Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-01-15
A VISIT TO PLYMOUTH ROCK.
An Interesting Account of New EngIand's
Corner stone.

And the waves against stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed,
And the heavy night hung dark
The hills and waters DER,
When band OF cXles moorcd their bark
On the wild New England shore.
So sang the gifted Mrs. Hemans in her
celebrated poem, "The Pilgrim Fathers"
whose beautiful words and still more
beautiful sentiments ought to be engraved
upon the memory of every true American,
and every lover of religious liberty. The
9th day of April 1871, will ever hold II
high place among the eveniful days of
the writer's life, for it was the
day OF his first visit to that
sacred spot where, amid bleak
natures desolation, amid the SHOWS, and
rains, and dreariness of winter, amid saw
age beasts, and still more savage men,
that immortal band of Pilgrims first erect
ed their altar to the Majesty of Heaven,
and who have
Left unstaincd what there they found,
Freedom to worship GOd.'
Taking the cars at the Old Colony rail
road depot, Boston, Il ride of thirty-seven
miles is ACCOMPLISHED in two hours and
the beautiful bay of Plymouth lies in all
its loveliness before us, Plymouth What
hallowed memories cluster around the
word. Plymouth, the cradle of Ameri-
can liberty 1t stands for all that is great
and good and noble in American history.
What would jamestown be, what would
Nl
Meeting Judge Davis, Il resident of the
place, in whose veins courses the blood of
John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, the
writer said to him, 81 feel like kneeling
and kissing the ground
Let us go aud stand upon yonder hill,
where sleep many of the "MayilOwer's'
company. The view i'll every direction is
one of beauty. Before us is the harbor,
almost completely land locked by Il tongue
of land that runs from the south shore di
rectly north across the bay, leaving at its
northern extremity good passage for
ships and forming harbor in shape SINH
lar to IA circle cut i'll two in the middle.
Beyond, we get glimpse of the board At
lantic, and the boundary of vision is the
meeting of sea and sky. To the northeast
stands the monument which marks the
dwelling place of Captain Miles Standish.
The writer learned that Miles Standish
of the eighth generation was living with
in seven miles of the place. To the north
west, on Il hill that OVerloOkS the whole
scene stands that beautiful monument in
solid granite, built by contributions from
loving hands and patriotic hearts in every
part of the Union SurmOunted by IL
colossal statue of faith cut in the same
imperishahle stone, with the index figure
pointing heaVenward and that beautiful
calm face looking forever in the direction
whence appeared the MaytlOWer, it leaves
an impression never to be forgotten. Be
>.
trance to the dock, stands The chaste and
beautiful granite pavilion, under whose
shadow rests "Plymouth Rock aud in
whose dome sealed up forever are gather
ed and preserved the bones of those who
died during that first terrible winter. In
order to keep Plymouth Rock at the sur
face of the ground, 1t had to be lifted per
pendicuarly fifteen feet above where it
rested when first pressed by the feet of the
Pilgrims. The operation caused part of
the rock to split Off and this part has been
transferred to the front of Pilgrims hall,
where it now rests, surrounded by an iron
railing. Let us now enter Pilgrims hall.
At one end of the building hangs that
magnificent painting of the parting at
Delft Haven. Look at it. 1t grows upon
you as you look. 1t speaks, and you seem
to hear the voice of the man of God as he
pours forth his supplication You seem
to hear the solemn Amen of the wor-
Shipping group, and the suppressed Sob
bing OF parting friends.
You seem to hear the last adieus gwen,
the last words of farewell spoken, and the
parting scene closes. Turn now to the
opposite end of the hall and very differ
ent scene awaits you. The long dreary
voyage is passed and the pilgrims are
landing at Plymouth,
Forth they come
From their long prison, hardy forms that
The worlds unkindncss, men of houry hairs,
And virgins of hrm heart, and matrons
grave.
The rocks and hills around are covered
with snow The dreary and fOrbiddlng
aspect is unknown, save by the appear
ance of old Samoset who comes to vel
come them.
But we must dwell no longer on this
picture, for the hall is crowded with both
cheerful and sad mementos. Look in this
show case. Here is the very Bible that
John Alden bought just before he
started for his future home in the Western
plainly written within. There is the very
cradle in which Pergrine White was
rocked, the first white child born in
New England. Wonder is the iron pot,
the sword and other personal property of
Miles Standish In this case is the barrel
of Mount Hope, was killed. This re-
nowned chief was the leader of a con-
spiracy to cut off the whole white popula-
ton Of New England, and so near to sue
cess did it come that at the close of the
contest every eleventh family was home
less and every eleventh soldier had sunk to
his grave. This was but small part of
the tremendous price paid by our fathers
for the rich inheritance they have left us.
Let us now go out and take Il walk on
these pleasant streets. Whoever suppOseS
that Plymouth is Sleepy Hollow, Rip
!
prised when he is told that it is a bright,
clean, live, progressive, place of six or
seven thousand inhabitants, hundreds of
whom are llneal descendants of the ships
company of the "Mayhower." Plymouth
has the air of enterprise and thrift, and its
people possess ii quality of polite hospital
ity that the writer has never seen eX-
celled, if even equalled, elsewhere. Every
one is anxious to do you favor, not for
pay, but because it seemed real pleasure
To do SO. the uniform courtesy and the
manner in which it was bestowed was
something to be remembered and will
ever be an element in the writer's pleas
ing recollections of his first visit TO Ply
mouth Rock, c. a. CASTLE.
These are Solid Facts.
The best blood purifier and system regula-
tor ever placed within the reach OF suffering
humanity, truly is Electric Btters. lnactivl-
/ too. - . no i,-or IuIIn1itp. Cons