The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-06-13
\ PILGRIMAGE TO PLYMOUTH
ROCK.

fade from general appreciation, than
Plymouth Rock. Unfortunately, Ply
mouth Rock is not located al the Hub.
1t would doubtless add to the general
satisfaction here, were it possible to
point out to distinguished guests and
strangers the veritable spot where our
forefathers stepped ashore, and to say:
''This, too, is landmark Of Boston"
But it may be that Providence wisely
directed their course to a landing- place
farther south, to save this gOOdly peO-
pie from an over-Weening historic
pride. Boston is the source and cen
ter of many things excellent and good,
but the Mayflower cast anchor in anoth-
er harbor. A recent pilgrimage to
Plymouth i'll company with a friend of
college days, to drop tear, SO to speak,
on these ancestral graves, was sutfi-
cient to dispel all the illusions which
fancy had woven about the place; and
as the naked, rocky reality was dis
closed, admiration for the rugged viz
tues and heroic endurance of these
sturdy New England primogenitors,
rose fully one hundred per cent.
After a ride of an hour and q half,
to the southeast from Boston over the
old colony road, we stood at length on
Pilgrim soil, the birthplace Of New
England, and we might say Of the lib
critics of the nation.
Our first impression was that of the
general bleakness of the place. True,
quite village has grown up here, and
there are now many attractive features
to the region itself; yet after all it
seemed bleak. There was an inyolun-
tary disposition to shiver from sympa-
thy with the little company as they
landed upon what must have been, at
e11fSo CAIlC, q COttoO VI ll1uIoCl lDttO1C ARCo-
olateness, for the country al about is
billy, rocky, and exposed.
Making the Samoset House our base
of operations, we proceeded first to Pill
grim Hall, on our way to the Rock.
This we found to be a repository of
Pilgrim relics, with other objects Of in
terest to the American antiquary. In
front, enclosed within a substantial
and unique iron fence, is q piece of the
identical rock, four or five feet in
length, and two or three in width
across the top. Inside the hall are all
sorts of curiosities. There were arti-
cles of household furniture which
came over in the MayfoWer, somewhat
out of date to be sure, yet remarkably
we'll preserved. Two chairs, one be-
longing to Gov. Carver and the other
to Elder Brewster; Peregrine Whites
cradle; large iron kettle which be-
longed to Miles Standish, and in which
he cooked his Sundays beans-if that
staple of New England, or more cor
rectly Boston, diet was as popular then
as now. There were corsets, too, worn
by the Pilgrim ladies; the sword of
Capt. Standish, and the long barrel of
the gun that killed king Phillip; with
other things too numerous to mention.
We saw also the autographs of Capt.
Standish and Peregrine White. Them
there were Indian relics in great prof.
fusion. One object of special curiosity
was one of the large ungainly pitch
forks used in throwing up the hay
breastW orks at Bunker Hill. There
was also quite a library of ancient
books, some of them of dates long pri- |
or to that of the Pilgrims. A neat
little model Of the Mayfower gave us
a good idea of the appearance of that
plucky little craft. Several paintings
adorn the hall, two in particular being
very large and snowy, representing the
landing of the Pilgrims and the forming
Of the compact in the cabin of the yes
sci.
We next proceeded to Forefathers'
Rock, the corner stone Of America.
had pictured a large, firm
ly imbedded rock, with ample standing
space for several persons, besides Civ
ing room for their luggage. What was
our disappointment to find that it
could have been little more than a
stepping stone from the vessel to the
shore. So far as could be seen its sur
face was about four or five feet square.
1t occupies its original site, save that