The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-29
Frederic Haskin's Lett


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Salem, Mass, Oct. z7.-After .
century or more Of steady contact
with moderntsing influences. Sal
ems fame still rests ON its pic
turesque past.
Modern Salem Is just town out
side Of Boston, made up OF shops,
factories. cotton mills, and the New
England homestead In all its va
rieties. Salem's population o. $4,000
goes over to Boston for excitement
and for most Of its culture, but
every Salemite holds on tenacious
ly to his residence. whether it be
an unparalleled example Of 18th
century architecture or . third
story back room in . house with no
pedigree worth mentioning. For
the housing problem has not
skipped Salemh What was q $4,000
domicile in the historic days before
the war now sells at . bargain for
$4,000, and even at that figure an
unoccupied house here, as else
where, is q rarity.
But though the modern Salem
offers few opportunities for news
gathering, old Salelh, hidden away
around the corners. is always fas-
cinating. Chestnut street still keeps
intact its long rows of cream col
ored colonial mansions, represent
ing the finest collection Of colonial
doorways in the country. Archi-
tects from everywhere come to
Chestnut street for inspiration. And
no wonder, for no two houses have
identical entrances. and yet all are
colonial of the best type, with their
carved white pillars and fence posts
and heavy brass knockers shining
in the centers Of the dark raneled
doors.
House OF Seven Gables.
But Chestnut street, pleasant as
it is With its lane of trees and its
stately old residences. suggests
little Of the popular history Of
Salem. To find that. you must
cross the business district, over into
the other SIDE of town, to the Essex
institute, the old custom house, and
the House OF Seven Gables.
The institute is Salem's museum
where the city preserves its historic
treasures. Most visitors ask to see
! witchcraft exhibits. Few relics were
saved from the excitement Of 1892
Such objects as the cane which one
OF the accused men carried and
small box made from the wood Of q
! tree on Gallows hill hardly help. yor
to realize the tragedy of 10 law
abiding citizens, one pressed Il
death with iron weights, and severa
hundred held in Jail.
Several of the old witch-pins are
to be seen in the museum. The!
are clumsy looking affairs, over al
inch long, the 'forerunners Of thu
neat brass pin of today. The chill
dren of Salem village said that thu
witches stuck pins into them and IL
other ways tormented them, ant
these accusations were seriousl!
listened to by the wisest men o
Salem and Boston.
The museum has the original rec
ord of the trial of Martha Corey, on,
Of the aged women who was exc
cuted as a witch. The signature o.
John Hathorne, affixed to the ole
document, calls to mind the stor,
that Nathaniel Hawthorne changed
the spelling of his name because h
disapproved of his ancestors par
as a Judge in the witchcraft cases.
Gallows hill, where the 1!
witches were hanged to trees, is OF
the outskirts of the town. 1t Is
rocky. abrupt prominence, nov
bare of trees. For years after tn
witches were dead it remained
desolate and sinister. But recently
a big, brick high school has beel
built on the summit, and the creep.
atmosphere Is dispelled by tn
shouts and chatter Of the students
The Lost Letter.
Back In the heart of the town
near the river, is the custom house
where Hawthorne wrote part O
THE Scarlet Letter." He claimed
in the story to have found the fan
tastic letter In the custom hous
records. A friend asked him if tn
letter really existed, and he replies
that it did. But when the friend in
sisted on seeing it Hawthorne re
treated hastily, saying that the chill
dren had gotten hold Of it one da
and it had fallen in the fire.
Salem was not a great port Il
Hawthorne's time. In earlier year
it had been the busting trade cen
ter of New England. Rich merch
ants built gabled houses not ia
from Salem's harbor, so that the
could watch with the spyglass fror
their gardens or ATTIC windows an
know the minute a ship and it
cargo were safely in port. Ha
Salem been endowed with a dee
harbor, she might today be one Q
the busiest ports on the coast. Blu