. He has made
himself at least solid with posterity.
William Durant, the veteran treas
urer of the Boston Transcript, who has
been for 65 years associated with
that newspaper, has just celebrated his
S3rd birthday, and the Transcript re-
ports its "grand old man" as enjoying
''all the comfort and happiness which
good health, many friends and pros
porous and honorable life can bring"
As the Transcript touches Bos!on's
best life so Mr.. Durant has been as.
sociated with the men in her CONNER
cial life for half century best worth
knowing. That lie may see rs many
more birthdays as he will enjoy Is the
wish Of everybody.
It is pleasant news to record that
Colonel Henry A. Thomas, postmas-
ter of Boston, has gained stead ly in
mental and physical strength since he
has been in the sanitarium, whittier
he was taken few weeks ago, and
friends who have called think he will
be completely recovered in months
time. II is not likely, however, that
he will go back to his work in the post
Office very soon as the mental strain
might put him Just where he was be.
fore.
Arthur C. ST Imam, the talented yonng
actor who is widely known as ''the
Deuman I'll ompson Of vaudeville" be-
gins b ief engagement at Keith's
Aug. IA in the char ming one-act play,
"Back Home" which is sort of min
iature "Sho.e Acres Any person WIS.,
ing Boston who fails to see Sidman's
great act will miss rare treat, indeed.
OBSERVER.