The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-27
The Greenwich Tea Party.

After the story OF the Boston tea party
had found it's way through the colonies
from the northernmost lands In the South.
where the Spaniards yet held American
SOIL and the resolution OF the people had
become hardened I'm their purpose of re-
sentlng unjust taxes. the East India Tea
company determined TO try their luck
once more, thinking haply the spirit had
died away In these stubborn people So
they loaded the brig Greyhound with
cholce teas, shipped from Rotterdam and
embarked her for Philadelphia. Here.
however. were staunch Wings. as well as
tories. wings OF that same ilk who. In
the bleaker lands farther north had com
signed cargo OF tea TO the cold waters
| OF Boston harbor. So they sailed up the
Sohansey and landed at Greenwich. q
In Greenwich there lived a man named
Dan. Bowen. whose home faced upon the
market place, and at no great distance
from the water front. That Master Row
EN- was a Tory is little doubted AZ sny
rate. he had an understanding with the
company and the captain OF the brig, and
the tea was carried boldly. though IL rs
also stated. with inward trepidation. 10
the cellar or the unpatriotic Daniel where
IL was stored for use
Now. in this same town OF Greenwich
were men VINO were men, hating thkt
which was unjust. caring little for the
commercial and loving the land on which
they lived: The advent of the tea and tho
manner or It's coming first irritated and
then angered them. and at last they turn
ed TO the example OF their Puritan coun-
trymen; Even Dominic Fithian was
aroused, and II is feared the good man
did not retain his counsel on the matter
for he was later named as an active con-
spirator. Yet he did not speak OF IL in
his diary. and some one give him the
credit OF being merely an onlooker.
AS II was, on the night OF Thursday,
Dec. p, IVA. one hundred and twenty
seven years ago this month, strange fig
ures. clad IN Indian gaberdine, TO the
number of forty more. issued stealthily
from houses about the Greenwich market
place and went TO Dan Bowens house.
Had the dusky faces been submitted 10
the light of day. the lineaments of such
men as DR.. Ebenezer Elmer. Richard
Howell, who afterwards was major In
the army and a governor of New Jersey:
Sila5 Whitecar. Dominic Hunter. DR..
Thomas Ewing. Josiah Seeley and joel
Fithian. reputable citizens would have
been discovered One Henry Stacks was
also present but more of him later Mas
ter Bowen made no opposition, we are
were determined. and the tea was car
ried from the house. In a nearby va
cant lot il was burned with becoming
ceremony. and a further step was taken
claimed one devotee of patriotism. Henry
Stacks could not resist the temptation OF
his ankles. ne filled his pantaloons with
tea and carried the burden home. As long
as he lived he was known 70 every ono
as Tea Stacks and small BOYS deri-
sively shouted the name at him as ne
passed.
Naturally there was tho other side to
the matter Certain wiseacres shook their
heads over the matter and Tories de-
nounced a as a 'Wanton waste of prop
erty" and affirmed that the malefactors
deserved 20 be severely handled for it,.
on this the company took heart and de-
cided TO seek reparatiOn at law. The
case came up before "a Tory judge, but
the Jury were staunch Wings. The COM
mittee who had advised this strenuous
method OF showing disapproyal OF tea
importation. were brought 10 trial The
Jury were staunch. and though twice sent
out for decision. returned a verdict or
no damages In the hurry and swirl or
events that came soon after this. the
stirring news OF Lexington. Concord and
Bunker I'M. the matter was dropped and
soon forgotten save. perhaps I'm the ftm-
ilv of Henry Stacks. who. for many days.
must have enjoyed scalding brews OF
Bohea. despite the ieers OF Greenwich
$40