The Portland daily press., 1890-12-03
CHRIST IN LIMESTONE.
Forces Of Nature Carve the Face Of
the Saviour In a Marvellous Manner

Tnere Is at present temporarily res1d-
ing in Albany a lady who has in her pos
session wonderful freak of nature. It
is merely piece of limestone, but carved
most marvelously by the forces Of nat
ure into q face-the face Of Christ in
death.
To reporter Mrs. Oliver T. Bacon,
the lady referred to, told the story of her
priced curiosity. Mrs. Bacon said:
"Overhanging the village of Oberam-
mergau is high mountain peak held in
reverence by the villagers, who consider
it their guarsaian angel. After witness
ing the Passion Play of Sept. 10, 1880,
l made the ascent of this mountain. A
few flowers for pressing and two small
bits of rock as souvenirs were taken
near the summit, the latter remaining
in my pocket two weeks. Later on,
with number of curios purchased,
box was packed and shipped to Georgia
More than eight years after fire oc-
Cured in the Young Mems library,
where the cases were stored.
"In relabeling the curios injured by
water this package containing two peb-
bles was uncovered. Although rough
and unhewn, in a certain angle Ruben's
Conception of Christ, in death, sud-
denly stood out, the dropping mouth
more dropped, the eyes closed in an eter-
nal sorrow; the brow plowed deeply in
burrows of pain, the nostrils grown thin
through lack of breath; the whole face
weary and sorrowful with the weight of
the worlds SIM"
Mrs. Bacon is from Atlanta, Ga. After
talking about the curio for some time
she produced velvet sack. Within the
sack was was a silver case, like watch
case, and in it was the simple yet won
derful piece of stone. Holding it at
certain angle the face full of suffering
was easily seen. The freak is truly won
derful. AS yet it has only been viewed
by few persons.
The Rev. S. f. Smith, d. D., author
of "My Country, IT'S of Thee" writes
from Newton Center, Mass, Sept. 3,
1890: "The pebble, about half an inch in
length, casually picked up by Mrs. Ba-
con on Mount Christus, near Oberam-
mergau, is a most remarkable freak Of
fracture, seeming as if it were the fruit
of design, and the design of a skilled
artist. 1t requires no effort of magma
ton to see in it the head of the suffering,
dying Christ, vivid in form and express
sion. The pebble is only fragment of
reddish limestone. The curiosity is that
the fracture should exhibit so pathetic
and exact a portrait. Mrs. Bacon sets
high value on the gem and regards it al
most with reverence. 1t is certainly re
markable that little stone, picked up
without selection from the common road
as mere souvenir of the place and di-
rectly following the performance of the
Passion Play at Oberammergau. should
present so touching a form"
OF it Bishop Doane said: 81 have had
the privilege of seeing the pebble found
by Mrs. Bacon on Mount Christus, near
Oberammergau. 1t arrests the atten-
ton and arouses the reverent amaze
ment Of any one to whom it is shown
DIR. Smiths description of it is very &C
curate, and no one, / am sure, can look
upon this curious natural product with
out great interest and wonder"
Assistant State Geologist Merrill says
concerning the stone: 81 have had the
pleasure of seeing the pebble which Mrs.
o. 7. Bacon has brought from Oberam-
mergau, and consider it the most re-
markable example of accidental resem-
blances which have ever observed in
so small stone. The material is lime
stone, veined with ebert, and the colors
Of the two substances contrast in sucha
manner as to delineate, with much ex-
actness, a human face No tool appears
to have touched it. The surface seems
to be entirely due to fracture and abra--
SION"