History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

ANNALS OF LYNN 1 878. yj
the same time was raised on the Common street Methodist
house, were cast at the old Paul Revere foundry, and that the
present one was turned out by Revere's successors in that
historic establishment. When the Old Tunnel was removed
from the centre of the Common, in 1827, and wrought into the
house now on the corner of Commercial street, the bell went with
it, and remained in the modest belfry till it was taken down, this
year, and recast, the city paying for the recasting, in consideration
of its having for more than sixty years faithfully marked the
hours of twelve at noon and nine at night, as well as having rung
out its fire alarms and jubilant peals, besides attending to its
other duties of calling together worshipping congregations and
announcing the bearing away of the dead for burial. Its Methodist
coadjutor still survives and sends forth its sonorous calls
from the steeple of the new brick edifice in Park square.
A singular custom has for many years prevailed in Lynn, the
origin of which it is hard to determine, namely the blowing of tin
horns, by the youth, on May-day. From dawn till night, in all
directions, these discordant instruments may be heard ; but
especially are morning slumbers disturbed.
The services on Memorial Day, May 30, were interesting,
though the inclemency of the weather somewhat disarranged the
proceedings. Rev. C. D, Hills, of the Common street Methodist
society delivered the address.
On the 1 2th of June, twelve gentlemen, mostly quite aged,
and all lovers of old-time customs, set out from Newburyport to
enjoy a ride to Boston in the old-fashion four horse stage coach
of their boyhood. The driver was a veteran of the road, and
eighty-one years of age. The start was propitious and the ride
enjoyable, till they reached Lynn, when, near the junction of
Western avenue and Washington street, an axle broke and the
stage was overturned. Two or three of the passengers were
seriously injured, and the aged driver received a severe shock to
his system besides painful bruises.
On the fourth of July there was a successful balloon ascension
from Park square, Alderman Aza A. Breed, City Marshal Charles
C. Fry and Frederick Smith, a Boston newspaper reporter,
accompanying the aeronaut. A landing was made at Hamilton,
in this county. There was to have been a display of fireworks on
the evening of the day in question, but a singular accident prevented.
They had been loaded at the laboratory, preparatory to
transportation hither, but by means of fire or friction, they went
off in one general explosion. Others, however, were prepared,
and on the evening of the i8th a successful exhibition took
place.
Dennis Kearney, a radical agitator and " sand-lot orator," so
called, from California, addressed a large collection of people, on