USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Walks & talks about historic Boston > Part 29
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It was at the Grand Ball in Boston Theatre in the evening that Boston fairly outdid herself. In splendor that Ball has never been exceeded in America, perhaps never equalled. Mr. Stickney described it as follows: "Imagine the immensity of Boston Theatre, the dancing floor enclosed by a pavilion, each tier, differently and most richly decorated, and crowded with superbly dressed ladies, the royal box all aglow with light, and rich in gilt, purple and azure, the frescoed ceiling with its pendant dome of light, the marque with its groves, flowers, mirrors, arabesque ceiling, its multiform and varied decora- tions, and its view of Windsor Castle, seen as if from some immense window-if you can imagine this scene, and then crowd it with richly dressed ladies, with gentlemen in every variety of ball costume, while over all the lights streamed their brilliant radiance, mirrors and jewels flashing back and reduplicating the rays, and the soft, sweet swell of the music,
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bearing with it the graceful moving throng in a bewildering mass of beauty,-imagine all this if you can, and an adequate idea of the magnificent occasion may possibly be gained."
At that time Boston Theatre was one of the largest and finest in the country, and today, in its general plan and ar- rangement and its fine acoustic qualities it is not excelled by any of our most modern playhouses. Allusion has been made to the "dome of light"-the great chandelier which hung from the dome of the theatre. It was a magnificent affair and when lighted presented a most brilliant appearance with its hundreds of prisms. At this grand ball there was quite a clash in etiquette, reminding one of the etiquette dif- ferences between President Washington and Governor Han- cock in 1789, the occasion of Washington's visit to Boston. The question of the hour as regards the ball was "who should dance in the first set with the Prince?" The discussion cen- tred around the wife of the Governor of the State, and the equally worthy helpmeet of the Mayor of the City. "Which lady should have the honor of being the Prince's first part- ner?" It was finally decided in favor of Mrs. Lincoln, the wife of the Mayor. Mrs. Governor Banks was accorded the honor of the Prince's hand in the second quadrille.
The papers of that date give a very full account of the ball. The royal set in the first quadrille, besides the Prince, was composed of three gentlemen of his suite. The three ladies, besides Mrs. Lincoln were Mrs. Thomas E. Chickering, Miss Sallie Austin and Miss Kitty Fay. The Prince danced seventeen times and the names of the ladies who were his partners are given. He expressed himself as greatly pleased with the Boston ladies. At this ball he remarked slyly to a beautiful belle, who was his partner, "they made me dance with the old chaps in Canada," putting an emphasis on the old. We give here the list of dances and the names of the ladies with whom he danced :-
I. Quadrille, Mrs. F. W. Lincoln, wife of Mayor Lincoln.
2. Quadrille, Mrs. N. P. Banks, wife of Governor Banks.
3. Waltz, Mrs. Wise, wife of Lieut. H. A. Wise, U. S. Navy, and the daughter of the Hon. Edward Everett.
4. Quadrille, Miss Fanny Crowninshield, daughter of Mr. George Crowninshield.
5. Lancers, Miss Susan Amory, daughter of Charles Amory, and grand-niece of Lord Lyndhurst.
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6. Polka, Miss Carrie Bigelow, daughter of the Hon. George T. Bigelow, Chief Justice Supreme Judicial Court.
7. Quadrille, Mrs. Thomas E. Chickering.
8. Lancers, Mrs. Ritchie, wife of Major Harrison Ritchie, 2d Battalion of Infantry.
9. Galop, Miss Fannie Peabody, a niece of Mayor Lincoln.
IO. Waltz, Miss Fannie Peabody of Salem.
II. Lancers, Miss Kitty Fay, daughter of Mr. R. S. Fay.
12. Miss Mary Crane, daughter of Alderman S. D. Crane.
13. Miss Lily Fay, daughter of Mr. R. S. Fay.
14. Mrs. Chickering, wife of Mr. Charles F. Chickering.
15. Miss Appleton, daughter of Mr. Nathan Appleton.
16. Mrs. Bates, wife of Mr. Isaac C. Bates.
17. Miss Netty Gage, of Old Cambridge, niece of Mr. Henry K. Horton.
Mrs. Joseph Bigelow, Mrs. Whitney of Beacon Street, Mrs. M. P. Brady of New York, Mrs. G. J. F. Bryant, and Mrs. Wilcox, daughter of the late Jonas Chickering, were all elegantly attired. There were many distinguished persons present at the ball, besides the Prince of Wales and his party ; among them were Governor Banks, Mayor Lincoln, Professor Henry W. Longfellow, Senator Henry Wilson, Senator John P. Hale, wife and daughter, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and wife, Hon. Robert Winthrop, Mr. Murray, British Consul at Portland, Maine, Hon. Anson Burlingame, and wife, Mr. Cartier of Montreal, Dr. Henry J. Bigelow. General Andrews, Miss Harriet Hosmer, the sculptress, Josiah Quincy, Colonel Connelly, Ass't Adjt. General of the forces in Canada, Mr. Bogart of the "New York Courier and Express," Mr. Thayer of the "New York Post," Lieut .- Colonel N. H. Bellew of the Governor's Horse Guards of New Hampshire, Dr. Edward Reynolds, A. C. Mayhew, Frank Leslie, Col. J. T Stevenson, Judge Putnam and hosts of other notable people.
It was, without doubt, one of the grandest occasions in all respects that Boston has ever witnessed. Several years ago Mr. Andrew Neilson, who was employed at the Revere House for nearly fifty years, in an interview with a Boston reporter, recounted his experience with the Prince of Wales, when as Baron Renfrew he was a guest at the Hotel for those three days in 1860. Mr. Neilson was the only waiter who was allowed in the presence of the future King, for the latter had his own servants. In this account he says: "The three days
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the Prince and his suite remained here were the greatest of my life. I suppose the Prince left the most pronounced im- pression upon me of any of the most celebrated guests I have waited on. He and his suite arrived here on the 17th of October, 1860. I was the only employe of the house per- mitted to assist the Prince and I had charge of his entire apartments, thoughout his entire stay in the city. The first and second floors of the house in the west wing were parti- tioned off for the royal guest and his suite and the keys given me. No one but the Prince's party was permitted to pass. This was a wise thing to do, for otherwise it would have been difficult to keep the public from intruding. Bowdoin Square was packed with people, day and night, and we had to use all kinds of devices to get the Prince in and out, without attracting the attention of the multitude. The day after the Prince arrived he said he wanted some exercise and told me to order his horse. The animal, by the way, was used by Thomas Ball, the sculptor, as a model for his equestrian statute of Washington that is in the Public Garden. It was owned by a gentleman on Beacon Street, who loaned it to the Prince. After the horse had been brought, the Prince looked out of the window and seeing the crowd, turned to me and said, 'Andrew, must I go out in that crowd? Cannot you get me out without their seeing me?' I replied that I would try, and told the hostler to ride the horse off, taking a round- about way coming back up through Bulfinch Street, where he was to remain until he received a signal from me. I went to the Prince and told him what I had done and in a few minutes he was ready. When I saw the horse in the place I had suggested I gave the signal and the animal was brought to the entrance on the side where the Prince was waiting. Before any one was aware of the fact he had sprung into the saddle, and away he went, cantering up the street. The heir to the British throne was lost one day for over an hour, and I was the only one who knew where he was. The men in his suite who had him in charge were almost frantic. It was none of my business, so I said nothing, but was instrumental in his returning before a general alarm was sent out.
On the fourth day the Prince departed with a clear track ahead for Portland, Maine, where a royal fleet of warships awaited his coming to carry him back to his home in Britain. "We were evidently in a higher atmosphere," wrote the Pri- vate Secretary of the Duke of Newcastle, in the published
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diary of his trip, when referring to the Boston visit. "The Bostonians," he said, "were anxious that their entertainment should be in better taste than that of the New Yorkers, and they evidently succeeded." The Prince embarked for home on the man-of-war "Hero," on October 20, 1860. "She had only fifteen days' supply of coal and owing to the rough weather and the struggle against adverse seas, this was soon exhausted. The "Hero" was taken in tow by her consort, the "Anadne" and slowly the craft limped across the ocean. The larder, too, as well as the bunkers were poorly stocked, and for the last three or four days, the royal youth, who had sub- sisted on the choicest fare the American continent could afford, was eating the salt beef of the sailors' mess. He rel- ished the humour of the situation thoroughly and enjoyed the adventure which came from the buffetings of the tem- pestuous seas. The delay in the arrival of the "Hero" caused great anxiety throughout England and on her arrival at Plymouth Sound she was met by cruisers and despatch boats.
The old town of Boston that turned her back upon George the Third and his ministers, opened her arms in cordial wel- come to this young son of England's good queen. He met with a continual ovation in his tour of the States from Detroit to Portland. It was so spontaneous and hearty he could not doubt its sincerity. Many years after this visit to the United States he said to a British official that he wished to have every possible attention shown to Americans who visited England, not only because it was good policy to have their friendship, but especially because he personally was very fond of them and wished to make return for the generous and enthusiastic welcome which they had given to him in his younger days.
On the 6th of May, 1910, the whole world was plunged in deep gloom at the death of this great monarch. In his mes- sage of condolence to Her Majesty, Queen Alexandra, Pres- ident Taft truly voiced the real sentiment of the American people :---
"On the sad occasion of the death of King Edward, I offer to your Majesty and to your son, his illustrious successor, the most profound sympathy of the people and of the gov- ernment of the United States, whose hearts go out to their British kinsmen in this their national bereavement. To this I add the expression to your Majesty and to the new King of my own personal sympathy and of my appreciation of those high qualities which made the life of the late King so
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potent an influence toward peace and justice among the nations."
Almost to the end he refused to take to his bed and the day before his decease was sitting up in a large chair. As he grew weaker he seems to have realized that his end was fast approaching and one of his last utterances was, "Well, it is all over but I think I have done my duty." During his life he had many narrow escapes from death. When 14 years of age, while out shooting with Earl Canning, a bird flying low, between him and the Earl, who aimed point blank at the Prince. Just before the gun was discharged an attendant threw the Prince down, and received portions of the shot in his face. When 16, while climbing a lake mountain he slipped and rolled down the steep side for 100 feet, but escaped with slight injury. While courting the Princess Alexandria at Heidelberg, in September 1861, a chandelier, weighing several hundred pounds, fell upon and demolished the chair he had just vacated. While swimming in the Dead Sea, he was seized with cramps and rescued by an attendant as he was sinking for the last time.
On his accession to the throne the King announced his intention "to walk in his mother's footsteps," but while Queen Victoria lived almost a life of retirement, interesting herself mainly in home affairs, the King's influence throughout his reign was devoted, more to international affairs, by visits to .foreign courts and personal action of constitutional character in various directions, making every possible effort to bring the empire into the friendliest relations with other countries, and his efforts were so successful that he has been univer- sally known as "Edward the Peacemaker."
The Standard said of him: "The first of Englishmen has passed away, the monarch, whose name is written among the highest in the roll of England's long line of sovereigns, a patriot, a statesman, a governor, well fitted by the vigor of his intellect, and the engaging charm of his temperament, to be the actual, as well as the ceremonial chief of the peoples he loved so well, and of the empire he ruled with such mem- orable success."
Senator Chauncey M. Depew said of King Edward, whom he knew well as the Prince of Wales: "King Edward would have made a great American had his lot been cast with this country instead of being born to the English throne. More
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than a King, a great factor for peace and good-will among the nations has passed away."
One incident that particularly impressed me was that which took place at a dinner to which the late James G. Blaine had been invited as the guest of the Prince during the former's visit to England, before he had been made a candidate for President. Knowing that the Prince of Wales took especial delight in honoring Americans, others at the dinner were most gracious to Mr. Blaine. The one
King Edward VII.
exception was a duke of the royal house, who had made a reputation for boorishness and lack of tact. During a lull in the conversation after the coffee, this nobleman blurted out, "The greatest outrage in your history was the revolt of your people against King George the Third. There was no justification for it, and there is no excuse now." I believe that was the only time I ever saw the Prince embar- rassed. Perhaps no man but Blaine could have carried off the awkward situation. While the entire gathering sat in silence, Blaine, replied, in his carefully modulated voice, "Perhaps, my dear sir, if George the Third, had as much
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diplomacy and had as wide a knowledge of his people as his great grandson possesses, America might still be Eng- lish."
The Prince, at once, turned the subject, to the great relief of all present, and I saw him grip Blaine's hand with a twinkle of admiration in his eye at the end of the function.
He sought continually to secure the views of Americans on Irish Home Rule, then considered by most Englishmen to be a dangerous move and one likely to disrupt the Brit- ish Empire. He talked continually of the relation between his country and ours, even asking whether British diplo- matic representation here was entirely satisfactory.
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South Boston in the Carly Fifties
The old time residents of the Peninsular Ward were justly proud of "Dorchester Heights."
It was a place of great interest to strangers visiting Bos- ton, by reason of the historical associations connected with the spot, also, because of the magnificent and far- reaching view to be obtained from its summit. In 1850, it was a rather isolated spot, retaining much of its natural configuration, the ascent being somewhat steep from all sides, and seemingly designed by nature for the exact purpose for which the genius of Washington utilized it. There remained at that time, some of the earthworks thrown up in the War of 1812, when the citizens feared the entrance of a British fleet into Boston Harbor. These earthworks followed very closely the lines laid out by Gridley, Washington's Engineer in March, 1776. These Heights, situated so near Boston, had complete command of the town and the harbor. The "Parade," the space en- closed by the earthen ramparts, was often used for outdoor meetings. The writer, when quite a lad, accompanied his father to that spot, one Fourth of July morning, to attend a meeting of the Cold Water Army. In 1849, a large gran- ite reservoir for the storage of Cochituate water, was built on the East end of the hill, on the site now occupied by the elegant building of the South Boston High School. The shape of the reservoir was like a segment of an elipse, measuring at its widest part 370 feet and 260 feet at its narrowest. There was a great public demonstration when the water was introduced into this reservoir, November 20, 1849, and it was the writer's privilege to be present on that occasion, and to see the thousands gathered on the hill. A salute was fired by the Washington Guards, there was singing by the school children and an address by the then Mayor of Boston, the Hon. John P. Bigelow.
In 1850 there was much unoccupied land all around the Heights, particularly on the southern slope, extending to the Old Harbor. On one side there were a few very old apple
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trees in whose shade we boys would often lounge in the hot summer days, where we had all the freshness and freedom and quiet of the country. The view on every hand was picturesque and pleasing. Across the old harbor was the cow pasture of Dorchester, a salt marsh of many acres, and following the shore line was the dark rounded summit of Savin Hill and Commercial Point and Squantum, with the Blue Hills of Milton as a background. A little distance southeast was Thompson's Island, where was situated the Farm School of Boston, and beyond the towns of Quincy and Weymouth. The view to the north and east, took in the city with its State House Dome, Bunker Hill Monument and numerous church spires, the wharves, the shipping, East Boston and the islands of the harbor. On the west, Dorchester and Roxbury with their many pleasant homes, embowered in green. Directly back of the Heights, at the foot of the hill, was the Old Harbor, and on its edge was a ship yard, where the writer once witnessed the launching of a small vessel.
City Point was a veritable "Sleepy Hollow." Yachting had not then become such a popular pastime. Here and there was a small sail boat, which some resident had anchored off the shore, within sight of his home, but no white-winged fleet such as may be seen today in the summer time, dotting the waters of the pretty bay. The houses in that section were somewhat scattered, but they were pleasant and com- fortable looking homes, with large grounds attached to each. In front of the houses were flower gardens, with the old- fashioned flowers, lilacs, pinks, geraniums, holly-hocks and asters, with neat gravelled walks bordered with box. In the rear of the homes were their little fruit orchards, with cherry, apple, pear and plum trees, and grape vines running over an arbor of trellis work. These orchards were surrounded by high board fences, with a row of sharp points as a warning to mischievous urchins or marauders. The residents of the Point had no need to go to the mountains or seashore in the summer time. In no place could they be cooler or more comfortable than in their cosy homes. At the extreme end of the Point and facing Fort Independence, was a little earth- work, where guns were mounted in the war of 1812. The stone semi-circles, upon which the gun carriages revolved, were still to be seen in the early days of which we speak.
The old Blake House, of which we give quite a lengthy
Dorchester Heights in 1850
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account in the "Settlement of Dorchester," stood not/far from this earthwork.
At the foot of K Street, now known as "Bay View," was Pow-Wow Point, where may be seen a tablet with the fol- lowing inscription :
Here the Indians gathered and held Great Feasts. Near this spot, below High Water Mark, was the Great Spring.
It was unfortunate for the best interest and growth of South Boston in the right direction that so many penal, re- formatory and other institutions of the City of Boston should have been located at the Point. By natural situation and surroundings it was an ideal location for fine residences.
It was the most beautiful spot in the whole city. In sum- mer it was swept by the cool breezes of the ocean and the bay. A boulevard encircling the Point, with fine residences facing the harbor and Dorchester Bay, would have made it one of the most beautiful drives in America, and all within a short distance of the business centre of Boston. There were located in this section, the Insane Asylum, the House of Correction, the House of Reformation, and the Institution for Feeble Minded. These institutions occupied some of the most desirable sites at the Point, and by their close proximity cheapened real estate in their vicinity.
Many large manufacturing concerns took advantage of the low price of land at the Point, and located their factories near the water-front, and thus from 1850 to 1860 there were a number and quite a variety of industrial plants in South Boston. On the harbor side and near Independence Square were the extensive machine shops of
HARRISON LORING
who manufactured large stationary and marine engines, em- ยท ploying 200 men. He built the machinery of the United States steamer John Hancock, which vessel took part in Commodore Perry's expedition to Japan. He was one of the first in the country to build iron steamships, and turned out many fine and substantial specimens of naval architecture.
In 1860 he built and launched the large steamers, the "Mississippi" and the "Merrimac." which were built for the Boston and New Orleans line. The Civil War broke out soon
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afterwards and all commerce between the two points was suspended.
They were chartered by the United States Government as transports and they continued in commission nearly four years. It was on the Steamship "Mississippi" that the 45th Massachusetts Regiment made the voyage from Boston to Morehead City, in November, 1862.
Near Loring's shops was the ship yard of
EDWIN AND HARRISON BRIGGS
This firm built many of the famous clipper ships, which in the years 1850-51-52 and 53, made such remarkable voyages around Cape Horn. These vessels rated AI at Lloyds and carried the American flag into all the great ports of the world, and won the admiration of all seafaring men. We recall the names of some of those fine vessels: "Winged Arrow," "Fair Wind," "Starlight," "Grace Darling," "Bonita," "Cyclone," "Saracen," "Cossack," "Mameluke," "Meteor," "Alarm" and "Northern Light." The "Northern Light" made the fastest passage ever known for a sailing vessel from San Francisco to Boston, making the voyage in seventy-three days, and for ten days of the passage, she was becalmed off the coast of Chili. Those were the golden days of the American merchant marine, and from that excellent training school for sailors, the United States Navy in the Civil War, drew thousands of brave and hardy seamen. England could well afford to pay the Alabama Claims award of $15,000,000 for allowing English built cruisers, manned largely by English seamen, to slip out of her ports, under com- mand of a Confederate officer, to prey upon American com- merce. There is no doubt but that England saw the end from the beginning, and counted the cost. Her history proves that she allows nothing to stand in the way of her own interest. Force or diplomacy, or both, are used to remove every ob- stacle. Her methods may have changed since 1776, but her principles remain the same.
At the foot of Dorchester Street, on the harbor side, were the
BAY STATE ROLLING MILLS
This company did a very large business in the manufacture of T rails. Their product was of a very superior quality and they kept their furnaces running night and day, giving steady
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employment to 300 men. Their rails went to all parts of the country, for it was the era of extensive railroad building in the West and it was in this way that Boston capitalists secured large and controlling interests in many of the great trunk lines. The business men of Boston in those days had brains, enterprise and capital, and Boston was the synonym for broad, and aggressive ideas in every line.
One of the most interesting industries of those days were the various glass manufactories.
THE AMERICAN FLINT GLASS WORKS
were located on Second Street, near B Street. Here the work was all done, from the making of the glass to its finished product
THE PHOENIX GLASS WORKS
were established in 1811 and were managed by Mr. Thomas Cains, an old and highly respected citizen of the ward. The buildings were several times destroyed by fire, but new struc- tures always emerged from the ashes of the old, and they truly merited the name of "Phoenix," the name originally given them.
THE CHAIN FACTORY OF COTTON, HILL & CO. was located on F Street, a little off of Broadway, on the northerly side. It was always an interesting place to the boys, to watch the molten metal hammered by strong arms into chains and anchors, which were to hold the good ships safe at anchor when the waves should roll high, and the storm should beat furiously. Their work was of a high quality and the ship owners could say with Longfellow :
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