The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-10-03
Boston: Its PAST and
Present Day Hspects.


Paper Read Before the Cha,tauqa,a Circle. :
nOSTON the capital city of Mas
X sachusetts and the metropolis
l. of New England, is, to the proud
sons of the Old Bay State, the
"Hub of the Universe" To the many
thousands from all parts of the world
who annually visit Boston it is city
with past; the Mecca of Americas
Holy City. While this is true, it is
also true that Boston is modern, up
to-date city with magnificent future.
To the casual observer who travels
from city to city there is a sameness
of type and similarity of feature that
tends to deaden interest and force the
opinion that one city is like another
see one, see all. But to the student
who will delve beneath the surface
and become acquainted with the tradi-
tions and spirit or esprit de corps that
rules city as it animates an army, he
will find that each of the older cities
of the United States-Bosto,i, New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, aud st.
Louis-stand for some distinctive fea-
ture in the formative period of orr re-
public. You all know what Boston
stands for. It has always been safe
and sane. Its ultra conservatism has
been allied to daring courage. Its cul-
ture, its art, literary and scientific, has
been the ideal for other communities;
and over and beyond these has been
the all pervading spirit of liberty, SO
finely developed, SO universally shared
that one can truly bow his head and
with reverence say: Here Liberty was
born, here it was nHrtared, and here it
will live forever.
Time will not permit, nor, fear,
your patience bear q detailed narrative
of the founding Of Boston i'll about
1880, and its growth to the Declaration
of Independence in 1775. Sufficient
to state that the Grst royal governor
settled id Boston in 1892, was Sir Will
liam Phips. He lived in the Phips
House, now standing on Salem and
Charter SITS. The territory now com.
prieing the states of Massachusetts
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
was known as the Province of Massa'
chusetts Bay, crown colony. Boston
being the port of entry for this vast re-
gion, it is easy to see the growth by
inter-marriage and association of 9
governing class; hardy mariners and
navigators formed another link in the
genealogical tree with the red-coate(
officers of His Majesty's army. These
were the ancestors of the famous meI
of '76 who founded what are today thu
first families of Massachusetts ant
whose names are inscribed on the i'm
mortal pages of the Declaration Of In
dependence.
With this information for q startin,
point more liberal and sympatheti
understanding will be reached in study
ing the lives of the famous men o
Boston from 1916 to 1876. Yoa viii
feel proud of the Old Beacon Hill fam
lilies and cease to sneer at Boston
blue-blooded aristocracy. These oil
families, centering about that of job
Quincy Adams, then president of tn
United States, formed nucleus fo
that highly educated circle that ha
spread the fame OF cultured Boston t
the four quarters of the globe.
A picturesque figure of Old BostoI
now completely obliterated by stear
and steel, was the merchant prime
whose fleet of ships navigated the WE
ters of all parts of the world. The o.
cident and Orient were equally we
acquainted with his house flag. HI
clipper ships were commanded by
race of sea captains now extinc
These shippers were supreme ovt
ship, cargo and port. They sailed fl
Calcutta, Bombay, or Canton wher
ever they could sell their cargo for tt
highest price and buy q return carG
at the lowest. Silks, teas, hemp, coffs
and sugar, were brought to Bosto
laying the foundation for princely TO
tunes, of which the skipper had b
share.
In this review Of the past 1t vii! i
terest you to know something OF tho