Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-12-12
THE OLDEST RELIC,
Works of Man in the Stone Age DiscOv-
ed in Massachusetts,.

The Working Place for an Ancient People
Through Many Generations-For Thou
sands Of Years Hidden in the Rocks-A Re-
markable Find, Surely.
Marblehead rock, with its black-and-
white beacon, constructed partly OF
stone and partly OF wood, is as familiar
to yatchmen and north-shore naviga-
tors as any object along the coast, says
the Boston Herald. 1t bears south
east by east half south from Marble
head lighthouse, and is distant one =
fourth of mile. There is Gle ar
middle passage with five fathoms of
water between it and the point OF Mar
blehead great neck. sometimes called
Nanepashemet This precipitous mass
of rock, rising above the ever-restless
water surrounding ii, and containing,
including the western half, about four
acres of surface, is unquestionably OF
volcanic origin, if not the three -chim-
neyed crater OF an active volcano in
past cons. Vitriied rock, volcano
ashes, both hardened and unhardened,
with traces of lava flow and the mix
ing OF component parts into remark
able conglomerate, show abundant
traces of intense fiery action. Near
the summit are three deep depressions,
which, if not craters, must have been
formed when the entire mass OF rock
was in very soft or molten condition;
the northeasterly one of these is now
the bed of a pond, about 20 feet in di-
nmeter, Al feet deep, with an overflow
through q seam.
The second depression Is larger and
deeper than the others, supporting a
swampy growth of bushes above its
thick mud. The crater nearest the
summit is from 7 to y feet above the
others, 90 feet in circumference, and
somewhat sheltered from the easterly
gales by the rocky crown on which
stands the beacon. This crater is fill
ed with comparatively dry earth,
whose surface is level and covered with
sod of golden rod, ivy, woodbine, and
other plant roots, with the undergoing
heart of red cedar roots, which must
have tlourished there very long time
ago.
During the early days Of autumn
Capt S. IL. Carter, summer resident
at the Neck discovered here many
evidences of prehistoric occupation,
and the removal OF the entire sod and
earth TO a depth of two feet disclosed
the sight of workshop, where human
industry had prospered at the hands
of the people of the stone age. Their
rude implements fashioned for war or
chase, after n rest of untold centuries,
tun acroit, hna,,orht 20 tba 1ffrht n 1o,y
The earth stained and corroded con-
dition of many Of the articles proved
conclusively that this had been u work.
ing-place for the ancient people
through long generations. Deepest in
the earth were numerous large and
very rude spear-heads, which had be-
come soft and chalkly on their exterior
surface through age, while some, which
were accidentally broken by blows from
the picl1-ax showed the interior wall of
the sparkling feldsite crystals, and as
hard and flinty as ever. Here were
found great stores of unused hammered
stones, which had been selected and
placed in heaps containing twenty or
more, but not used, and other stores
scattered through the great mass Of
clippings, whose well-battered ends
showed the marks OF the innumerable
blows they had delt the hard fieldsite
quartz and sienite in the making Of
arrow and spear heads therefrom.
This now rocky island must have
been bold headland during the days
Of prehistoric occupation, and from its
commanding outlook the jewellers there
could watch both land and sea for en-
emies or game. and for these they were
ever preparing spear and arrow. 1t is
hardly probable that they would have
carried in their frail canoes such guam
titles of material and climb the precipi-
tous sides of this rock to establish a
stone-chipping shop on its airy height,
How many thousands ofyears have pass
ed since they were there no man KIN ow-
eth or ever will now, but undoubtedly it
was long time before the hungry, in
vading ocean had eaten enough OF the
land to make an island OF Marblehead
rock.
1t is said to be the captains intention
TO give the lot to the Peabody academy
Of science in Salem, il he has not al
ready done so. It's said by those who
have seen the articles to be the most
remarkable find OF very old stone i'm
plements ever made in the county Of
Essex.
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