Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-22

The business centre OF Boston at
present is pretty we'll defined and
known. Where it will be in the future
is subject upon which there are
many diverse opinions. II is reason,
able to expect lnat the centre Of trade
will not diminish in Importance or
size. but as the city continues to grow
more business will very naturally be
transacted in new sections. The
changes of the business centre of any
city are made slowly, but in Boston
they were less rapid than elsewhere.
The reasons for this are sound ones.
Mycr Ratzman. 66 Salem street
junk collector. narrowly escaped be
ing mohbcd ON Hanover street the
other day because the bag which he
nad slung over his shoulder was made
ont of the stars and stripes. To in.
sure safety Patroman Caffrey escort
el him to the Hanover street station,
where he was held AS Il suspicious per
son. later he was allowed to go to
his home. Next morning Il complaint
was made to a municipal court judge,
charging karzman with mutilating
and deacing ,le American flag. Ratz
man is about "a years old. He has
been in this country not many years.
but long enough to know the English
language the ways of the people and
the city. He is sad to be well known
in the Hebrew colony at the North
End, and his own countrymen eX'
pressed Indignation at the Hanover
street station over his action.
Fire Commissioner Henry s. Russell
has rewarded two popular laidermen
of Company II, Harrison avenue. near
Harvard street, for having performed
very clever rescue last Saturday af
ternoon. The two men are Michael J
Teehan and Joseph Hatton. Their
names have just been placed on the
roll of merit and the commissioner
has submitted both names to the Mas
sachusetts humane society. so that
within the very near future they will
he presented silver medals through
the commissioner, who usually sends
for the men when such an honor Is
conferred upon fire fighter. Chief
VIM. T. Cheswell was witness of the
finemen's work and reported to Col.
Russell all the details and the man
all the details of the fire and the man
ner in which the two men saved life.
Joseph p. Hatton was born in East
Boston and Michael j. Teehan was
born in Ireland.
There is satisfaction in the Italian
colony over the prospect that within
short time their nationality will be
represented in the regular militia Of
the state of Massachusetts, The orig
inator of the movement was Jerome
a. Petitti, who had as an able assist
ant Joseph A. LangOne. When a sufi'
cient number of recruits were enrolled
to insure a full company, the young
men of Italian parentage obtained per.
mission to drill in Liberty square.
Here all last summer they practiced
marching countermarching and other
details of the instruction of recruit.
Mr.. Petitti was born in Avelino, Italy, in
1874, and came to America in 1895. He
was in Chicago when the Spanish war
broke out. He enlisted in the United
States army and was assigned to
Mississippi regiment. He was pro
NOTED within a week of adjoining his
regiment, and was made sergeant
major He served with the regiment
~ months before it was mustered out.
In his younger years he attended the
military academy at Naples and Mo-
dena. Later he served in the Greek
war of 1895. as member Of the
legion des estrangers," composed of
former soldiers of all nations, among
whom were "a men from New York.
he took part in the battle of Thessaly.
where the colonel of the regiment.
Deputy Fratti OF the Italian chamber
of deputies, was killed. Mr. Petitti
is clerk in the sewer department of
the city.
Col Frank NJ. Baker OF the New
York state railroad commission. &C.
companied by an official OF the New
York Central railroad and an official
of the new York, New Haven G. Hart
ford railroad, Thursday morning test.
ell the automatic signal system which
is in use on the electric road in the
subway. AS result of the visit the
officials of the local road are very
much humiliated and crushed, for their
pet system, which they have regarded
as almost infallible failed. If it had
failed at any other time it might not
have made so much difference, but to
have 1t fail at such time, when IL
was being exhibited to a railroad com.
missioner from another state and q
bitter blow, especially as it was only
a few days ago that the Boston roads
expert, Stewart Ness, went all the
way over to New York to tell Col.
Baker and his associates what q
cracking good system they were using
in this city.
the committee on towns in favor Of
setting apart as "Oll Home Week" in
Massachusetts, the seven days begin.
ming the third Sunday in July in every
year was followed happily by a speedy
and complete victory for the idea in
the house. Now the bill goes to the
senate. Able and timely addresses
made before the committee of exGov.
Rollins of New Hampshire. Hon. F.. B.
Hayes Of Lynn and Representative
Adams unquestionably aided much to
boom plan which cannot fail to
commend itself to the people of Mas
sachusetts.
Terrible Fall to Death.