Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-11-20
TbeYermont 4benir.
BRATTLEBoRo;
FRIDAY EVENING, NOV. 20, 1874.
Ancient ClvlIsIstlo. In Vermont.

Ancient Civilization IN Vermont.
In the spring of 1872 Mr.. 3. Goodell of
Irasburgh found coat Of mail, rolled to-
gether and lying at the foot Of large birch
tree. 1t was much corroded by rust upon
the outside, and seemed to have lain in
that position very great length OF time.
1t was made of steel rings about one fourth
of an inch In diameter, locked together in
the way steel ring purses are made, but
much thicker and instead of being braz-
ed, or left open, were all nicely rlvited.
The wire was about the size of 9 coarse
knitting needle. The form Of the article
was like that off shirt, reaching down be-
low the hips, with the collar made OF sew
eral thicknesses of brass wire put together
in the same way, the ends Of the sleeves
and the bottom being bordered also with
the brass rings. The collar was open be-
fore sufficiently for passing the head
through, when 1t could be fastened so as to
securely protect the chest and throat. 1t
was evidently designed TO protect the wear
or against spears aud arrows, and perhaps
the sword also but by whom and when II
was left, is open to conjecture. 1t 10 now
in the National Museum al Washington,
ID. C.
Some twenty years ago, while a party
were at work repairing the Central YER
mont Railroad at Svauion, one of the
workmeu discovered q peculiar white
stone, as he supposed, In the bank. He
struck it with bis shovel and picked 1t up.
Its heft still further attracted his attention;
and he threw It up to the overseer for his
examination. The overseer found It TO be
chunk OF lead, much corrodOd, and COW
cred with spruce gum upon the ends this
he removed with his knife and found the
lead hollow, In the interior Of which he
found a paper, rough aud old, but written
over on one side with words which he
could not fully mako out, but which were
aflerward read, and fac. smile made Of
tho writing, a copy Of which 10 now In the
State Cabinet, where the original was plac-
ed by Dr. Hall of Swanton, subject to bis
control, and was by him taken and the
facsimile left in its place In 1873 un-
derstood from him that the owner 10 lady
in Burlington, audit is TO be hoped that she
will donate the same to the State collec-
ton. The written manuscript, being In
ancient English, reads a. follows:
Nov. 20, A. D., 1894.
This is the solemn day, must now die.
This Is the Goth day since we len the ship:
all have persisted, and on the banks OF this
river die. So farewell, May future pos
terity know our end.
JOHN GRAVE.
Many suppose this the trick OF some in
sane person or rogue, and that 1t ought not
to receive credence but the arguments in
its favor are, to many minds, conclusive
as to its antiquity. 1t Is deemed certain
that it was honestly found as above stated,
aud also found several feet from the sur
face. It's exact history can probably ne yer
be known.
In 1864, Mr.. NJ. Mott, Of Alburgh, cut a
hemlock, which stood In hemlock grove
about three fourths of 4 mile from the
lake. The tree was about twenty eight
inches in diameter. Amer the tree was cut,
Mr.. Mott noticed a bulge near the butt
which he thought might injure the stick
which he desired, and 30 cut off six feet Of
it, which he drew to his house for wood /;
when he came to split 1t he found axe
marks in the interior, showing that it had,
when small, been hewed on four sides,
making 1t nearly square for eighteen inch
es, over which marks had grown two hun
dred and forty grains that could be dis
tinctly counted. 1t was probable there
were several more, but as many AZ above
stated distinct. 1t seems not improbable
that this tree was marked by Champlain
when he discovered the lake In 1909, or by
him in some of bis later visits to the lake.
as it seems he visited 1t several times be-
fore his death in 1895.
Mr.. Mott preserved this specimen for
years, but one day while from home his
hired man burned It.
In January, 1872, Hosea Garfield cut q
hemlock tree about two and half feet In
diameter, on his place q mile north Of the
village in Sheffield. 1t grew on the high
land, and was apparently sound, though
somewhat shaky, a. is usual for hemlocks
to be. When the tree fell, about eighteen
inches of the heart pulled out and remain
ed hanging on the stump, revealing axe
marks at the upper end. This led Mr..
Garfield to investigate and he cut out the
mark. 1t seems that when the tree was
about four inches in diameter II was cui
more than half down with Q sharp axe
This came near destroying tho life OF The
tree and the growth 10 marked BY . hard
knurly growth rather than by regular
grains until this mark was nearly healed
outside of this growth there were counted
distinctly two hundred and nfty-six grains
1t seems probable that the mark was mad,
two hundred and seventy-nve years agc
at least. This is earlier than IL 10 supposed
that men with steel axes Travelled in Yer
mont, yet of course some ships crew
might have touched upon the coast or beer
shipwrecked here, so as to give the pos
session Of an axe to the Indian. Be 1t a. l
may, 1t is an Interesting Item in the an
cent history Of Vermont This axe maIl
may be seen in the State Cabinet.
Should other relies OF ancient date 81
found, we trust the friends Of history vii
place them here also, that they may b
preserved.
CURATOR STATE CABISgT.