The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-10-21
671eE1der BoSton

sketches rather than beautiful Il
the actual view. At low tide lofty mud pahhs
are disclosed. Along either side or these arc
tall timber piles and stagings in every circun-
stance of age or newpess, with lofty wharves and
warehouses Of antique or modern appearance.
= The best residential suburb Of Boston Is Shr-
beck which indeed claims to be older than Boston
Itself. for while the town is not mentioned IN
Domesday Book, Shirbecs finds place in Its
pages
Always seaport and thriving trade with
Russia, with Sweden and Norway and the Baltic,
well as on Its fisheries. Boston has in most OF
Its streets and queer od-world lanes a tang of
the Yet the visitor will see nothing of the
in Boston town unless he cares to ascend
the lofty tower of the parish church, whose Ian
tern stage built for the purpose not only of
landmark when roads scarce existed and when
the fens largely overspread the land, but also
as a beacon for mariners out at and ascending
the winding river channel 1t has been stated
that Boston steepe can be seen 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 It Has Foreign Air
The curiously foreign air of Boston, like that
Of Kings Lynn is derived from Its trade with
foreign parts and from the merchants of other
countries who once had houses here, in the times
of Its 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-
yel0ped, Boston has simply stood still
There was, however, Il period when "decayed
might well have been applied here. 1t was, Curl
ously enough exactlS at the time when the Pill
grim Fathers sought to leave these shores for in
1907 the corporation pettioned that their borough
might be put among the decayed towns" The
nbject to escape paying subsidies, but the
decay was there. The cause Of decline the
gradual choking up by mud of the winding river
channel Modern docks cut about 1882 below
Shirbeck have, together with railways. brought
hack prosperity; and there reason to
Houbt 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 pity to
observe many OF those old warehouses empty.
aud soon. doubt. to be dismantled. 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 longer desirable. They are buildings
with the small windows THAT make dark interiors.
The modern warehouses have little wall space
aud much window. Secular architecture has In
fact followed exactly the same lines as eccle-
slasfical, for Romanesque developed into Gothic
from few and tiny Norman windows into the vast
ard ifghtsome fenesiration of the Sixteenth CEN
trry.
We find this we'll 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 Fiji
teenth centuries. when windows had already at
tained a great size.
Boston Church and the Stump"
Boston church entirely dominates the town.
the lofty steepe does the surrounding country.
1t is said to be the Largest parish church In Eng
land" There several claimants to this dig
nifty. st. Michaeis. Coventry, Is, however. the
veys the impression of greater size. 1t is
amazingly ample ami dgnifed Interior There
ancient memorial brasses. wonderful series
of sculptured "miserere' seats, beautiful ia
cobean pulpit of 1920. far more restrained in style
than commonly to be met with of that period
and efigy of the lady, Dame Margaret TIlney
who placed Is the foundations of the great
tower, excayated III 1909.
This tower of Boston church, noble.
markable, known In endearing fashion to all Lin
coinshire folk rs Boston stump from its singu-
iarly blunted outline, rises to a height of 2SS feet
1t seems astounding that the builder should have
had the confidence to raise lofty and heavy
building upon the banks of muddy river chan
ne only some 10 feet from its shore but the
foundations carried down 80 feet, to a stone
bed five feet below the level of the river bottom
For so years the work Of building the tower
stayed, and then recommended being finished
without the topmost octagonal stage which was
added at n; later period especially to exhibit
fight FOR sailors making the haven
The south chapel used in the Eighteenth CEN.
fury and until comparatively recent years
fire engine house, restored by citizens of Bps
ton in America In honor of Rev. John Cotton,
who resigned his post vicar in 1888 and, accom-
oanied by many of Boston's most prominent men,
sailed In the Griffin for the Boston. 1t is
aow known as Cotton chapel
Selling Their Antiquities.
I.oston has never been good warden of her
4istoric buildings and picturesque corners. and
very much has been destroyed. The Gudhall is
a long. low building of two floors. Built in red
,,rfck in the Fifteenth century, 1t was evidently
originally of religious character, from the grent
churclI-like window still containing some stained
oass once representing the twelve apostles. The
two narrow cells are survivals of several made
"a 1852 by order of the town council. They are
ANT seven feet long and high and about five feet
ucross staircase once led to the courtroom
but when the new sessonshouse was ou'le N
1sfs these cells were disused and the staircase