ible without a good glass."

_Columbian Centinel,_ June 5, 1790. _Eng. pap._

* * * * *

In an old Salem paper we find the following:

--> We understand the number of deaths in this town the past
year was 234, of which 15 died abroad.

This reminds us of the curious jumble made in the first edition of
Morse's "American Gazetteer," published in Boston in 1797. In the
description of Albany, N.Y., it says: "This city and suburbs, by
enumeration in 1797, contained 1,263 buildings, of which 863 were
dwelling-houses and 6,021 inhabitants. Many of them are in the Gothic
style with the gable end to the street, which custom the first settlers
brought from Holland."

* * * * *

The earliest American writer of whom we have any information
was Peter Bulkley, who was born in England in 1583 and died
in 1659 in Massachusetts, and wrote Latin Poetry and
Sermons. The earliest poetic volume written in this country
was by Anne Bradstreet, of Boston, born 1612, died 1672.

_Salem Observer,_ 1834.

* * * * *

The author of these lines must have been one of the old school.

[_The following was paid for as an Advertisement._]

The folloing lines were Presented to A lat skull mistres in
this town by 4 of her skolers the morning after her mareg

MAY all Joiy and happiness Vait
To attend your nuptal stat
you our instructer and the Guid
of our early youth beside
as you Quit the plas
wich you fild with euery Gras.
Our Grateful Thanks are sure your due.
Except them thearfor from us fue.
Whos shur to you that pras is due.
Must euery sorro euery Cear be yourn
Forbid it Heauin and let it turn
to peas and Joiys next to diuin
Rise Glorious euery futer Sun
and Bless your days with Joiys as this has dun
let sorrows sese and Joiys tak plas
to briten euery futer day with equil Gras
and wen your cald from hence above
may you inioy your souors Loue
wee ever shall regrat our los
and yet with you wee all reioyss

_Essex Gazette,_ May 14, 1771.

* * * * *

Boston school-books in 1790.

The School Committee in Boston have ordered that the
following Books be used in the Reading Schools of that town,