Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-29
Venerable Salem
pyFr~icric J. Haskin.

undermining Influences. Salem 3 lame stiii
n sts OF ia picturesque past.
Modern Salem il lust n town outside
of Hoston, made up of shops, factories
cotton mills, and the New England nome
stead m ell It's varieties Salem popuia :
tinn nf $4,000 gives over 20 bnstoh ioi
excitement end for most oi ltS culture pus
every ~alcmlte holds ON CONSCIOUSLY 10
hlS residence. whether " hc an uhpar"r
leed example of II century architecture
~ a third story back room IN house
y,th M pedigrcc worth mentioning. For
housnq prnhlem has not skipped SALEM
What was p $1,000 domlclle IN the hls-
tnrir days before the war now sells AT
harvain for $4,000, and even at that
hnlre ap unoccupicd house here, rs else
whcr j. a rarity.
p,lt though tho modern Sglom offers few
opportunities for ncwsgathering' Ola
salem. hidden away around the corners, Is
always fascinating. Chestnut Street stlll
kccps intact its long rows OF creatn-coi-
ored mansions representing the hnest
collection of colonlal doorways IN the
country Architects from everywhere
,o,nc ~ Chestnut street for inspiration.
Nnrd no woncr, for no two houses have
IDENTICAL. and Vet all are Colonlal oi inc
Lc>t typc. With thor carved white pillars
anl fence posts and heavy brass knockers
shining IN the centers OF the dark paneied
doors
uOrsE oF sEvFN GARIE
Rnt Chestnut streets. plcasalt rs It is
v.ith tS lane ni trcr@ and ITS stately Old
.,e,dcuccS. suggests httle OF the popular
HISTORY of Sslcm To find that, YOU must
rr,ss the business district, over into the
,,he- side of town. 70 the Essex Institute,
tbe old Custom House and the llouSe oi
seven Gables
Tho ,rstitutc ls Salem's museum. where
a. c,ty preserves .ts historic treasures.
Most visitors ask 10 see wltchcrait eN-
hlhtS Few relics were saved from thc
,Nr,frmcut .. l691 such objects aS
,hc cane Which one of the accused men
carrirl pnd small box made IRON the
voai II . tree on Ga lows Hll hardly htIp
,ou ~ rcahzo IA, tragedy nt nineteen Jaw
abiding clt7cn hung, one pressed 10
death with iron weights, ana scVerai nun
drcd held IN jail
several ~ tho old wltch-pins arc 70 be
s..o A the museum They are clumsy
Looking affairs. over Az inch long. the
f,rrrunncrs ~ the neat brass pm OF to-
ia, The children Of Salem Village said
that tho witches stuck pms INTO them
and "a other WAYS toTmented them, ana
,t,~, accusations were seriously listened
n. +, he WiscSt rnCn oi Salem and hoston.
Th, museum h8s the original record OF
49,. fr,al o( Nlartha Corey. one Of the aged
Women who was executed as witch.
~. ..grature of John Hawthorne affixed
#, rhe old document calls 70 mind the
.,or. that Nathaniel Hawthorne changed
.t.. .,.lltpg ol his name because he disap-
pr,,sd 81 his ancestors part as Judge
Il. fhe witchcrai' cases
,,alloVs Hill. where the 10 witches were
hanged to trees. i on the outskirts of the
town. Il Is rocky, abrupt prominence
rov harc 81 trees For years after the
witches were dead il remained desoiate
and sinister But recently, hlg, hrlcS
high school has been built on the sum
mn. and the creepy atmosphere IS DIS
peIlcd by the shouts and chatter OF stu
oeno.
rnr lost LrTTrr
Pack in the heart of the town. near
the rlver. i the Custom House. where
Hawthorne wrote part Of The Scarlet
Letter lie claimed IA the story 70 nave
found the fantastic letter ~ the custom
House records friend asked HIM II the
letter really existed sd he rephed that II
d,a Rut when the friend insisted on see
irg IL Hawthorne retreated hastily say
irg that the children had got hold OF
!, 1nc dav and il had fallen n the ire
~slem was not "a great port IN haw-
49, time II earlier wears II had been
49,. bistupc trade center OF New Eng
iaoI Rich merchants built gabied houses
~, I'M from salem harbor, 80 that
,U,, could watch with the spygisss from
.t..., gardens ~ attic windows and know
toe rnIrn., + .hIp and IFS cargo were
..t,, in part Had Salem been endowed
v+fb dccp Aar1or, she might today be
n,e II thc BUSIEST ports on the coast.
pa, ftr~ TOO large 70 anchor here were
I.,l, ..,,l 4ffer tie railroad was invented
Ro.,or hsri,oT was only step away 50
tb., -lp h.a and little deserted the
uld harnat
N len Hawthorne wss surveyor Of the
,,.r- h 1916. trade was already dWlndllng
,.,,lav.e az the Custom House Office
~, .bat tho work J. hight now, largely the
fo.trc of 4 small port. Their most
..,df,.lIs duties 10 doubt, are 70 answer
-I, .tr4rge questions of hundreds OF
t..arlSts who come 10 see where HaW-
,lorfr worked and TO handle ms pen.
IN. room is almost Is Il was II the move
hs; tlrnr save for electric lights and
+. .ltphoit and 8 rev desk 70 replace
Hawthorn, small high one, winch Is Ii
tne museum Ii Is an old-iashIuned room,
,.th NOR. furniture than the usual mod
.rn COVER u.ut Office a page from The
scarlet Letter, written OF the foolscap
parer which Hawthorne used, Is dis
i,lsyed promlneutlv Oh thc mant .lpi &c. II
4 fh. part of th, preface II which the
novelist described the room.
HAwrHoRNE REMEMBERED.
Hawthorne j. still an outstanding figure
IL salem Hls birthplace, an unpreten
,ia,4s httl. house on mon street Is still
standirg The famous House Of the
seven Gables has been restored inside
a. loni a. II did when Hawthorne used
a. nav long visits 70 ms cousin, Miss Susan
Ing f.nll who owned IL then. Haw-
.,orrc liked the view Of the SEA from the
garden of hls house, end he particularly
.nin,ed III. congenlal company of Miss
susan VINO had been crossed III love
s. hen very Young and was noted for her
ploomv lrruut-hk. disposition
Trr ~ h. uaIne tho house now pos
..ssr- seven gabi,-s This Is really de-
parturc rom III, Hawthorne atmosphere
iuf Il had only FIVE when ne visited il
Alis. susan Il said 20 have shown him
v here tnu more gables had formerly
been placed aud the idea of the unusual
number Of seven gables 50 appealed TO
the novelist that be- Immediately planned
hlt famous tale named sfter the house
II Is one of the quaIntest houses ia the
country. SiN Of ~ sixteen rooms are ex-
hibtcd furnished IN the style of Haw-
thorne period, and with a great many