BOSTON AND ITS ENVIRONS. 35 



Jf5oston Massacre; of the patriot-orators of the Revolu- 

 tion and the orgar^izers of the Boston Tea-Party, 

 which first took place as a detinite scheme within 

 these walls. Here imd there a red-coated figure would 

 be faintly outlined — one of the lawless troop of 

 British soldiers who in 1775 desecrated the church by 

 using it as a riding-school. 



At present the church is used as a museum^ where 

 antique curiosities and historical relics are on exhibi- 

 tion to the public, and the Old South Preservation 

 Committee is making strenuous efrbrts to save the 

 building from the iccnoclastic hand of Proo-ress, which 

 has dealt blows in so many directions in Boston, de- 

 stroying a large number of interesting landmarks. Its 

 congregation left it long ago, in obedience to that in- 

 exorable law of change and removal, which leaves so 

 many old churches stranded amid the business sections 

 of so many of our prominent cities, and settled in the 

 " New Old South Church'' at Dartmouth and Boyls- 

 ton streets. 



It is curious and in its way disappointing to us visitors 

 from other cities to see what " a clean sweep " the 

 broom of improvement has been permitted in a city so 

 intensely and justly proud of its historical associations 

 as Boston. Year by year the old landmarks disap- 

 pear and fine new buildings rise in their places and 

 Boston is apparently satisfied that all is for the best. 

 The historic Beacon, for which Beacon Hill was named 

 and which was erected in 1634 to give alarm to the 

 country round about in case of invasion, is not only 

 gone, but the very mound where it stood has been 

 levelled, this step having been taken in 1811. The 

 Beacon had disappeared ten v^ars before aiid a shaft 



