Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-06-17
Vol. XIV. Whole No. $50 No "a.

times, the hurricane-deck of the Ark
! know that some skeptics pretend to
!, question this its high antiquity, and |
know also that rumor has suggested
that the invention, or, at least, the
first use of implements of the gouge
kind. is to be attributed to 1.-The bank
ing institutions" and 'monied corpor-
ations" OF later age but such sug-
gestion does equal injustice to those
very respectable and necessary bodies
corporate. and to our venerable and
beloved society.
But one relic of high and unquestion-
ed antiquity has recently been recover
ei from the bed OF our great river. And
this, say 1t with deep pain, has been
surreptitiouslv purloined and taken a.
way from our city by temporary So
journer among us. | wish not now,
most noble Grand Sachem, to interrupt
and mar the festivities of this evening,
and therefore, deferring all immediate
action, / will merely give notice. that.
al a proper time, shall move the I'M
/ p aachmeDt of one OF our otiicers-the
/ Graud Tarratine Warden of the Bow
els Of the Earth and tine Beds Of our
| Rivers, through whose reGissness. Or
| proh pud0r whose conuiyance. thi,
/ sacred and invaluable relic has been
| snatched from us. fear alas, forever,
| unless the said " arden shall make salts
| factory explanation, or suitable atone
ment for this his deep dereliction from
duty.
The speaker here referred to very
odfashioned long sword which was re-
Gently found in the Penobscot River.
near the Corporation Mills, in this city.
From its curious and antique workman
ship it attracted considera bic attention,
and was the subject of much spe, ulation
We regret to say that 1t was obtained
and unexpectlv taken away from this
place by 4 young gentleman who is now
a student ut Bowdoin College.
This relic Is an antique sword. the
blade of which Is reported To be five or
six feet ip length, ami the hit OF which
tecting the whole back Of the sword
hand. Various and conflicting op.n-
ions are held by learned antiquarian.
respecting this sword. Some consider
II Il weapon OF times as recent as those
Of the Baron De Castine. AMI assert
that il very closely resembles the lol1
sword OF the French Dragons Of that
time. Others have supposed il the
sword OF the Chevaller Bayard 9TH
er, have deemed it the sword miracn-
lOu,ly furnished by heaven To Joan oil
Are others, that IL - tuc sword once
worn on occasions ot state by Charlie
imagine ami yet others, with pllu,-
lhlhty which receives support from IL,
enormous size, that Il was originally
borne by some hero IN Bgobitngnag.
But those VINO are most profoundly
vev,ed IN antiquarian lore. claim for II
far earlier origin, and insist that 10
i - old. n least, Is the time OF tho
patriarch Abraham. But schisiu hl,
arisen anon. those who most -trenu-
ou-ly contend iut its high antiquity
tllr one part arguing that it had is orr
i2in among the nation, Of t4c indp-Ei il
ropeau race, AMI wa, probably borne,
on high and sacred occasions. ia sol
emn procession before the image, Of
Nishnu, or the Hindu Trlmurti nui
that Bacchus, returning from his exp--
dltiOn To India, brought it with him I'M
10 Greece, where it passed into the
possession OF the Tclemoniau Ajax WHO
bore it in the Trojan " ar,, while the
other part INSIST. that it must have
been fashioned among the nations oithr
Semitic stock. and that il probably
wa, originally deposited in the armogy
or ar,rAal in the rowcr Of Babel,
The Inscriptions. both those upon
tile blade a. we'll 4, those npon the hiI,
are said To bear some resemblance ~
the arrow headed characters found up
on the rain, Of rer,epD!is bat no one
has vet been able To decipher them.
Even our learned Interpreter of Tia.
Dead and Living Languages has not
VT succeeded in trlnlating them.
Copies Of the inscriptions. surce@.n.>
of Joe Smith among the MorInUu-.
il order to ascertain whether the char
acter. and language may not be the
same a, those which were inscrib'l
upon the sacred Golden Plate, Of that
Revelation: but Is that religious sect
has cInigrated, and /, now IN Oregon
and California, long time must neces-
sarily elapse before any answer can h'
received 10 our queries.
In the mean tiIn-, though not ver-ei
in antiquarian lore. would yet nodes
~ and with humble diff lence expire,
my own opinion which i, the one al
vocated bv the more cautious and iui
ciou>. rs well aS the more erudiie OF our
ant;quarian-. and thi, opinion is, thui
il hal it, origin in nation of the sem
itic stock, and that il j., in high probI-
biiity, the sword which Balaam bore Al
the time when be was addressed by hi
ass.
Our distinguished orator and guest.
in hi eloquent remarks at this table,
ha- alluded 10 the fact that he had been
told there was no such Society as the
Bon0or AatjgH0Fiaa Society that the
invitation II him 10 deliver the Intro
ductory Lecture before it, was bui il
humbug aud a Joke. The presence. 1T
this table, oi many highly honoretl
and distinguished gentlemen, compri7-
ing among their number an ex-trover1i-
or Of this state. an ex-Mayor of this
city.--a ex-iligh Sheriff OF this count /. .
an ex-Judge of Probate. Gall of th,,if
ex-oflicers. aud. by right OF this. anti
qtnFioas, to mention an X-Pres,,
and several gentlemen now holding
| high and responsible offices, is a sutti
| cient refutation oi this calumny, and al
| ample guaranty, We're such guarantF
needed, oi the existence OF our Society.
and of the good faith of its members