Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-02-16

urbs of East Boston and Winthrop
have just been connected with the ele-
waited, subway and surface car systems
of the mainland.
Probably no building in the country
has older, or, in a certain way, more
important historical associations than
this AS is told on the two bronze
tablets set in the passageway cut
through the end of the ground floor of
the building to give entrance to the
underground car lines, this was in 1884
the site of the public market place;
here in 1857 was erected Boston's first
town house, which was burned in I'LL
and replaced two years later by the
present building. The great and gen
eral court and the royal governors un-
der the first three Georges occupied
these quarters while Massachusetts had
a colonial government; in them John
Hancock was inaugurated first govern
or of the commonwealth in 1880 and
the states general court sat from then
until 1898. From 1880 to 1889 the city
government was in possession, and in
recent years the upper part Of the
building has contained the collections
of the Boston Historical society, as it
will continue to do.
The East Boston tunnel which has
converted this ancient seat of govern
ment to modern industrial uses is sim
ply the newest branch Of the Boston
Elevated Railway company's system,
which serves practically the whole Of
greater Boston, says a correspondent
from here to the Chicago Chronicle. 1t
Is not an extraordinarily important
branch. except to the city's detached
ward across the harbor, which here
tofore has been dependent entirely
upon ferry boats, with the consequent
delays and discomforts of such means
of transportation. Already work has
been started on the construction Of q
tunnel running the length of the city's
contested district in which will be put
the trains of the elevated lines, now
carried through the same territory by
the old subway, which was the first
underground road built in this coun-
try. Very shortly the construction of
a COMBINED subway and elevated line
to afford more rapid transit between
Boston and Cambridge will begin. But
the East Boston tunnel is interesting
as the first of the lateral arms, stretch
ing out from the main system, by
which the local transportation manage
ment plans to solve what is possibly
the most difficult problem Of its kind
any community has to meet.
AS railroad station the old state
house becomes an integral part Of the
most remarkable network Of trans
portation lines and terminals in the
United States and probably in the
world. Greater Boston, as distinct
from the incorporated city Of Boston.
is of q very much scattered community
Of upward of 100000 people, hundreds
of whom travel every working morn
ing 'into town" and every evening out
home again. No other city in the land
has relatively such large proportion
Of commuters; fully 100000 men and
women pass in and out of the street
and steam railroad stations of the city
each .day-a total Of not less than $685.
OOO. 900 a year. Then, too, Boston has
become the channel Of a surprising va
cation traffic that Is brought into
New, England from the middle states
and the west, ard that flows outward
from the hub to every corner Of the
whole New England coast.