The Portland daily press., 1871-09-12
Geae into APpie.- Roger Wilii.s..
faFnsd ints Fruit.

Ninety years after his death, In III, steps
were taken 10 erect some suitable monument;
but the storms OF the revolution came ON, and
question was agitated anew. Williams may
yet at least have some outward signs to mark
his greatness and perpeiuate his name. Dur
ing a period OF IS3 years, not even a rough
stone has been set up to mark the grave OF ths
founder of Rhode Island, till the precise local
ity of the grave had been almost forgotten,
and could only be ascertained by the most
careful investigation. Suffice it to say, how
ever, that the spot was found, and the exhu-
nation made awhile ago, although there was
little TO exhume. On scraping off the turf
from the ground, the dim outlines OF seven
graves, contained within less than one square
rod, revealed the burial ground of Roger Will
liams. In colonial times, each fam ly had its
own burial ground, which was usually near
the family residence. Three OF these seven
graves were those OF children, the remaining
four were adults. The easterly grave was
identified as that of Mr.. Williams
In digging down into the ''charne house."
n u-ss found that everything had passed into
oblivion The shapes of the coffins could only
be traced bv ;, black line OF carbonaceous mat
ter, the thickness 't the eages Oh t ,ne t colnn'
with the edges distinct, LII nth a fan,
remains of the hinges and ,onnd tnot
,aS III IT, ~ ',II wG1I' anu siuSe grave.
In the grave OF the wife there was not a trace
of anything save lock Of braided hair that
had survived the lapse of more than 2SO years.
Near the grave stood a venerable apple tree,
but when and by whom planted is not known.
This tree has set two of its main roots into
the graves OF Mr.. and Mrs. Williams. The
larger root has pushed its way through the
earth till it reached the precise spot occupied
by the skull OF Roger Williams. There, max
ing turn, as if going round the skull. it toll
lowed the direction of the backbone TO the
hips. Here 1t divided into two branches, send
ing one along each leg TO the heel where they
both turned upward to the toes. One of these
roots formed slight crook at the knee, which
made the whole bear a close resemblance to a
human form. This singular root is preserved
with great care. not only as an Illustration of
a great principle OF vegetation, but for its his
toric association. There were the graves,
emptied of every particle of human dust! Not
trace OF anything was left!
1t is known to chemistry that all flesh, and
the gelatinous matter giving consistency 10
the bones, are resolved into carbonic acid gas,
water and air, while the solid lime dust usually
remains. But in this case even the phosphate
OF the lime of the bones OF both graves was
gone. There stood the "guilty apple tree" as
was said at the time, caught in the very act of
"robbing the grave" To explain the phe-
nomenon is not the design Of this article.
Such an explanation could be given, and
MANY other similar cases could be adduced.
But this fact must be admitted: the organic
matter OF Roger Williams had been transmit
ted into the apple tree; it had passed into the
woody fibre, and was capable OF propeling
steam engine; it had bloomed in the apple
blossoms, and was pleasant to the eye; and
more, it had gone into the frui. from year TO
year, so that the question might be asked:
Who ate Roger Williams?