Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 22.

In Vol. XXI, No. 3, p. 64, the writer of the article has ‘grave doubts of the structure—being as smoothly angular and straightly railed as this seems to be.’ (See illustration opposite page 56 of that number.) The original sketch of this bridge is now before me. It is three feet six inches in length and one foot six inches in width, and does not look as ‘smoothly angular’ as in the reduced copy. This sketch was made in part from a description of a bridge found in the county records and in part from the remains of an ancient bridge that was removed on the north side of the river when the present stone bridge was built. The Unitarian church steeple is represented on the sketch by a cedar tree. The buildings on the sketch are located by a mistake of the artist where the Jonathan Wade house stands, instead of nearer the market-place or square, and the crest of Pasture hill is plainly elevated above the roofs of the buildings. As to the luxurious growth of trees as shown in the illustration, who shall say that they did not exist? That trees will grow near the ‘salt Mystic’ was shown by the trees that stood on an island in the marshland below Laborinvain point. This island was elevated but a few feet above marsh level, and was surrounded by water every high course of the tides. The trees have long since disappeared. Near the island, on the east side, is a salt-water creek called Lydia's hole, from a colored woman named Lydia who was said to have been drowned there. The illustration, like all other ideal pictures, is open to criticism.

In Vol. XXI, No. 3, p. 67, the writer of the article says, ‘Yes, this is the “ Bower” . . . the site of the ancient mill.’ When I attended the West grammar school in the old brick schoolhouse that stood at the rear of the Unitarian church lot, the weekly holiday was Saturday afternoon. Saturday forenoon was a sort of a goas-you-please day. We had no regular lessons, and often in the early summer the scholars were lined up in front of the horse sheds and, headed by the master, were marched