Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-09-19
PLYMOUTH ROCK LEGEND.
-dasother Popular Idol Smashed.
from the New York Times.l

Plymouth rock. Some years ago it was
estimated that there were in the posses
sion of Congregational societies and OF
private Congregationalists 1900 tons,
in round numbers, of Plymouth rock.
In all probability these 1850 tons
have By this time grown to be fully 90,
900 tons, for no earnest Congregational
list and no loyal descendant of the Puri
tans is satisfied unless he is ballasted,
so to speak, with piece of Plymouth
rock. The quantity Of specimens of
the true cross in the possession of
devout Roman Catholics is conceded to
be very great, but it is insignificant in
comparison with the quantity of pieces
OF Plymouth rock that are scattered
over the country With these pieces
building six times the size of the Capt.
fol at Washington could be constructed,
and this building could be surrounded
10y wooden fence seven miles long and
eight feet high made entirely of Elder
Brewster's favorite chair.
The world is slowly learning the truth
concerning the Pilgrims. 1t is now
pretty thoroughly established that they
did not land on the day which has for
so many years been celebrated as Fore
fathers Day" In fact there was no
general and simultaneous landing of the
Pilgrims. After the Mayfower had en-
tered the bay formed by Cape Cod,
small parties in search of rum, and Pill
grims, i'll search OF sufficiently gloomy
wilderness. landed day after day at diff
ferent points along the coast. There is
no doubt that, after Plymouth had been
selected as good place in which to
board during the winter, all the Pill
grims still remaining on board the May
flower were ordered TO go ashore, but
there is not the slightest foundation for
the popular theory that all the Pilgrims
went ashore at Plymouth, two by two,
at precisely the same hour, and in de-
vout imitation of Noah's collection of
apiaals.
While the story of the landing of the
Pilgrims has been thus stripped by the
learned critics Of its original pictur-
esque features, no one has disturbed the
myth of Plymouth rock. 1t is taken for
granted by everybody that those Pill
grims who did land at Plymouth
stepped ashore on the rock. Now, il
Plymouth rock WAS the regular steam
boat landing, if there was convenient
wharf at the foot Of it, and q commodi-
Gus pair Of stairs leading to the top.
with, perhaps, freight elevator, OF at
least a crane wherewith to hoist freight
and baggage, it is quite possible that
the Pilgrims did land on the rock. If
however, these conveniences were lack.
ing-and there is too much reason to
believe that they were-the Pilgrims
unquestionably landed somewhere else
Judging from the present height OF
Plymouth rock, after thousands of tons
have been carried away from it, we must
believe that its summit was at least for.
ty feet above the water at the time Of
the arrival Of the Pilgrims. What could
be more absurd than to suppose that
the Pilgrims could step from small
boat to the summit of such rock? The
sailors of the Mayfower, instead Of ap.
preaching the rock with their fragile
boat, would have kept carefully away
from it and ali other rocks, in order tc
avoid being dashed to pieces. Had any
well-meaning Pilgrim said to them.
Land us on that rock, so that posterity
can have something to make relics out
Of" the sailors would undoubtedly have
made very irreverent reply, consign.
ing the rock and the well-meaninc Phi.
grim to an unpleasant locality.
The Pilgrims must have landed on
sandy beach, and they probably got
very wet in so doing Il is all very fine
for eloquent orators to picture to us the
Pilgrims walking arm in arm over the
gang plank Of the Mayfower to the flat
summit of Plymouth rock, preceded
by ban! of music, welcomed by 8
deputation of leading Indians bearing
banners Inscribed, Welcome, venerable
strangers" and Give us Bibles" but
the Pilgrims did nothing of the hind.
They were rowed to the beach. where
they were compelled to step overheard
and wade ashore. They may have held
prayer meeting soon after they landed.
but undoubtedly their first proceeding
was to sit down in the sand and proceed
to empty the water ont of their boots
at The same time informing the mate in
charge of the boat that he was a loath-
some Amalekite. and that they would
get even with him just as soon as thew
could organize court with power to