The Holly chieftain., 1921-10-20

IM& bic river Witham which here has
NWNESY a tidal rise and fall OF some ~
GEN5N feet. That river Is picturesque in
sketches rather than beautiful to
thu. sctunl view AT low tide lofty mud banks
are disclosed. Along either side of these are
tall timber piles and stagings In every circum-
stance of age or newpess, with lofty wharves ana
warehouses of antique or modern appearance
The hest residential suburb of Boston is Shir-
heck which indeed claims to be older than Boston
itself for while the town Is not mentioned In
I,omesday Book Shrbeck finds place in Its
pages.
Always seaport and thriving trade with
I;,.ssia, with Sweden and Norway and the Baltic,
as well Its fisheries Boston has in most OF
it's streets and queer old-word lanes a tang of
s,r sea Yet the visitor will see nothing of the
ocean in Boston town unless he cares to ascend
tbe lofty tower of the parish church, whose Ian
teru stage was built for the purpose not only or
landmark when roads scarce existed and when
tue fens largely overspread the land but also
as beacon for narners out ut sea and ascending
the winding river channel 1t has been stated
that Boston steepe can be seen 4O miles out at
spa. and certainly it is easily visible ~ miles
away on the land. Roads leading from the town
to seashOre are few, and the shore itse'f when
reached Is not attractive.
Why II Has Foreign Air.
The curiousy foreign air Of Boston, like that
al 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 time second only to London ms port
T,at was in the opening years of the Thirteenth
century While London and other ports have de-
veioped Boston has simply stood stu.
There was however. period when "decayed"
mght well have been applied here. 1t was, Curl
oisly enough, exactly at the time when the PHI
grim Fathers sought to leave these shores; for in
1907 the corporation petitioned that their borough
might be put among the decayed towns" The
nbiect was to escape paying subsidies but the
decay WAS there. The cause of decline was the
gradual choking up by mud of the winding river
channel. Modern docks. cut about 1857 below
Shirbeck, have, together with railways, brought
back prosperity; and there seems no reason t."
doubt hut that in the future there will be Il con-
siderable expansion.
Sea borne trade has been shifted below the town
except for quite small vessels. 1t is pity 10
observe many of those old warehouses empty,
aud soon, no 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
t,cy are no longer desirable. They are buildings
will, the small windows that make dark Interiors
The modern warehouses have little wall space
aud much window. Secular architecture has. In
fart. followed on exactly the same lines as eccle
siastical for Romanesque developed into Gothic
from few and tiny Norman windows into the vast
ard ghtsome fenestration of the Sixteenth cen
t,ry.
we find this well exempliied in the 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 Flf
tpenth centuries. when windows had already at
tanned great size.
Boston Church and the "stump."
Boston church entirely dominates the town MS
the lofty steepe does the surrounding country.
1t Is said to be the .lnrgest parish church In Eng
land" There are several claimants to this dig
nifty. st. Michaers Coventry is, however, the
largest but St. Botolph's interior certainly con
yeys the Impression of greater size. It Is an
amazingly ample and dignifed interior. There
ancient memorial brasses, wonderful series
of scuptured 'miserere" seats, beautiful ia
cobean pulpit of 1870. far restrained in style
than commonly to be met with OF that period
and an efgy of the lady Dame Margaret Tney
who placed s5 on the foundations of the great
tower. excavated in 1909.
This tower of Boston church, noble,
mar,abe. known in endearing fashion to all Lin
cninshire folk as Boston stump, from Its slngu-
larly bunted outline, rises to height of 2Ss feet
II seems astounding that the builder should have
had the confidence to raise lofty and heavy
building upon the banks of muddy river chan
nci. only some 40 feet from Its shore; but the
foundations were carried down 30 feet, to a stone
he'd five feet below the level of the river bottom
stayed, and then recommended. being finished
without the topmost octagonal stage which was
added at a later period. especially to exhibit
light for sailors making the haven
The south chapel. used in the Eighteenth cen
fury and until comparatively recent years as
fire engine house. restored by citizens of Bos-
ton in America In honor of Rev John Cotton.
who resigned his post vicar in 1888 and, accom-.
panicd by many Of Bostons most prominent men,
sailed In the Griffin for the newer Boston. II is
now known as Cotton chapel.
Selling Their Antiquities
Bnston has never been good warden OF her
historic buildings and picturesque corners, and
very much has been destroyed. The Gudhall is
a long, low building of tive floors Built in red
brick In the Fifteenth century, II evidently
originally Of religious character from the great
rlrcilike window still containing some stained
glass representing the twelve apostles Tie
two nnrrow cells survivass of several made
in 1862 by order Of the town council. They are
hut feet long and high and about five feet
across A staircase led TO the courtroom
bat when the sessionslolis. was built. in
I843. these cells dsused and the staircase