Pierce’s Hotel stood on the north-west corner of Charles River avenue and Water street.  It was built in 1795 by Hon. Thomas Russell for a family mansion; but he died just before its completion.  In one of its rooms was a remarkable clock with a blue dial and moving figures of men, which appeared when the clock struck the hours, and then disappeared.  The ordaining council of the first pastor of Harvard Church convened there.  It was at one time occupied by Silas Whitney, Jr., who was buried from there with Masonic honors in 1824.  Potter, the celebrated ventriloquist, held his exhibitions there, to the delight of the youngsters of that day.  It was last kept by James Walker, and its name changed to the Middlesex House.  It was destroyed by the great fire of August 28, 1835.

Robbin’s Tavern stood on the west side of City square and south-east corner of Harvard street.  It was built in 1796, and stood directly in the rear of the site of the Three Cranes Tavern, before alluded to.  It was demolished in 1816, and the Charlestown Town Hall erected upon its site, which, in turn, was demolished in 1868 to make room for the City Hall.

Ireland’s Tavern was built in 1797, and stood on the north side of Cambridge street, near the Lowell Railroad bridge.

Yoelin’s Tavern was built in 1798, and stood on the east side of City square and north-west corner of Chamber street.  It was first occupied as a tavern in 1821, and was destroyed by the great fire before alluded to.  The first meeting of the proprietors of Warren bridge was held there in 1828.

Copp’s Tavern was built in 1799, and stood on the south side of City square, near the corner of Bow street.  The building, which had ceased for some years to be occupied as a tavern, was demolished in 1866 to make room for the Waverley House.

“Sic transit gloria mundi.”  Thus have disappeared from time to time, with but few exceptions, the taverns, inns, and coffee-houses of the Town of Boston, while the bodily forms of those who took their ease in them have long since crumbled into dust.  We will now resign to the pen of the local historian of a century hence to describe the mammoth hostelries of the City of Boston, which have arisen since the era of railways, steamships, electric telegraphs, ocean cables, telephones, electric lights, and other modern developments of science and art.

* * * * *

EDITOR’S TABLE.

A correspondent asks in connection with an article in the May number on “Town and City Histories,” in which was incidentally mentioned the government of Western towns by trustees, the following question:  “Can you tell me where I can find that government treated of; also, that of towns in the Middle and Southern States?” The question is a hard one to answer.  Of the town meeting, that peculiarly New England institution, much has been written; but about the local forms of government prevalent in the States between the Hudson and the Pacific Ocean very little has found its way into print.  The local historians seem to take it for granted that all these things are understood everywhere, and so shed little light on the question.  The pages of this magazine will be open to any one who can give the desired information.