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Show ! AMERICA'S i i MARVELS ! NATURAL J AND I OTHERWISE ! f i I Dy T. T. MAXEY J t; ; 1 OLD GRANARY BURYING GROUND AYithln the confines of the older (eastern) states of this t'ulon there are many ancient, Quaint, and hallowed burying grounds, most of which closely close-ly surround or adjoin a much-loved chapel or meeting house. Among the most Interesting of these Is that precious plot of ground known as Old Granary Burying Ground, near the present business center in the city of Boston, i The town granary once stood on this site hence this peculiar name. The burying ground was established about the year 1640. Within this well-kept enclosure which is surrounded by mi Imposing protective protec-tive fence, lie the remains of three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Indepen-dence, nine governors, Poter Faneull, that public-spirited Individual who presented the city the famous hall which bears his name; Paul Revere, that patriot who, on April 18, 1775, warned his country of the marching of the British troops towards Lexington Lexing-ton and Concord, and other notables of their time. Probably the most conspicuous headstone head-stone that graces the shaded covering of the departed Is that erected by Benjamin Ben-jamin Franklin, the most important literary man of his day, ln loving tribute trib-ute to the memory of his father, Jo-siah, Jo-siah, and his mother, Ablah. An outstanding feature of the plot are a number of almost-a-century-old elm trees which cast their shadows over this resting place. The epitaphs on many of the stones which mark these ancient graves are quaint, indeed, and peculiar In the light of present-day custom. An unusual un-usual one reads : Here lyeth ye body of John Downing, aged about 63 yrs,, dec'd April ye 19, 1694. I bargain with Christ for room below, He grants a mansion ln hiB upper storle; Thus God gives mora than we do ask or know, Instead of grace uninterrupted gloria. Another : Here lies interred the body of Mr. Thomas Crawford, who departed this life, Aug. J3d, 1773, Aged 56. Stop here my friend and cast an eye. As you are now, so once was I; Aa I am now, so you must be. Prepare for death and follow me. A good name is better than precious ointment. THE BOWERY Perhaps no other street in any other city in America has had a more intensely in-tensely interesting or varied career, has housed a more notorious population popula-tion or Is known so far and wide as is The Bowery ln New York City. "Bouwerie" 1b a Dutch word which corresponds to our word "farm." The extensive estates or Great Bouwerie of Governor Peter Stuyvesant whom history his-tory records was the last and the best of the governors of the Dutch colonies ln America were located along the upper up-per east side of New Amsterdam (now New York city). Bouwerie Lane was the main road leading north from the wall behind and protecting the city to Governor Stuyvesant's Bouwerie. It extended from about where Chatham square now stands to the vicinity of the present Junction of Third and Fourth avenues. Bouwerie Lane was subsequently shortened to Bowery Lane, which name in turn (about 1807) gave way to The Bowery which was handed down to and 13 used by the present generation. A tavern, known as Bowery House, was built on this road. The village surrounding It gradually came Into existence. ex-istence. The location of this community com-munity was between Second and Sixteenth Six-teenth streets and east of and along Second avenue near the location of the present Stuyvesant square. The Bowery (Bouwerie Lane) was one of the first-named streets ln the "New Yorld." The Bowery, notorious In the extreme ex-treme for years and years, as the hangout hang-out of lawless boys and others of a questionable character, has ln more recent re-cent times taken on a new and a better bet-ter life. The street at the present time Is made up and patronized by a population popula-tion of many nations and of many walks In life and Is lined with a seemingly seem-ingly endless string of cheap stores, amusement houses, lodging places and pawn shops. Into the latter are brought by shiftless Individuals anything any-thing and everything that can be carried car-ried and which has a pawnable value. I once heard about an old Bowerite Ivho had a wooden leg which he pawned dally as he started out on a round of begging, reclaiming his peg with the same regularity as he returned re-turned to his hangout at night. Governor Stuyvesant died In 1G7:;. His body was burled In the little cemetery cem-etery on his bouwerie. When St. Marks church at Second avenue and Eleventh street was constructed ln 17!V the painstakingly inscribed tombstone tomb-stone over his grave was built Into one of the walls. (), 1023, Western Newspaper Union.) |