Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-10-27
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IMTNSMM BILE river Witham which here has
MNNES a tidal rise and fall of some ~
&tE%3T feet That river is picturesque in
sketches rather than beautiful TO
the actual view At low tide lofty mud banks
are disclosed Along either side of these are
tall timber piles and stagings in every clrcum-
stance of age newDess, with lotty WharVes anu
warehouses of antique or modern appearance.
The best residential suburb of Boston Is Shir-
beck, which indeed claims to be older than Boston
itself for while the town Is not mentioned In
Domesday Book Shrbeck finds a place in its
pages.
Always a seaport and thriving on trade with
Russia, with Sweden and Norway and the Baltic
as well as on its fisheries, Boston has in most of
its streets and queer old-world lanes tang of
the sea. Yet the visitor will see nothing OF the
ocean in Boston town unless he cares to ascend
the lofty tower of the parish church, whose IAN
tern stage was built for the purpose not only or
a landmark when roads scarce existed and when
the fens largely everspread the land, but also
as q beacon for mariners out at sea and ascending
the winding river channel. 1t has been stated
that Boston steeple can be 40 miles out at
sea and certainly it Is easily visible 20 miles
away on the land Roads leading from the town
to seashore are few, and the shore itself when
reached is not attractive.
Why 1t Has a Foreign Air.
The curiously foreign air of Boston, like that
of Kings. Lynn is derived from its trade with
countries who once had houses here, in the times
of it's great commercial prosperity For Boston
was at one time second only to London as port
That was in the opening years Of the Thirteenth
century While London and other ports have de-
yeloped Boston has simply stood still.
There was, however, period when decayed'
might well have been applied here. 1t was, curl
ousy enough, exactly at the time when the Pill
grim Fathers sought to leave these shores; for in
1907 the corporation petitoned that their borough
might be put among the decayed towns The
object was to escape paying subsidies but the
decay wes there. The of decline was the
gradual choking up by mud of the winding river
channel. Modern docks, cut about 1882 below
Shrbeck have, together with railways, brought
hack prosperity; and there seems no reason TO
doubt but that in the future there will be con-
siderable expansion.
Sea borne trade has been shifted below the town
except for quite small vessels. 1t is a pity to
observe many Of those old warehouses empty,
and soon no doubt, to be dsmantled, for they
have an architectural distinction which the mod
ern ones wholly lack. Looking at them, we see
another reason, apart from their situation why
they are no longer desirable. They are buildings
with the small windows that make dark interiors
The modern warehouses have little wall space
and much window. Secular architecture has, in
fact followed exactly the same lines as eccle-
siastical for Romanesdue developed into Gothic
from few and tiny Norman windows into the vast
tury.
We find this well exemplifed in the case Of the
great church of Boston, that Of st. Botolphs,
whose dedication gave the town Its name The
existing church is largely of the decorated and
perpendicular periods Of the Fourteenth and Fif-
teenth centuries, when windows had already at
tanned a great size
Boston Church and the "stump"
Boston church entirely dominates the town, as
the lofty steeple does the surrounding country.
1t is said to be the Largest parish church in Eng
land" There several claimants to this dig
nifty. ST. Michaers Coventry, is, however, the
largest but St BotOlphs inferior certainly
veys the impression of greater sze 1t is an
amazingly ample and dignfed interior. There
are ancient memorial brasses, wonderful series
of sculptured "miserere' seats, a beautiful. Ja-
cobean pulpit of 1920 far restrained In style
than commonly to be met with Of that period,
and efigy of the lady, Dame Margaret Tilney,
who placed f5 on the foundations Of the great
tower, excavated in 1902
This tower Of Boston church. so noble so re-
markable known in efdearng fashion to all Lin
colnshire folk as Boston stump" from its singu-
larly blunted outline rises to height of 28S feet
1t seems astounding that the builder should have
had the confidence to false so lofty and heavy a
building upon the banks of a muddy river chan
ne only some 40 feet from its shore; but the
foundations carried down 80 feet, to stone
bed FIVE feet below the level of the river bottom.
For 30 years the work of building the tower
stayed and then recommended, being finished
without the topmost octagopal stage. which
added at later period, especially to exhibit
light for sailors making the haven.
The south chapel, used in the Eighteenth
tury and until comparatively recent years
fire engine house, restored by citizens of Bos-
ton in America in honor of Rev. John Cotton,
who resigned his post as vicar in 1888 and accom-
panied by many Of Boston's most prominent men,
sailed in the Griffin for the newer Boston. 1t is
now known as Cotton chapel.
Selling Their Antiquities.
Boston has never been a good warden Of her
historic buildings and picturesque corners, and
very much has been destroyed. The Guidhall Is
a long, low building of two floors. Built in red
brick in the Fifteenth century, 1t evidently
originally Of religious character, from the great
church-like window still containing stained
glass once representing the twelve apostles The
two narrow cells survivals of several made
in 1852 by order of the town council. They are
but seven feet long and high and about five feet
across A staircase led to the courtroom,
but when the new sessiOnshouse built, in
1S43, these cells were disused and the staircase