The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-25
PAUL REVERE'S RIDE
MISS cLIsBY WRITES OF REvOLU-
TIONARY RELICS.
TIE Letter shows, Too, How Wen Mas
nachusetta Preserves Her History
and Leads other States
In IL.
BY ANNIE M. CLIsBY.

One hundred ana thirty-four years
ago today the Revolutionary War real
| ~ began. One hundred and thirty
| four years ago last night Paul Revere
rode through the dark, "the voice OF
alarm"
This morning at daybreak an artii-
! lery salute walked the inhabitants OF
| Lexington and Concord to the celebra-
| ton OF ''Patriots Day." and by 8
| o'clock a stream of men. women and
children was pouring into the historic
towns.
ON Lexington Green stands rough
| granite boulder, marking the line OF
| the Minute Men under Captain Parker.
| ON It are carved in bas-relief an old
| flint muslxet and a powder horn with
the words of Captain Parker to his
men:
"stand your ground. Don't IRE un-
| less fred upon, but IL they mean to
have a war let II begin here"
Near 1t. surrounding a pile of stone,
is life-sized bronze statue of MIN
ute Man, musket in hand, hurrying to
full Of energy and purpose, the very
spirit Of the revolution.
Close by. a grey obelislS marks the
burial place Of all the men who fell on
that first Patriots Day OF IT'S, One
OF them, Jonathan Harrington. who
had received a mortal wound in the
battle, dragged himself across the road
to his own home and died at his Cvife's
feet as she opened the door.
About three blocks away. stands the
| famous old He ncock- Clarke house
where Governor Hancock and Samuel
Adams we're sleeping when aroused by
Paul Revere. The house belonged to
liancocks grandfather and he had gone
out there for safety. the British having
set a price on his head. In the room
above him on that eventful night was
peacefully slumberlng the fair Dorothy
| Quincy, afterward his wife. The house
Is now the property of the Lexington
Historical Society, and is filled with
interesting and curious relics of reSo-
lutionary days.
Among them are the drum on which
William Dimon beat the roll calling
the Minute Men together; the tongue Of
the bell that Paul Revere rang to give
the alarm, the sword of the sexton who
hung the signal lanterns in the Old
North church for Paul. Revere; some
engravings made by Revere; his own
lantern OF copper and glass. numerous
swords and muskets used IN the first
| fight; many quaint and curious hoisse-
hold utensils and farming. implements;
spinning wheels and looms, a silver
watch from the pocket Of one of the
dead British soldiers, and horn knife
taken from the first British prisoner:
many books and newspapers OF those
days; and handsome embroidered silk
vest and the gold ring worn by John
Hancock when he signed the Declare
ton of Independence. Not the least
interesting of these relics Is one Of the
veritable stamps imposed by the infa-
nous stamp act.
All visitors to this house today were
requested to register. and when the
custodian saw that we were from AL
ALBANIA he said
II was in Alabama for a few days
during the late unpleasantness."
He laughed heartily when we told
him we were glad his stay was bN4ef.
and added: II went back again ten
years ago and had the best time Of
my life swapping war tales with the
Johnny Rebs 1 was never 30 delight
fully treated"
Boston, April 10.