BOSTON JUNE 1.—At the meeting on Monday laſt, the town of Boſton evinced its good ſenſe by voting to poſtpone the choice of Tythingmen till the firſt Monday of March next. We venture to aſſert, that in no diſtrict in the univerſe, of the extent and population of Maſſachuſetts, is the Sabbath more decently and ſincerely obſerved.
Law against keeping barber's shops open on Sunday morning in Salem in 1804:—
SUNDAY LAW IN SALEM—BARBERS' SHOPS 80 YEARS AGO.
Correspondence of the Salem Gazette.
Boston, Aug. 5.
About 1804 your Selectmen ordered that after a given date no barber's shop should be kept open on Sunday morning. There was no appeal from their mandate. The fatal last Sunday arrived; the customers of the esteemed Benj. Blanchard, whose shop was at the upper part of Essex street, opposite the Endicott and Cabot mansions, came as usual to have their hair tied; it was the epoch of queues, and it was necessary to their aspect in church that their back hair should be artistically bound with ribbon and their heads nicely pomatumed, even though, like Bonaparte, they shaved their own beards. This last Sunday it was observable that each gentleman, in his turn, after being barbered, instead of hurrying off as usual, resumed his seat. As the second bell began to ring, the last customer was accomplished, and the whole company rose from their chairs, filed out into Essex street, formed a line in front of Mr. Blanchard's shop, and gave three rousing cheers; then, like Burns's "Twa Dogs, each took off his several way," some to Dr. Barnard's North Church, some to Dr. Hopkins's, Dr. Bolles's, or Dr. Prince's First Church.
Salem Gazette, August, 1885.
The Middlesex Sabbath Association meet in November, 1815, but find nothing to do. No Sabbath-breakers reported, probably.