The Coolidge examiner., 1933-12-01
Notice in a Philadelphia Paper

tiles at Lexington and Concord.
But the rejoicing over the act of the Indians"
had already spread to other colonies and with
II spread the spirit of resistance. In Philadel-
phla the patriots took precautions early to pre-
vent the landing of tea from the ships which
were en- route to the Quaker city. On Christ
mas day. 1913, came the news that the ship
Polly was down the Delaware river near Ches-
ter. A meeting attended by 5000 persons was
held and the temper of this meeting Influenced
the East India companys agent in Philadelphia
to resign his office and II also influenced the
captain of the Polly to sail back to London the
very next day.
On New Years eve half chest of tea was
burned on Boston Common as a further demon
stration of what that town would do with any
more such shipments.
On January u. 1774 town meeting was
held at Newport, r. l., at which strong resOlu-
tons were passed warning the East India COM
pany against attempting to bring its tea into
that colony. On January 20 three more barrels
of tea were burned on Boston Common and on
January % John Malcolm. a customs official
who had been indiscreet in his remarks about
what the king and his ministers were going to
do to the members of the Boston Tea Party, was
treated to tarring and feathering and a free
ride through the streets
In New York the patriots became impatient
to show that they knew as well as their Massa-
chusetts brethren how to handle that "detest-
able tea" The ships of the East India company
bringing its cargo of tea to the old Dutch city
delayed by the winds. But when YES
sci not belonging to the East India company
showed up with similar cargo there was an
other Indian costume party and some more
mixing of tea and salt water. In April, 1874,
one of the companys tea ships did arrive and
the captain was soon made aware of what
would happen to his cargo If he didn't do as he
was told. SO he tarried no longer than was
necessary to provision his ship and then spread
his sails again for London.
In Annapolis there an incident even more
dramatic than that Shich had taken place In
Boston. On October IA, 1874, the ship Peggy
Stewart arrived with a double cargo of tea and
indentured servants. Anthony Stewart an An
napolis merchant and owner of the ship, paid
the duty on the tea so that he might get the
servants ashore. The patriots of Annapolis
were angered at this and although Stewart
made a public announcement that he would
burn the tea soon as it was unlOaded, a
party led by one Charles Warfeld, made it
plain to him that this was not enough The up
shot of the matter was that Stewart with his
own hands set fire to the ship and both it and
its hated cargo of tea went up in flames.
In Charleston S. c., the tea brought there by
East India company ships was unlOaded but it
was Immediately placed in storage There it
was kept until several years later when it was
sold and the money used to obtain provisions
for the Continental troops then wagng the bat
tie for liberty against the British SO the Bos.
ton and New York and Annapolis tea parties"
were more spectacular affairs, but who shall say
that the Charleston tea party" which is the
least known, was not the most worthwhile ona
in that it advanced the cause of liberty by
using the tea in a practical manner instead Of
mixing it with salt water or e wing it to the
flames?
60 by Western Newspaper Union.)