The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-04-04
original q q lf
THE INFIDEL'S TOMB.
EY DIR. G. y. IHCKOK.

There now stands, or did a few years ago in
the days Of stage coach travel, beside the great
State road leading from the city of p to
that of c.. about four miles from the liter
hry village of n, in the buckeye State,
an ediit., if it can with proprety be so termed,
10 which the eye of the passing traveller is Of
ten directed, on account of the sihgularity Of its
constructions as we'll US the no less singular story
associated with it.
The 'tomb'' Is enclosed by high and mas
sive wall, built OF bricks, with &batments and
cappngs Of stone, and an entrance through a
gateway of iron, securely set between two OF the
pondcrous abuimcnts, with which each corner,
md the ccntcrs of the intermediate stretches of
masonry arc braced.
II tho enclosure presents singular and an
tiquc appearance, the architecture Of the 'tomb'
itself does not tend to diminish the effect which
the vicw of lis surroundings creates at first sight.
1t ia built Of light gray stone, poculiarto that
region, in that grctcsQuc form, which the Union
of the Doric with the Gothic style always pre-
ple, otlong square, relieved on the ends corners
and rides, by disproportionately heavy piasters,
resting upon broad foundation of hcwn stone,
and surmountcd by one entire slab of huge di-
mcnsions From this surface there arise five
pyramids. or obelisks, each being one solid block
Of stone, starting wide and square at the base,
and gradually decreasing in size until it tcrmi-
mates in point. One of these much larger than
the rest, stands in the center of the table; the
others being placed upon either corner, Upon
the central one is carved in bold, rude charac-
tar-, simply the name and age of the occupant.
In the latter part of the summer of l8--, !
started out On an excursion of pleasure, during
col!aGo vacation that was too brief to permit
me to visit my far distant home. II was near
the close Of a hot, sultry afternoon. Nearly all
my fellow stage passengers had yielded to heat
and wcarincss AMI were mapping it away most
Justify. was just on the point Of following
their example, when we were all aroused by an
exclamation fron my next companion, real,
original yankee, who had fully proven his claim
to the title, by his volubility during the day 1t
was the "ornb" that attracted his attention.
"Looke thar, young man., he said, 81 guess
YOU never hearn tell on cur'ouser lookin' con-
.trn than that is yander That thar thing they
call the inferlcrs tomb, and the old fcller that's
berried thar was more'n hunderd year old,
and as wicked as sin, and he bilt all that ar big
pile o stun his self, and put that ar big, ongain-
II lookn wall beout it, I've hcar'n say, jest to
keep the devil cout."
This speech, although | was inclined to make
full allowance to the author for that love of the
marvellous, so characteristic of his race, which
would naturally lead him to omit nothing that
was wonderful, in his description of the object,
to which nc directed my attention, excited my
curiosity not little, and when | tell my reader
that my own ancestors at no very remote peri
Cd, were yankees, and that very little of their
provincial virtue curiosity, had been lost in
its descent to me, and moreover that was a
youth, at the novel loving age of sixteen, he will
not be surprised that l. with mouth, eyes and
ears wide open, eagerly listened to what my COM
panion said ,cQnoorning this curious structure.