The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-04
From the Nel0 York Herald
PLYMOUTH ROCK CELEBRATION


The anniversary of the day when, two hundred
and thirtynine years ago, the little band of Puri-
tans who had formed the congregation of Mr.. John
Robinson, at Leyden, in the Netherlands, embarked
on board the Speedwell, OF sixty tons at the little
Dutch port called Delitshaycn, for Southamptop
where they were to be joined by others of their
English co-rcligionists, and whence they were to
take their departure for the New World was ceIa-
brated in Plymouth, Mass. Yesterday Six years
ago (in 1859 the anniversary was c0mmemorated
here for the first time in manner worthy of the
event. Persons from all parts of the Union 1ocked
to the celebrations there great civil and mill
tory display; oratOn was delivered bv Mr. Ed.
ward Everett banquet for $500 persons was
served IN mammoth tent; and balls and fireworks
closed the demonstration.
1t not simply to commemorate the anniver-
sary of the embarkation of the Pilgrims that the
celebration OF yesterday came off but at the same
time to lay the cornerstone Of the national monu-
ment to the Forefathers which is now being erected
hY The Pilgrim Society. The enterprise Of build
ing such monument originated with the society
in May, 1850. The denomination took place on the
3D. instead OF the lst Of August because the Ist fell
ON Monday, day which is considered % be in many
respects an incOnvenient one for the purpose
yERIFICArION OF THE IDENTITY OF THE ROCK
The Old Colony Hemorial weekly paper pub
lished at Plymouth, undertakes to satisfy all cayil
or question as to the identity of the famous rock,
which some irreverent wit has designated ''the
barney stone Of New England" and gives an alb
stract of the evidence by which its identity is made
manifest. According to the Memorial. one of the
TulluS elueTS OF tne FIRST Church OF Plymouth,
named Thomas Faunce, on hearing tnat a wharf,
now known as Hedges wharf, was to be built near
or over the rOck visited the spot in 741 four wears
before his death, and stated in the presence of
many witnesses that the Pilgrims had uniformly
declared this to be the rock on which they
landed in 1920 Mr.. Faunce was then nine
ty-tlve years of age, having been born in
l646, so that he was in fact a cotemporary
OF, and well acquainted with most of the Pilgrims.
His statement was made in the presence of Deacon
Ephralm SpOoner, who died in 1915 and who is
well remembered by many now living at Plymouth:
ana the same fact was also confirmed by one Mrs
White who died in lS10 aged nnety-ive and who
was acquainted with the family of elder Faunce
So that even if tradition had not continued to mark
the spot where the foot of the pilgrims first found
resting place in the New World, the evidence would
be OF itself quite sufficient to indicate it.
HISTORY OF THE ROCK
The rock, however, is at the present day so in
significant in its proportions that person of limited
faith would hesitate to believe that it the den-
tical stone on which the landing from the Mavhower
was effected. Its surface-Of which the average
diameter is between four and five feet-is fl ush with
the street, and forms part of the pavement of t-at
least it has hitherto served in that way draws and
carts, loaded and unloaded at Hedges wharf, have
been hOur y crossing it for nearly a century back
and many chip has been Knocked off and carried
away as precious relic by visitors attracted to the
spot
But henceforth the little left of it will be pro
tected from similar indignties by the monument
to be placed over it. | have not vet informed my
self OF the style and proportions of the proposed
monument but understand that it is to be simply
an architectural canopy, which, while shelteriug
the rock, will still leave it exposed to view.
THE GATHERING FOR THE CELEBRATION.
Every train on Monday and yesterday was
crowded with people coming to witness the cele-
bration. Where half the persons who were in the
town obtained accommodations for the night would
be very hard to tell. The Samoset House. the only
public inn of any considerable size, went for almost
nothing in the way of supplying accommodations.
But the neighbors were neighborly and where
spare room or spare bed could be placed at the
service of the stranger it freely done All the
public buildings, except the churches were con
verted into dormtOries, and tents were applied to
the same use. So that in one way or the other, it
is to be presumed all of the many thousand stran-
gers IN Plymouth last night found where to lay
their heads