The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-12-08
HOW ROMANTIC.
a TOWER WITH A DOZEN LEGENDS.
BY cLARENcE c. BELL.

The most sterile ana L1lulE SCtjiGO us 5
tricts in the northeastern part of New |
England, its crumbling storm-beaten !
top commanding a wide view Of the
Atlantic, whose ceasele~ 5 surges /
washed the base of the tall cliffs near
which it stood, a Withholding struct-
ure known as idiots Tower, has MANY
years been an object of curiosity to
travellers.
1t was-built of rough stone, was Of
cylind. zeal shape, about eighty feet
high and thirty in diameter, and ex-
ternally appeared much like a light
mouse long abandoned and left to the
ravag, Of time and storm but the in
terror of the rudely built, moss-groWn,
Weather-stained, and dilapidateI edi-
flee gave no sign that it had ever been
used for such purpose. From base to
summit it was entirely free from
wood work, save here and there a
piece OF rotten timber projecting from
| the walls where the various landings
might once have been; and the swal-
/ lows, its only tenants, as they flew in
and out to their nest in the crevices
near the top, but added to the forlorn-
aspect OF the deserted and mysterious
ruin.
The few farmers and fishermen,
! whose dwellings were scattered at
wide intervals in the sandy-barren
country around, had their imperfect
and contradictory legends to tell con-
! corning it; bat none were positive of
the truth of what they related though
| when inquisitive travellers desired to
/ learn more than they could tell, all
were referred to Uncle David Stan
| hope, the most Well-to-do farmer in
4 these parts, and who was supposed to
know more about everything than
anybody else, he having once been in
the city and been to an academy, and
was duly reverenced accordingly.
Uncle David was one summer de-
lighted by visit from his two beauti-
full nieces, Almira and Floribel Verde.
young ladies of fifteen and seventeen,
| who had come to pass a few romantic
weeks IN the country; and after he
had shown them about the farm, and
briefly explained the unpromising
character of the neighbOring country
for those who were in pursuit OF
amusement, he bethOught himself OF
Idiots Tower, and took them there
of which, after they had entered and
sufficiently expressed their wonder at
1t, he volunteer ed to give them the his
tory. And seated upon a huge stone
before the doorway of the tower, with
a niece OH either hand, he began:
''There is much mystery about this
old and rough looking tower, and nu-
merous stories, wild and incomplete
and some of superstitiOus nature
[ have been from time to time told o.
| its origin; and 1 bear the most re
markable ones in mind. Its ageis un
[ certain; in fact, it is monument o
uncertainty i'll every respect. But few
, now know as much as do about it
which is very proper, for it belongs t.
me"
. "Oh, uncle! do you own it? Tha
: makes it all the more interesting"
1t would make splendid fortuu
7 for YOU if you had it in the city"
1t would cost a fortune to get
there, my dears, and then it woult
= have to 90 piecCmeal; and who WOul,
! believe its history after it was put to
- gether again."
Il would"
> Ard so would I, uncle, if you toll
o it. l wish my Egbert was here
t paint it in picture. lie is a rea
magnificent artist, uncle"
"And wish my DiOnysius was her
to write a piece OF poetry OH 1t. II
is called a great poet, uncle. But yO
o haven't told us your story about whe
II it was built, and who built it, an
why"
is Zone legend declares that this mas
% sive tower was erected in the yea
It l405 by party of Norwegian sailer
who had made a voyage to Iceland
It and, on their way home, were drive
- by adverse winds and currents ia
o. out of their course, till, finally, the
=. were wrecked upon this coast. B
q the assistance Of the natives they wei
n. enabled TO save large portion frOI
a. the wreck and, finding no way gel
NJ ting home again, they concluded {
Y stay, as they couldn't help it. TIL
story SAYS the Indians treated thel
a kindly and gave them their daughter
in marriage; but they yearned fC
home and built this high tower as
:, lookout over the sea and here the
vainly watched in hope to hail som
wandering ship from the old cOuI
y, try, but, as even Columbus did IL
-, discover the West Indies until ninet
III years afterward, the poor fellows a
- died of broken hearts, leaving til
~ tower a monument of their sad fate
GLOW rOmantic!'
II "And what did their wives do ?"
II at don't say. l suppose they di
IN the best they could. But this is Onl
q one of the accounts. Another is tn;
the tower is older still, and was pr
n up by a Venetian noble in IDOL"
ne Gracious what on old building
We q should think it would hay
turned to powder long before this"
in Crooks last long time" said u
rs. Gle David, ''unless they are in the III
m ture of gold and silver. The Ven
- tians were a great seafaring peopl
in and it is given out that this noble WI
in a very learned philosopher, rnd brOtI
go er to the DOge, who felt much sea
daliZed by the superior attachments
~ his brOther-his startling theori
ON and scientific experiments causiI
some to think him insane, and to s.
nj that insanity was in the blood. To
.er rid of him, the Doge sent him on 5
cret exploring expedition into the A
les lantic, with fOrty-nine vessels, char
o,- ING never to return until he had di
In covered something. lie went, and til
,.s was the last of him in the old cOu
an try Some of the ships got back al
ON reported a great tempest in the mi
m die of the ocean, and nothing fouI
mt yet, except watery graves; but
# seems that the flagship, and peThal
ia others, reached the coast. The ney
it, corners did not agree well with Il
'ra Indians, who destroyed their vessel
but they built this as a watchtow
-, and fortress, ana cOntrivedtO live du
"a ing nine years Of hostiIitics, wht
peace was concluded and pestilence 5
20 in, and swept off all the whites b
70 the DOge's brother, who is various
/ stated to have swallowed poison. ST a