rets furnished rooms for prisoners. As population increased, even this place was found too much in the town, and another remove had to be made to the Walnut street prison by Sixth street. This was done in 1784-the year in which the prisons spoken of in this article were demolished.

The aged Mrs. Shoemaker, who died in 1825, at the age of 95 years, told me, that when she was a girl she could easily, from Third street near the prison, look over to Fourth street, so as to see the people walking the streets-meaning thereby, there were not houses enough then built up to intercept the view. The Dock creek was also open then, and showed a considerable gully. There were also several paths by which to make a short cut across the square.

I observe several evidences on the old houses on the northern side of High street, near this prison, to indicate that the former grounds in this neighborhood were originally three feet higher than now. As early as the year 1708, it was complained of by the Grand Jury, as having no proper water-passage then, so that the crossing there was much impeded" by a deep dirty place where the public water gathers and stops for want of a passage, to the great damage of the neighbourhood."

In 1729, a city poet has given some graphic touches of the neighbourhood, to wit:

"Thence half a furlong west, declining pace,
And see the rock-built prison's dreadful face,
Twixt and beyond all these, near twice as far,
As from a sling a stone might pass in air,
The forging shops of sooty smiths are set---
And wheelwrights' frames---with vacant lots "to let”-
A neighborhood of smiths, and piercing dins
From trades---from prison grates---and public inns!"

Kalm, who was here in 1748, speaks of those furnaces, saying, "they have several about the town for melting iron out of ore."

The barbarous appendages of whipping-post, pillory and stocks were placed full in the public eye, hard by, on High street directly in front of the market, and on the eastern side of Third street. The last remembered exhibition there was that of a genteel storekeeper, -quite as clever as several who now escape. He had made too free with other names to support his sinking credit, and there made his amends, by having his face pelted with innumerable eggs, and his ears clipt adroitly by the "delicate pocket scissors" of the sheriff— he holding up his clippings to the gaze and shouts of the populace!

These barbarous measures of punishment were not in accordance with the spirit and feelings of our forefathers, who early aimed at commuting work and confinement for crime; but the parent country, familiar with its sanguinary code, always revoked the laws formed upon our schemes of reformation. They, therefore, generally prevailed till the time of our self-government, when measures were speedily taken, first by societies of citizens, and afterwards by the VOL I.-2 V

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legislature, to introduce those reforms into prison discipline, &c., which have made our city and state to be celebrated for its early "Penitentiary System." The measures pursued by the Society formed in 1787," for alleviating the miseries of public prisons," form already a small history, which may be profitably read in the book called "Notices of the Prison," &c., by Roberts Vaux, Esq.

PHILADELPHIA has long been distinguished for its long range of market buildings, and equally so for the general excellence of its marketing. It is not much known, however, that it was not according to the original plan of the city to have such an extended market house, and still less to have had it located in High street. Penn expected it to have been placed at the Centre square, in the event of settling the chief population there. We shall see, in the course of the present notice, that objections were from time to time made against the extension of markets in High street; and Proud has called it "a shameful and inconvenient obstruction."

The first notice of a permanent market house appears in the minutes of City Council in July, 1709, to wit:-"The new market house being thought to be of great service to the town, 'twas put to the vote how money should be raised for the doing thereof, and voted that every Alderman shall contribute and pay double what the Common Council-men should do." And in May, 1710, it was unanimously agreed that it should be built up with all expedition. It appeared that the members severally subscribed the fund necessary as a loan, to be repaid to them out of the rents from the butchers. The market so made extended from the court house to about half way to Third street.

In January, 1729, the Council agreed to erect twenty stalls on the site of the present Jersey market, for the accommodation of such as brought provisions from the Jerseys.

In 1737 the Clerk of the market complained to the Council of several nuisances that of persons who blow their meat-selling goods-bringing empty carts and lying of horses in the market place."

In a poetic description of High street, in 1729, the court house and market house are thus described, to wit:

"An yew bow's distance from the key-built strand
Our court house fronts Cæsarea's pine tree land.
Through the arch'd dome, and on each side, the street
Divided runs, remote again to meet.

Here, eastward, stand the traps for obloquy
And petty crimes-stocks, posts and pillory:
And, twice a week, beyond, light stalls are set,
Loaded with fruits, and flowers, and Jersey's meat.
Westward, conjoin, the shambles grace the court,
Brick piles their long extended roof support.

Oft, west from these, the country wains are seen

To crowd each hand, and leave a breadth between."

At a subsequent period the market was extended up to Third, street, where, for many years, its Third street front was marked with the appendages of pillory, stocks and whipping-post.

About the year 1773 the subject was agitated for constructing another market, to extend in continuation from Third to Fourth street-a measure much opposed by property-holders along High street, who preferred an open wide street. In some of the paper discussions, which appeared in print at that time, it was proposed to take the market out of High street altogether, and to locate it in the centre of the square from High street to Chestnut street, and from 'Third to Fourth street, leaving the dwelling-houses still on the front streets, on Third and Fourth streets; to pull down the stone prisons on the south-west corner of Third and High streets, and to erect there a court house, town house, &c. In time, however, the advocates for the market prevailed, and the building went on daily; but a measure, not foreseen, occurred every night:-The housekeepers who lived along the line of the market, employed persons in the night time to pull down the mason-work of the day. This being persevered in for some time excited considerable interest.

Something like a similar excitement occurred about the year 1749, when the older market was extended from Bank alley up to Third street. While some then pulled down by night what was set up by day, Andrew Marvell's addresses came out to the people, denouncing the building thereof, saying, in his second address, that "the persons who before bought lots on High street, because of its superior width, were thus to have their expectations and interests ruined thereby, by creating a greater grievance than they remove." He adds, that "the advice of several eminent counsel in the law has satisfied the people that an opposition is not only legal and justifiable, but also their duty; for the lawyers have assured them the corporation has no right, either in charter, laws, or custom, to sustain the building of shambles in any street of the city; but, on the contrary, have pointed out some laws which limit and restrict their power in this instance."

The place of Dr. Franklin's mansion.

We have all heard of Fairs once held in our markets before the Revolution, but few of the present generation have any proper judg ment of what manner of things they were. A few remarks on them shall close this article, to wit:

A fair was opened by oral proclamation in these words, (Vide a city ordinance of 1753,) saying: "O yez! &c. Silence is commanded while the Fair is proclaiming, upon pain of punishment! A. B., Esq., Mayor of the city of Philadelphia, doth hereby, in the King's name, strictly charge and command all persons trading and negotiating within the Fair to keep the King's peace, and that no person presume to set up any booth or stall for the vending of strong liquors within this Fair-that none carry any unlawful weapon, or gallop or strain horses within the built part of the city. And if any person be hurt by another, let him repair to the Mayor here present. God save the King!"

The fair-times in our market were every May and November, and continued three days. In them you could purchase every description of dry goods, and millinery of all kinds, cakes, toys and confectionaries, &c. The stalls were fancifully decorated, and inclosed with well made patchwork coverlets. The place was always thronged, and your ears were perpetually saluted with toy trumpets, hautboys, fiddles and whistles, to catch the attention of the young fry who on such occasions crowded for their long-promised presents at fair-time. They were finally discontinued, by an Act of the Legislature, somewhere about the year 1787. It is really surprising they should ever have been adopted in any country where regular stores and business is ordinarily found sufficient for all purposes of trade!

THE ARCH STREET BRIDGE AT FRONT STREET.

THE tradition of such a bridge, over a place where there was no water, (taken down about the year 1721,) had been so far lost, that none among the most aged could be found to give a reason for Mulberry street, over which the bridge or arch stood, being called "Arch street." My MS. Annals in the City Library, pages 24, 31 and 46, show three several reasons given by the most aged citizens for the change of name to Arch street, all of which were erroneous. truth is, I should not have known the cause but by perceiving it was implied in the presentments of the Grand Juries, &c. The facts were, that in the neighbourhood of Front and Mulberry streets was originally hill, or knoll, rising above the common elevation

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