OVER 20,000 SAW THE VILLAGE EPISODES AND ARRIVAL OF WINTHROP Pageant Depicting Typical Puritan Day, Arrival of the “Arbella” and Charter Witnessed by Gov. Allen, Dignitaries The Salem Evening News, 1930-06-13, page 1, jumps to page 14 Salem paid a glorious tribute yesterday to the foundation of the and the foundation of free civil government in New England in the re-enactment at Forest River park of the scene which took place three centuries ago when the good ship “Arbella” arrived in the colony presided over by , bringing to these shores a new governor — — and the charter of his authority granted by King Charles I. Fully 30,000 persons not only from this city but from all parts of the state including the governor of the commonwealth and other dignitaries on the outskirts of the Pioneer village erected as a colorful background for the pageant which portrayed with historical accuracy the day, June 12, 1630, when the royal governor made his appearance, and witnessed scenes which depicted the life of the Puritan founders of this colony, their daily tasks, their simple pleasures, their crude methods of punishment, their social intercourse with the Indians and culminating in the feature of the tercentenary, the coming of Winthrop. A fact of real interest and of utmost importance, lost sight of by many, was the coincidence of the greeting between Endecott and Winthrop which designed as a re-enactment of an historical truth was actually the repetition of this event by men bearing the same names and in whose veins coursed the same blood for Gov. John Winthrop of 1630 was impersonated by none other than Frederic Winthrop of Boston, ninth in descent from that eminent Puritan worthy and Gov. John Endecott found a counterpart in the person of George Endicott of Topsfield, also ninth in descent from the doughty captain who ruled with a strong hand the infant colony of three centuries ago. Combined with the pageant, “The Village Episodes” was the starting out for Boston of the Charter cavalcade, the procession designed as a glorification of the progress of the charter from this colony to the new found colony of Boston, in which three floats with military escort, bands, and a following of the Puritan settlers, wended their way from the Pioneer Village to the city line and beyond to Beacon Hill. And as a fitting climax of the state tercentenary celebration came the banquet in the evening held at the state armory in which speakers of state-wide prominence extolled the founding fathers in the presence of some 400 interested spectators. A display of fireworks and a guard mount by the 102d field artillery together with a band concert rung down the curtain on Salem’s program of tribute to the valiant men and women who made the commonwealth of Massachusetts a possibility and who planted the seeds of democracy in a forest wilderness three thousand miles from the homeland three centuries ago. —————— CONCERT PRECEDED PAGEANT Salem Cadet Band with A. N. Weiscopf as Leader, Rendered Program While Crowd Secured Seats The opening of the festivities was furnished by the Salem Cadet band in a concert given between 1 and 2 o’clock, the band being on an elevated platform on the easterly side of the caretaker’s house near the entrance of the park. The band was composed of 30 pieces and gave a fine program of popular and classical numbers. A. N. Weiscopf was the leader. As the band played the crowd began to swarm into the open air amphitheater for the greater part were eager to secure the choice seats offered to view the Village Episodes and later the arrival of the good ship “Arbella” and the landing of Gov. Winthrop and the members of his company. The 5000 seats that made up the viewing stand were quickly filled. When the episodes began hundreds were compelled to stand on the hillside back of the seating accommodations. The crowd continued to increase long before the arrival of the “Arbella” and it was estimated that 30,000 people were present. To judge the enormous throng one had to be in the Pioneer Village itself, or directly in front of the grandstand. There was a quarter of a mile of faces extending from near the enclosure on the westerly side right to the water’s edge. Never has there been such a throng at the park, showing that this city’s part of the tercentenary was the big feature for it drew from all over the state. The heavy showers of the past few days failed to damage the village or the park and everything was “cozy and rosy” for the event. The threatening weather of yesterday morning, at first threatened the program but late in the forenoon the sun came out and dried the grass and outside of a few bad spots where it was moist and the footing bed things were shipshape. The park department was right on the job with a crew of 25 men and the muddy spots were made safe and dry by the laying of strip logs over them. —————— ARRIVAL OF GOV. ALLEN Promptly at 2 o’clock the pageant of “The village episodes” got under way and during its progress His Excellency, Gov. Frank G. Allen, accompanied by his staff, Col. Walter M. Pratt, Capt. Theodore Lyman Storer and Capt. Roland A. Manginn put in appearance. He was escorted from his car to the grandstand by Lieut. Harold Wilson of the state police and a state police officer. His appearance was missed by a great number, especially those who occupied seats in the front rows of the grandstand. Upon entering the grandstand he was escorted to a special reservation occupied by Mayor Bates and the members of the city government and officers of the destroyers “Kane” and “Brooks.” The governor took a seat next to Mayor Bates and remained throughout the arrival of the “Arbella” and the landing of Gov. Winthrop and members of his party. In the special reservation beside Gov. Allen and Mayor Bates were: Payson Smith, state commissioner of education; Robert H. Mitchell, chairman of the Essex County Commissioners; Col. Walter M. Pratt; Capt. Theodore Lyman Storer; Capt. Roland A Manginn; Lieut. Commander W. D. Taylor of the U. S. S. “Kane;” Lieut. Commander W. G. Greenman of the U. S. S. “Brooks”, Lieut. J. D. McDermott of the “Kane” and Councillors Fitzgerald, Theriault, Dolan, O’Connell, Irzyk, and McGrath. —————— THE VILLAGE EPISODES Scenes Depicted a Day in Old Salem With Arrival of “Arbella” Bringing Winthrop and Charter Salem village of 300 years ago has a state-wide interest, if one is to judge from the great crowd which Salem village of 300 years ago has a state-wide interest, if one is to judge from the great crowd which viewed the pageant, as the opening event in the city’s celebration of the Bay Colony tercentenary. There were people from all parts of the state, many descendants and relatives of the early settlers of the village, interested in seeing enacted the scenes which were familiar in the first day of the colony and especially that scene which is probably the most important in the history of the state, the arrival of the “Arbella,” which brought from England the charter of the Bay Colony. The village was not only picturesquely reproduced but laid out with a remarkable degree of accuracy. The groupings of the buildings were very interested and served as an artistic background for the various episodes presented. The home of Gov. Endecott, of course, was as authentic in its reproduction as interesting. The costuming was a credit to the time that has been spent on its preparation, being not only true to the period but artistic and planned with care to the color effects and artistic qualities of the general settings. Not dull and drab, as many picture the scenes of long ago, but the simple white-fichued gowns of the women and the knee breeches and full skirted coats of the men were rich in coloring, althought not the brilliant tones of modern scenes. The Daily Life of the settlers was interestingly pictured in the 30 episodes, which made up the pageant. Starting at day break with the day’s work for both the men and the women of the village, the respective episodes introduced some interesting phase of the life of those early years. The return of the men and boys of the village from a hunt recalled that in those days one could not phone the day’s order to the grocer and butcher and another episode in which a group of women were shown churning butter and one showing the salt-making works, further emphasized this point. The shoemaker, the blacksmith, women spinning, men at work thatching a roof, women washing the family clothes in the pond and spreading them to dry in the grass and bushes all recalled a way of living foreign to the 20th century. Even the pleasures and punishments were in marked contrast, as one watched the children at play, and witnessed a man put in the stocks for drinking, and the punishment of a woman as a common scold in the ducking pond. From the very start of the Episodes, as the “Puritan residents” of the little village came from their houses, “early in the morning,” ready for their day’s toil, when only a few of the cleverly costumed participants could be seen, to the climax, the arrival of the “Arbella,” and the landing of its distinguished passengers with the Bay Colony charter, when practically every member of the cast grouped around the shore of the village, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of them, it was easily seen that the “Village Episodes” were going to be enjoyable and well worth seeing. The Puritans, despite the stern reputation they have acquired through history’s pages, Were a Social Lot and liked to gossip and have their fun, just as do 20th century people. The pageant started quietly and with a bit of gossip between two of the “earlier risers,” as they met on the street. The first excitement occurred immediately following as the shouts of successful hunters returning from the woods were heard and two men, accompanied by their sons, appeared carrying a freshly killed deer strung on a pole over their shoulders. From then on, the action of the scene increased, as persons rushed from their homes to congratulate the hunters on their catch and listen to the stories of the kill. The little village was wide awake then and the irrespressible children went off to their games and mischief-making while the adults busied themselves about their tasks. Although the pageant was divided into episode for the benefit of the spectators, the scenes showed no Although the pageant was divided into episode for the benefit of the spectators, the scenes showed no breaks and were from the point of view of the audience, a complete and unified whole, full of color action and little human incidents that kept the interest at a high pitch at all times. Up near the right hand corner of the village, four men busied themselves making salt, meeting after breakfast on the village street. Although the process could not be seen clearly from the grand stands, the view from the distance stood very realistic and was an interesting phase of one of the earliest of Salem’s industrial activities. The Arrival of a Ketch with the results of early morning fishing was the signal for a number of the men and boys to set to work cleaning the fish. At intervals during the afternoon, men and boys paraded through the street, delivering the catch to the various houses, of the notables of the village. The village shoemaker, a man thatching the roof of an unfinished house, the village blacksmith and his labors, boys driving cows to pasture and girls driving goats through town marked the commencement of some of the other village activities for the day. And then, after the affairs were well started and “the sun well up,” a woman suffering from illness was carefully carried out of her house and placed outside under the curing influence of the sun and incidentally where she could enjoy the goings on of the day and pass a remark or two with the villagers as they passed to and fro. The ringing of the bell startled the children out of their games and pastimes and they rushed pell mell for their day’s lessons. For the Puritans believed, apparently in educating their children as far as was possible. The scene was a natural one and full of life as the joyful children underwent their tasks of learning. To the one who became a trifle too joyful, a dunce’s cap and a seat in front of the class was his reward. At the same time, women appeared from their homes bearing the day’s washing, which they did on the edge of the pond, spreading their sometimes colorful garments on the branches and ground to dry. Twelve of the episodes had reached their completion when the Rev. Francis Higginson walked down the street to the building used as a meeting house and the deference accorded him by those he met matched only that shown to him by the residents of Salem in 1630. The reverend gentleman’s appearance was of esspecial interest to the Salem members of the audience and to the majority of the out of town visitors for Rev. Francis Higginson is a name that is known by practically all Salemites. The meeting of the minister and harked back to an early day. The Rev. Mr. Higginson, it was interesting to note, wore a red cap, similar in shape to a skull cap. The first event of the day that stirred the entire village to its depths was sounded by a child who came running from the woods to warn the villagers that the Indians were coming. The cry of “Indians” and shrieks could be heard in the grandstand as the whole population came running together, gathering in a group as they wondered what the tidings would bring. The pike men and musketeers were called and were ready, for trouble. But all in vain, the Indians came with the most peaceful intentions, bringing gifts of turkeys. To these signs of good will the governor responded with gifts of gaily colored cloth and after discussing trades, the Indians departed and the villagers again resumed their normal routine. The routine was short lived, however, for once again the village was disturbed by cries, this time of derision as one of the bolder women of the village, hoping perhaps to gain attention, walked down the street with A Bright Red Scarf The children, not missing any opportunity for fun, soon found this a good subject and danced around her jeering and singing, attracting the attention of the rest of the villagers, who were thoroughly shocked at such an “outrageous costume.” Possibly she enjoyed the scene she was creating, but vain pride was short-lived for the matter was costume.” Possibly she enjoyed the scene she was creating, but vain pride was short-lived for the matter was brought to the attention of the governor at whom, when he reprimanded her for wearing such gay clothing, she raised her head in defiance. As a result, she spent the remainder of the morning in the stocks. The pig episode, while possibly not possessing the historical accuracy of some of the other scenes, offered a touch of comedy to the scene. Had the pig taken part in the rehearsals of the affair, he could not have created more fun, for, although he was scheduled to run along the main street when pursued by the boys and younger men, he took to the bog land of the pond preferable to the company of his pursuers, plunging into the water when capture seemed certain, then, came ashore again and dashed off through a group of girls, pursued by the boys. He was caught, however, although not before garnishing a lot of fun for his pursuers and the audience on the hill. Later, he made another dash for liberty and accomplished it by swimming to one of the islands in the pond. Shortly after the fishermen of the village left for their day’s work and their women folk had settled down to work on a sail, the peace of the village was again disturbed, this time by an inebriate. As in present times, drunkenness was a punishable offence and the victim of intoxicating beverages was left to sober up in the pillory, where he became the target for the small boys of the village. During the remainder of the morning, the villagers were left to their domestic tasks in peace. The morning’s work was complete dand the tables laid, ready for dinner, which was eaten out of doors. A Hint of Romance in the life of the village and its younger set was given when one of the village maidens took her yarn to the side of the brook to work. A village gallant joined her and the two enjoyed a tete-a-tete until the suitor was reprimanded by a passerby for his frivolity and the two separated. Governor Endecott brought the unwelcome news that the dinner period was over and the villagers must leave their rest and take up their duties of the afternoon. And, once again, the activities started. “The taming of the shrew,” or at least the Puritan version of it, entertained the spectators and participants then, for one of the women appearing at the doorway of her home started scolding her husband and followed him down the street with her nagging remarks. The ducking stool was used to cool her ire with almost the entire population assembling to watch the fun as she was ducked into the waters of the pond. Her shrieking return to her home was a flight from the derisive youngsters and villagers who jeered at her until the doors of her home closed upon her. It was here that the climax was reached. An Indian runner, appearing from the direction of Marblehead caused the spectators to turn their heads to the harbor, eagerly straining for the first Glimpse of the “Arbella” tiding of which the Indian brought. And there it was, slowly and majestically sailing around Naugus Head. Work was forgotten by the Puritan Salemites in the excitement of the discovery and with one accord they dropped their tools and work and rushed for the shore where they could watch the approach of the visitor from across the sea. Even the sick woman was remembered and she was carried carefully to a vantage point. The military group was brought around, and although some of the villagers returned to their work, it was with half an eye on the progress of the strange vessel. The height of contrast waqs reached at about this point when the “Arbella,” half way into the harbor, was hidden for a moment behind one of the boats anchored there. Above, just barely visible through some of the thinner clouds an airplane sped, almost silvery white, as it appeared. As the “Arbella” reappeared from behind its sheltering boat, the airplane above disappeared into a bank of clouds and was lost to sight. Of course the feature of the afternoon was the arrival of the caravel “Arbella” and form time to time throughout the afternoon the audience cast an anxious eye to sea in hopes of catching the first glimpse of the ship as it rounded the point of Naugus Head. When it finally appeared there was great excitement among the spectators, as well as the members in the village. The ship of three centuries ago made a picturesque appearance with its quaint lines as it threaded its way among the varied craft of the harbor which included many types of boats from government destroyers to small row boats and canoes. Despite the presence of modern craft it was not difficult to imagine the scene as it must have been in 1630 and to realize the thrill with which the early settlers of Salem watched its progress up the harbor. Among the spectators whose ancestors probably watched that approach 300 years ago and to them there was a peculiar thrill in witnessing the event. In fact everyone who claims to be a resident of Salem, or of Massachusetts, could not help having a sensation of awe and respect for those passengers of long ago, who had braved the 72-day-long voyage to bring the Bay Colony its charter. When the two small boats which brought them ashore reached the rocks upon which they landed, and Gov. Endecott escorted the Lady Arbella, followed by Gov. Winthrop, and the others of the “Arbella’s” passenger list to the village, the enthusiasm of the tercentenary reached its climax and the great event for which everyone had been waiting was a fact. It was evident that the arrival of the boat was the event for which everyone had been waiting, as immediately after its arrival and the reception of the party at Gov. Endecott’s house, the audience began to move toward the gate. The last episode was therefore never completed, as originally planned, which would leave the village deserted, the villages all retiring to their homes as it had been when the pageant opened. The photographing of the entire cast with Gov. Allen in the center of the group took the place of this finale as the majority of the audience had departed by that time. The Principals of the Cast and the names of the characters which they portrayed, being historically accurate, are as follows: Governor Endicott, George Endicott; Roger Conant, Harr A. Conant; John Balch, Franklin Balch; Thomas Gardner, F. A. Gardner; Mrs. Thomas Gardner, Mrs. F. A. Gardner; Peter Palfrey, William Palfrey Walden; Capt. William Trask, Col. A. G. Reynolds; Charles Gott, George Benson; Richard Davenport, A. W. Batchelder; Capt. William Dixey, C. F. Sargent; Henry Haughton, Ralph B. Harris; Rev. Higginson, Douglas Furness; Samuel Sharp, Col. Hoy; Rev. Skelton, W. S. Felton; John Woodbury, GEn. W. A. Pew; Humphrey Woodbury, S. G. Aull; William Allen, Charles Allen; William Jeffrey, Arthur Derby; Richard Normal, Henry J. Perkins; Rev. Thomas Cobbett, George W. Hooper; Thomas Beard, William P. Verry; Alice Becklyn, Miss Elizabeth Kingsley; Rev. Thomas Bright, John H. Allis; Richard Clayton, Alfred W. Putnam, Jr.; Mrs. Richard Claydon, Mrs. E. G. Symonds; Mistress Claydon, Mrs. Russell Burns; Barnaby Claydon, Chester Pattee; William Dodge, Eliot A. Batchelder; Richard Ewestead, Raymond Maloon; Richard Ingersoll, Franklin Dalton; Lawrence Leech, Lawrence Leach; George Norton, David Wheatland; William Ryall, Christian Lants; Ralph Smith, Philip Horton Smith; Hugh Tilley, Ralph Punchard; Richard Waterman, Waldo Gardner; Capt. Leavitt, Colonel Jenkins; Capt. William Pierce, Robert Stamans; Isaac Allerton, Burton O. Philbrick; John Baker, John S. Baker.