Word: lindens
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There'll Always Be a Linden...
...Linden, where Elliot Paul grew up, is an outlying part of the city of Malden, Mass., on the outskirts of Boston. Employing either the faculty of total recall or a ready knack for improvisation, Paul sets down in detail a persuasive picture of New England life at the turn of the century. Author Paul is essentially a yarn-spinner, and Linden is largely a string of amusing and often indelicate anecdotes, but those who knew the area and the people will vouch for the genuine flavor...
Placid Loafers. In Linden, circa 1895, the pace of life was leisurely. The horse-cars would stop while conductor and passengers got out to give some neighbor a hand. When a fire started, the volunteer fire fighters seldom got to the scene before the building was leveled. Most people worked hard but were not acquisitive enough, says Paul, to kill themselves at it. Even the town loafers, apparently a numerous caste, he remembers with respect for their placid bearing while their wives took in washing to support the family. But they were true to their natures, and so, it seems...
...Linden was predominantly Protestant and officially dry, but the Massasoit House lay conveniently over the town line in wet Revere. Paul, who established a lifelong regard for alcohol in his teens, speaks with romantic awe of the Massasoit House crowd, which included his Uncle Reuben. They were kindly, lovable, generous, liberal, fair, colorful and manly...
...Lindeners were basically easygoing, but could become aroused over really important issues. The streetcar company's attempts to cut down a huge and historic linden tree on its right of way provoked an epic battle which cut through religious, political and even family lines. So did the argument as to whether the turn of the century came on Jan. 1, 1900 or Jan. 1, 1901. Another question that provoked a fist fight: Can salmon best be grilled over birch or willow coals...