The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-09-01

we VISITED the site, ana also the Dullu-
ing across the street, on the corner,
where Franklin served his apprentice
ship in his brothers printing estab-
lishment.
In 1740 trouble began to brew again.
Several exciting displays of opposition
to the oppression of the home govern
ment, and the tyranny of officials here,
occurred The people had grown jeal-
GUS of their rights and doubtless recol-
lecting the victory in the Andres affair,
were not backward in making their
views known, and when in 1747 Com
modore Knowles of the British navy,
being short of men, openly impressed
sailors in the streets of Boston, the
"stuff was off, and a lively riot en-
sued There were many such affairs,
the sites being pointed out to us, caus-
ing great unrest, until 1850, the bur
dens imposed upon the colonists by
the heavy duty on tea and other ar
ticles becoming so onerous, that reso-
lutions of protest were adopted and
sent to England These meetings
were held under a large tree situated
on Washington directly opposite
Boylston street, now in the very heart
of the business district 1t was de-
stroyed by the British for fire wood,
and the only indication of its location
is a large tablet containing the replica
of the Liberty Tree" with a suitable
inscription, in the wall of the second
story of the building occupying the
site. The protests were met by many
increases and the people were wrought
almost to a state of frenzy, which cul-
munated in many being killed by SOL
diers March 5, 1910. The Sons of
Liberty" were organized under the
Liberty Tree and mass meetings held
there and in the old South church, ad-
dressed frequently by Hancock, Adams,
Otis, Warren and other patriots. We
spent some time at this old church, re-
calling the associations which cluster
around it. Franklin was baptized in
it the day he was born Warren made
his famous speech there, and on De-
cember 10th, 1878, was held the meet
ing which preceded the obstruction of
the tea We also visited the site of
Griffin's Wharf located at what is now
Atlantic avenue. and Pearl street,
where the famous Boston Tea Party
occurred. Disguised as Indians some
ninety citizens repaired to this wharf
and from the ships there threw into
the sea three hundred and forty-two
chests of tea as a protest against the
odious taxes imposed upon them. In
retaliation the Crown closed the port
of entry, erected Notifications and did
other acts apparently to anger the
people, and in this they succeeded. A
provencial congress, to which | re-
ferred in a previous letter on Concord,
met at that place on October 5, 1774,
and all towns were ordered to form
companies of Minute Men" But
these events carry us away from what
was then Boston.
We visited the spot where the frigate
Constitution (Old Ironsides) was built;
also the site of the residence of Will
liam Phips, the first, as well as other
Royal governors. The home of the
patriot General Joseph Warren, who
fell at Bunker Hill, is occupied by a
large Hotel, American House and
the adams House" occupy the site of
the home of John Adams, also Fame
Iyil Hall the Cradle of Liberty" where
all the great heroes and orators of
that time and since have poured forth
their souls overflow of patriotism and
moulded public opinion. At one end
IS an oil portrait of Washington, an
other of Peter Faneyil, the donor. and
at another the great painting of Daniel
Webster by Healy.
In 1856 Capt Robert Keayne died
leaving the town a large sum of money
| for the erection of town house The
donor having, but a short time pre-
viously, been placed in prison, church
ed" and publicly denounced on the
charge of collecting excessive profits
upon his merchandise the gift came
as a great surprise to the people This
was doubtless the Captains way of
"squaring" himself, showing Rookie
feller and others are not without ex-
Iamples While ostracising him from
the church and society the forefathers
were not slow in taking the money
and building the town house. 1t was
used by colonial officers until I'LL
when destroyed, and being rebuilt, still
so used, and also as a meeting hall
In 1866 a mob burned the "clearances'
there as a protest against high taxes
and it was in front Of it the massacre
of March 5th, 1870 occurred. the spot
where the first man was killed by the
British being marked in the pavement
From its balcony all the Royal gov
lernors were proclaimed In II John