Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

aliel Bradford writing a biography in
one corner and Prof. Morrison writing
history in another. and a little old
lady with bonnet selecting the latest
novel, and handsome gentleman with
a green bag making up his mind be-
tween The Yale Review" and Vanity
Fair" and an editorial writer becom-
ing an expert with the aid of young
lady attendant who brings him piles
OF books, and everywhere discreet ST.
lence, a pleasant hush, old portraits
books, sunshine and people not only
well read but we'll bred. A fiat "A" In
the Athenaeum would crawl into a cor
ner and die Of loneliness without thu
consolation of hope that it could be
inferred in the Park Street Burying
Ground.
An Aspirin Wasted.
There once was a Boston blue stock
ing who was on the top floor during
an earthquake. When she came down
somebody asked her If she felt the
tremblor. WAS that what it wasp"
she said. And I took aspirin for it,"
But We must hasten from this fasci-
mating place lest we consume all our
space thereln-as once We consumed
days upon end Of our time.
A dozen strides from the door of the
Athenaeum bring you in front of st
GaudenS' famous bronze memorial to
Robert Gould Shaw, which, with its
back to the Common, faces the steps
which lead up to the main portal of
the State House. Here William Vaughn
Moody stood and conceived his ode
In Time OF Hesitation And here YOU
may stand today and wish, perhaps.
that Massachusetts had hesitated much
IOn0nF x kAf
two marble wings on either side of Bull
finch's beautiful building with its golden
dome, which so gracefully yet so finely
and strongly illustrate the tastes and
aspirations of the early Republic.
After the wings were added the old
State House was painted white, and
the wings seemed to be attempting to
flap it down into the frog rond on the
Common, like strange, gigantic duck
with gold comb. Now they have sand
blasted the Bullfinch building down to
us original red brick again. so that it
STANDS out In sharp contrast to the ad-
ditions. and the original design NAV be
clearly seen once more.
1t is truly splendid building, and
since 1t has dominated Beacon Hill. the
Common and indeed all the surround
ing city Tor I26 years, It is small won
der. perhaps, that it is held In affec-
Tomato regard by every citizen of Mas
sachusettS and has set the stamp of its
style on much else in the Common
wealth-at any rate has been a steady
ing influence.
Charles Bulfinch, the architect. was
Harvard graduate who made a Euro
pean tour to complete his education.
became interested in architecture and
TOOK 1t up as a profession He left a
trail OF interesting structures through
New England, and the new Phillips
Academy at Andover today Is designed
in harmony with his old academy
building there. He was elected select
man of Boston for almost 80 years. and
he tried to become a city planner a
century. before his time. He wished to
widen the Boston streets and straiehten
those which checked the now Of traffic.
II Boston had listened to him, its trafic
problems today would not be so bad as
they are-which is terrible.
Little Subway KIOsks.
Coming down Park street, away from
the State House, to Birthstone. corner,
you will notice on the Common several
little subway kiosks, which when they
were first erected caused Philip Hale
to remark that the Public Library had
uttered. They are the only intrusion
on the sacred Common the city has ever
permitted. Thousands of suburbanites
dive into them, and thousands of
pigeons perch above them, to swcop
down upon the hands, arms. shoulders
or head OF anybody who displays a
little bag of grain. 1t was amid these
innocent and cooling doves that H. L.
Mencken stood and, sold his CODY of the
American Mercury with the Hat
rack" story to the representative of the
Watch and Ward Society-and then bit
the 5O-cent piece to see If 1t were gen.
uine. Henry lacks the confidence Of q
dove.
Cutting down now through Bromfield
street to Washington, we are confronted
by the Old South Meeting House; also
sand blasted to its original red brick.
This simple but dignified and charming
structure was erected In 1929, was used
by the British for q riding academy
(as every child knows, and by the
fourth quarter OF the nineteenth CEN
tury found itself useless as a church.
Its congregation had all moved out on
the newly made Back Bay (once shall
low tide BASIN, and the expanding
commercial town around it threatened
its destruction, for the land was worth
100000, and the congregation wanted
that money much more than they
wanted to preserve q landmark
And then Boston characteristically
rallied 70 its rescue-not, mind you,
out Of any respect for its architecture,
but from pure historical sentiment. It
ives an authentic bit Of their old city
which mustn't be DESTROYED. Az q
meeting In Memorial Hail In CAM
Z.