Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-20

Through the politeness of the proprietor
and by the talismanic aid of one-fourth of 1
dollar, current coin of the community, WI
were permitted, yesterday, to view the far
famed Holy Stone now resting temporarily
at the Gait House in this city. As our HOLY
Stone department has, in comparison with
those of our contemporaries, been hitherto
somewhat neglected, we propose now tc
atone for our omissions, by giving descrip.
tion Of 1t as it appeared to us, together with
brief statement of our views of the stone
its shape and Us inscriptions.
l. The SToNE.-This is of great antiquity
belonging, probably, to what is known among
geologists as the secondary series Of rock
formations. 1t is of a yellowish-brow color
close grained, containing silex, and doubt
less owes its origin to the induraton of q fine
clay, slightly clouded with particles of mica
II is not by any means an uncommon variety,
being found, if not in stu, in powders and
fragments in various parts of the country.
1t is not difficult to cut, takes polish readily,
has lime enough in its composition to efFer-
vesce with acids, and is well calculated to
resist the action of the elements.
2. THE SHAPE-The Holy Stone is wedge
shaped, about the size of four-ounce bottle,
with head and shoulders in size suited TO the
neck of bottle of that dimensions. 1t is
thick and rounded at the point and rounded
at all the edges and corners. 1t is not prac-
tical keystone, as is evident from its small
size and rounded corners. 1t is not a
symbolic one, being too large and too rude
to be ornamental. 1t is to all appearance a
piece of Indian antiquity, of the era of the
arrow-heads, fragments of pottery, and of
other stones resembling it in shape and
material, found in all parts of the country,
and figured in books upon Indian antiquities.
So far from being of sacred, its design was
evidently of a practical character. It was
an implement perhaps used in the manipula-
ton of maize, or in the dressing of deer
skins, or in the preparation of pemmican, or
in some other process equally homely and
common-a labor-saving treasure to the
women of the wigwam, wrought out during
his hours of leisure, by some pains-taking
patersfamilids, in tender regard to the comfort
and peace ofmind of the women-folks.
THE INSCRIPTION is of the age when coll
ege boys learned the Hebrew character out |
If printed books What it reads if any
hing, we do not know; bat that it owes its |
origin to some body bent upon perpetrating
a hoax, and who went about it quite inge-
niously, is not, to our mind, matter of
doubt The letters bear the appearance of
having been first etched upon the stone by
means of acids, and then finished by rubbing
the lines with sand or some polishing mate
rial. In place where Indian antiquities are
exceedingly common, somebody has selected
one suited to his purpose, and by the addition
of some characters, which he has probably
copied upon its surface, without much knowl-
edge of the language, has constructed apuz-
zle, by means of which men called learned
have been deceived into the formation of
variety of untenable theories. Who has
done it-whether he who found it OF some
other person, is another question