New-York tribune., 1910-12-10

-,;ece Of city park land in the United
states. and the one which is historically
,-ost interesting Ira gedy and Comedy
have played strange parts under ITS an
cseut trees. Colonial bigots sacrihced
.here the innocent victims Of their stony
hearts the tears Of patriots in later Gays
aauor-e6 its soil. Its story deserves TO
he enshrined in volume satisfying IN
-soer. print and illustration. and such
. z-al11-r1e is this in d Riverside Press
.-,ec3al edition. II is a story which Mr.
-z,v-A has told with careful reference to
,r,.tarfty and with an admirable sense
n the picturesque
The original English settler upon the
x,o, which was 70 become the Common
--.s the Rev. William Blackstone. par
-, who was accustomed, tradition says.
:, ride about his land upon bull. He
rss friendly and helpful 20 the Winthrop
,,yonists. but apparently acquired dis
20 for their ways. and ultimately de-
ns-.sd from them into the wilderness,
,..s. of his land he sold to the budding
-ovva Of Boston The price was an
.,,,fvalerlt OF $50. and a modest tax
,,,on every householder provided the
SSH for payment. That was in 1854.
and We learn from a statement made
=..v years later that "the Town laid
or Mace for q trayning field; which
s-er since and now is used for that pur-
-,se and for the feeding of Cattell.'
The privileges OF the Common were
s--irtiv defined. Only townsnen could
keep kline there. and they must be n1lch
kline. No horses could pasture there
with the exception Of the good steed of
4Ider Oliver. Those who wanted to keep
sheen could KEEP there ''foure sheep in
liayx Of a COW" a cow keeper was palG
- the rate Of Two shillings a Cove"
W deceased Cats or other unpleasant
objects were admitted 10 the precincts,
he town government pointing out that
The Cornon IS att times much anoyed'
hr offensive things cast upon It But
.his pleasing pastoral aspect Of the Com
nm was often interrupted by the mar
-isl proceedings of the Boston trained
rard-and once by e sham charge Of La
Tours visiting soldiers, which much
alarmed the Puritan ulatrons and maids
xho looked on. Mr. Howe does not fan
n quote from the diary Of Master sam
ne SewaIl. who records morning ad-
venture very discomposing TO his Worth
l-ess when his Horse became so trans
,o--ed- at sight OF a drilling company
-hs- he could in no way govern him.
and. speeding away with his Hat unoer
his Arm. he caught & bad cold An
ether phase of life on the Common IN
those days vas the walk Of the Gallants
2 little before Sunset with their Mar
ryslet-Nadams'' The galants AND tleir
sree41earts soberly paced home When
The Q o'clock bell rang: and then the
consrsl,les made their round TO see thaI
al vas in order And so Puritan bos-
1on sank TO sleep
The most dramatic episode which the
Common has seen was that Of the exc
cp-ion Of the four Quakers who, ban
,shed from Boston because OF their mold
ing Of doctrines differing from those OF
The ;nbabitants. had dared fate by re-
turning. Tradition says that Marina
duke stevenson and William Robinson
were hanged there in barharous fashion
l,pan an elm. on October "a. lo.19- far-
son Wilson. cid Hard-Heart. nlockeo
-hen7 as they went up the ladder-"s sf1aR-
ing his hand in a light scofflng man
-e-~ saws George Bishop, and calling
out. Shall such jacks as you come IN
before Authority with Your Hats on
with MANY other taunting words. the
r--o men went 10 their death with cour-
-797aeHT71anr of
cruelty their fellow Quaker. Mary Dyer,
was compelled TO witness thefr execu-
ryors and was herself made TO cll-n b
11pon the ladder with bandaged eyes, and
the rope about her neck. At the last
moment came a reprieve, which her son
rad obtained. and she was taken down
and again banished 10 Rhode Island.
she vas OF the martyr strain, and
presently returned: and SO the Common
sax its second tragedy With drums
beating. that the people might not hear
what she said. she was taken to the
Tree and in well disposed Condition" Of
mind and conscience there turned of
The people Of Boston, il should not be
forgotten. were not all in sympathy with
tneir hfgot rulers in these proceedings
More than Z year after Mary Dyer s
6eath one more Quaker suffered on the
Common. dying with the same lofty
courage and religious fOrtitude. II was
the last execution on the Great Elm
which. by the way. was finally blown
Gown. in 1876 -.Tf" says Mr.. Howe.
1--WE would join in single memory the
pastoral. The military and the tragic
enpIoyments OF the Common, let US
bring 70 mind the ingiorious ending Of
General Humphrey Atherton, a famous
solder il his day. AS ne was riding
hoTae from the Common after military
training. in 1861. his horse SHE'D at a
COW. threw him TO the ground. and
oashed out his brains The Quakers. OF
Nhon he had been a daring and hard
shed persecutor,' could not refrain from
P'ihtlng 70 his death as a shocking in
Ftshee Of the divine vengeance.
IN l'E0 the Common was trodden by
kIeat crowds Of people assembled 10
HAsr TIE sermons Of George Whitefeld-
tToWds So great that 10 Boston meeting
mouse could accommodate them Mr.
'1oRe quotes the oft told story of the
Negro who was found rolling on the
ground under conviction of sim and
irving sss.-- ..nF Massa Wrfteffa1af