The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-07-21
BY EDGAR IllFF.

Have you ever eaten a hot neat-ple
at the Bunch of Grapes" In Boston
They serve it in little brown bakers,
fresh from the oven and when you
punCture il with your fork steam
arises like the mists which scared
aloft from the uncorked bottle In the
Arabian Night tales and revealed an
angry Genii. You can get hot meat.
pie at other places and in other cities,
but eating at the Bunch OF Grapes is
as good as sitting in the "Salutat1on
and Cat" in London. where Lamb and
Coleridge used to discuss pantiso-
cracy. or as we call it now, socialism.
And Sir Christopher Wren, the great
English builder, came to the Saluta-
ton and Cat 20 smoke his pipe and
rest from his laoors in rebuilding st.
pauls.
Has Historical Connections.
But our Bunch of Grapes has his
torical connections quite as renowned,
and entertained persons fully as Gel
ebrated The street it is on was once
called Mackerel Lane, but is now
Kilby. What memories hang about
il, II is the remains of the old
Bunch of Grapes tavern dating from
1910. 1t has a sign of gilded and
carved bunch of grapes and was the
favorite resort of the high Wings be-
fore the revolution. When Boston
heard the news of the Declaration of
Independence, crowd assembled
here and tore down the lion and the
unicorn. and all the emblems OF royal
ty and the Tories, and burned them in
the street in great bonfire.
1t was noted for the best punch in
Boston" and gentlemen, famous mer-
chants and masters of vessels came
TO its tables to discuss the topics OF
the day. Here Gen. Lafayette put
up when he made his triumphal tour
OF America after the revolutionary
war and there hundred Of Boston S
most noted citizens came after him
and escorted him to Faneuil Hall and
entertained him in magnificent style.
When Washington entered Boston
after the evacuation he and his Off
GERS were given IAN elegant dinner
at the self-same Bunch Of Grapes.
Menu Fit for Gods.
Light your cigar after partaking of
the best hot dishes and coffee fit for
Hall, the Cradle of Liberty What
stirring times arise when you see this
venerable building and stand before
the portraits and Colonial and revo-
lutionary relics within. In this hall
James Otis delivered his famous ora
ton on the Cause Of Liberty" This
brilliant patriot was six years later
assaulted by John Robinson In the
Boston coffee house. just across the
street He had passed some severe
structures upon this royal commits
sioner OF customs and received
blow upon the head that shattered
his intellect. In this Faneuil Hall
were held many debates upon 'justi-
fable resistance; Daniel Webster de-
livered his memorable eulogy on
Adams and Jefferson in the presence
Of President John Quincy Adams and
a notable assemblage; Wendell Phil
lips made his first anti-slavery speech
Charles Sumner first appeared in the
abolition cause, and the anti-slavery
vigilance committee was formed at a
meeting to denounce the return of
fugitive slave. Well may one in look.
ing over the sacred mementoes pre-
of the first feeble steps in great move
ments recall the scriptural admoni-
ton to "Despise not the day of small
things" To the people of early times
the Maytiower was a poor little craft
carrying across the sea handful of
hunted "cranks," fleeing from the law.
We know now that this little ship
was freighted with the germs Of a
mighty republic. Perhaps there are
small beginnings among us today that
are the seeds of still greater move.
ments, an uplift to higher civiliza.
ton.
Results in Landgrab.
But back to the Bunch of Grapes
On March 1, 1854 there was a meet.
ing held in this placeSNhich resulted
in the first 'landgrab" in American
history. A stock company was organ
lied by few influential Bostonians
called the Ohio company It's object
was to buy from the United States
government several millions of acres
of the richest lands in the Ohio valley
Some of the gentlemen had seen
the rich soil, the beautiful streams,
the noble trees and the great posi-
bilities of these lands. The enterprise
succeeded beyond their fondest
dreams. The stock was all sold and
the directors selected the Rev. Man
asseh Cutler : II its promoter Cut
Ter was a lawyer, preacher and
keen politician. He worked upon con-
gress and got just what he went after.
The lands that lie where Cincinnati
and Marietta grew up to be flourishing
cities were purcf ased. Five millions
Of acres were sold to the company for
8 or 8 cents an acre. One and half
millions of acres were taken over by
the company and 100000 were Sc
,cretly consigned to members of con-
gress and many noted men of the time. |