Pope's Night, the 5th of November. There being many complaints made by divers of his Majesty's good subjects in the town of Boston, that in the night between the 5th and 6th days of November, from year to year, for some years past, sundry persons with sticks, clubs and other weapons have assembled themselves together and disfigured themselves by blacking their faces, dressing themselves in a very unusual manner, and otherwise disfiguring themselves as well as insulting the Inhabitants in their houses, by demanding money of them, and threatening them in Case of Refusal: which Doings being very disorderly, and contrary to the good and wholesome laws, the Justices of the Peace in said town have concluded to take effectual methods to prevent or punish such irregularities for the future, and would particularly caution and warn all Persons to forbear such Proceedings hereafter.—Boston Gazette, Oct. 28, 1746.
Pope's Night Celebration. Friday last was carried about town the Devil, Pope and Pretender; as also the Effigies of a certain English Admiral, hung upon a gibbet, with a wooden sword on the right side, and one of steel run through the body; upon the front of the stage was written in capitals,
Come hither brave Boys, be jolly and sing,
Here's Death and Confusion to Admiral B—g.
—Boston Gazette, Nov. 8, 1756.
Fire Works. On the evening of the day when the Royal Commission appointing William Shirley, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, was published in the Council Chamber, "there was several fine Fire-Works displayed from the Top of the Town-House and other Places; but unluckily one of the Serpents fell into the Town House Lanthorn where all the Fire-Works lay, and set them all off at once, which made a pretty Diversion; several Gentlemen were in the Lanthorn, and some of them were a little scorcht, but no other Damage done, except breaking a few of the Lanthorn Windows."—Boston Gazette, Aug. 10-17, 1741.
Flying Man. This is to give Notice to all Gentlemen and Ladies, that John Childs has flewn off of most of the highest steeples in Old England, and off of the monument by the Duke of Cumberlands' Desire, and does intend this Day, and two Days following, to fly off of Dr. Cutler's Church, where he hopes to give full Satisfaction to all spectators.—Boston Gazette, Sept. 12, 1757.
The next issue of the newspaper states that he performed the feat "to the satisfaction of a great Number of Spectators. It is supposed from the steeple to the place where the Rope was fix'd was about 700 Feet upon a slope, and that he was about 16 or 18 seconds performing each Time. As These Performances led many People from their Business, he is forbid flying any more in the Town."
Currants. Any Person that has a mind to take a walk in the Garden at the Bottom of the Common, to eat Currants, shall be Kindly Welcome for Six Pence a piece.—Boston News-Letter, July 10-17, 1735.
Jacob Bailey, a country boy born in 1731 of humble parentage in Rowley, Mass., was inspired by the local minister to obtain a college education, and after graduating at Harvard, he taught school, eventually obtained a license to preach, and finally went to England where he took orders in the Anglican Church. Bailey had a gift for versification and while teaching school in the country town of Kingston, N.H., his muse led him to describe a corn husking, a favorite frolic in country towns until very recent times, an occasion when the finding of an ear of red corn entitled the finder to kiss the girls. He begins: