File:Boston, the place and the people (1903) (14577569930).jpg

Identifier: bostonplacepeopl00howem (find matches)
Title: Boston, the place and the people
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Howe, M. A. De Wolfe (Mark Antony De Wolfe), 1864-1960
Subjects: Boston -- History. (from old catalog)
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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ts last rays tinged the summit of thewatery column, the bells began to ring — cannon werefired — and rockets streamed across the sky. To themultitude around, the scene was one of intense inter-est and excitement, which it is impossible to describe,but which no one can forget. After the first momentof surprise most of the spectators looked around upontheir neighbors — some laughed aloud — the menswung their hats and shouted — and some even wept.The Mayor informed the children that the schoolswould be closed and the fountain would play all thenext day. Fireworks in the evening brought the cele-bration to a glittering close. Three years later the Railroad Celebration arousedthe city to similar rejoicing, which covered a periodof three days. There were banquets and speech-mak-ing, a harbor excursion, and a yacht race for the enter-tainment of visitors and natives. President Fillmoreand Lord Elgin, Governor-general of Canada, werethe most eminent of many distinguished guests. But
Text Appearing After Image:
X U MEN AND MONUMENTS 313 the details are insignificant beside the meaning of suchfestivals as these — that here was a community grow-ing like a youth from strength to strength, and, withall that engaging freedom from self-consciousness whichmarks the youthful period, frankly rejoicing in its ownachievements. While these spectacular public works, announcedby the flourish of trumpets, were going forward, therewere, through the same years of the nineteenth centuryin Boston, many quieter yet perhaps even more impor-tant undertakings on foot. Concerning one of them,the work of the Lowell Institute, Dr. Holmes madethe following statement: When you have said everyenthusiastic thing that you may, you will not havehalf filled the measure of its importance to Boston— New England — the country at large. After allallowances are made for the zeal of a Bostonian, thisdeclaration is enough to provoke either reflection orinquiry. The inquirer will learn that since 1840 theLowell foundation has

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