The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-07-28

IL embraces all Tie communities tAat are
tound together by the metropolitan
park, sewer and watcrsystems, and oths
er recent civic Developments. From
South Shore TO North Shore, in semi.
circle with a radius OF about ten miles,
there Is now a complete chain Of large
and small parks and forest reservations.
oil interconnected by bonleyards and
parkways. Such an observer as H. g.
Wells, the English novelist, who not
long ago had some tart things to say
about old Boston, could find nothing
but praise for the plan on which the
newer Boston Is being laid out, one
which contrasts most fayorably with the
formlessness Of the suburban growth of
London and other British cities. No
other municipality on either continent,
Mr.. Wells intimated, has made 80 ella
borate preparations for expanding along
scientifically planned lines.
The most remarkable single change
that returning Bostonians will discover
Ii unquestionably the removal Of the
artistic and musical centre Of the town
from Copley Square. where the famous
Public Library and Trinity Church
stand, to a section between the "city
proper" and the adjacent suburb Of
Brookline. There former stretch Of
SAT- marsh Is now occupied by the Fen
! way, parkway with ornamental fea-
ltures which follows the course Of slug
gish but not unattractiye little meadow
river Here, ON q wide expanse Of level
land, fanked by low hills, are the newly
dedicated white marble Medical School
Of Harvard University, the gift in the
main Of J. Pierpont Morgan and John
d. Rockefeller; the celebrated Isabella
Stuart Garner Museum in the Fenway
limited, more popularity known as Mrs.
Jack Gardner's Italian Palace Tufts
Medical School; Simmons College; the
New England Conservatory; group Of
three buildings connected with the Bos-
ton Normal School; the Museum Of. the
Massachusetts Historical Society, and
many more. Here ground has recently
been broken for the group Of buildings
for the Museum Of Fine Arts which win
cost aeve al million dollars, and the Har-
ward Dental School will build soon. Just
outside the Fenway district rises the
very large dome of the new Christian
Science Temple, the Mecca of all faithful
followers Of Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy.
All this expansion of the city has been
accompanied, and indeed to a large ex-
tent caused by the development Of the
most efficient system Of rapid transit
yet evolved anywhere. Here, too, Is
returning ex-Bostonians will notice, a
great change. 1t began ten years ago
when the Boston Elevated Railway Com
pany, which now operates practically
all Of greater Boston's" local car SER
vice, was chartered to lease the surface
lines then existing and to construct an
overhead system OF transportation. The
result has been the expansion of "the
Hub into a widespreading metropolis, a
single community in fact ii not in name,
with million and quarter Inhabitants.
When the Elevated company took ov.
er the streetcar lines decade ago there
were 3O4 miles OF tracks in the system.
4 Today it operates little more than
457 miles of track, including the first
subway built in the United States and
the first tunnel under the deep waters
of seaboard harborthe tunnel that
connects by trolley the island ward Of
Fast Roston with the municipality on
the mainland. From end to end of this
diversified trar portatios system fve-
cent fare prevails, and it is possible to
travel 20 miles without paying more