The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-29

not inspire one with fear. They are
hardly larger than chestnut, but like
80 many other OF these objects are oTna-
mented with inGised lines,
The story OF DR.. SChliemaun's labor
in recovering these objects from their
ancient resting place lends charm to
their value. lie began his excavations
on the mound OF HissRrlik IN 1871, and
in the face OF adverse criticism con-
tinued for ten years to spend his money
in determining whether this was in fact
the site OF the greatest battle ground in
history, Before his death he firmly es-
tablished this,
These relics, which, 1t should DO said,
were presented to Nine. Schliemann,
and largely through the efforts OF Mr..
Truxtun Beale, late minister to Greece,
will form collection in which every
school boy in the land will take an in
terest, The rest are deposited In for
eign museums, chiefly in the museum
at Berlin and in that ut ConstantinopIe-
Many OF the articles recovered were OF
great value, and it is said that these sold
Tor enough to more than meet the great
expense OF the excavation, Some were
OF costly materlal-gold, silver and
other precious metals-hut these are
mostly deposited at Constantinople.
They were found at a depth OF over
thirty.fye feet, and covered by the de-
bris Of four cities, After Troy oil
Homer's time had been destroyed the
ruins were leveled over and a Greek
city, lion, built, Here for many years
relies OF the great Trojan war were kept
for sale by the inhabitants, and thou.
sands Of strangers focked thither TO
gaze upon the theatre of such import
ant battles and upon the ruin they had
wrought. Alexander the Great and
Xerxes with his armed hosts visited the
city, fired by the same curiosity. City
after city was built, each on the ruins
OF the one before, until at last the place
was forsaken and only u wind-swept
mound remained.
The relics have also an added value
because OF their associations with tho
races which fought each other here and
nourished the hate which the war en-
gendered for centuries, The Greeks
crossed the sea from Sparta with l00,-
900 men and nearly 1000 ships to meet
their enemies. Their final triumph
was the dark stain on the Trojan name
which tho Romans fought to remove
many generations after.
The myth OF the founding OF Troy is
certainly curious. TeuCer was told by
tho oracle to found city where "the
earth born ones attacked him" He
and his companions camped over night
on an eminence in the plain and tho
mice gnawed their bow strings and
shield handles, This was believed TO
be the fulfillment OF tho oracle, and
the city was founded here with the
name oiSminthius, which means mouse,
Later Dardams was driven thither
over the sea by tempest and tloated on
skin bag to the shores OF tho Trojan
PLAIN. He married daughter OF Teucer,
and from tho union sprung the Trojan
race. Two houses Of this family grew
up, Of which ono founded city in
Phrygia, having been guided to the
spot by spotted COW, which he fol-
lowed till she lay down.
The other house was that OF Priam,
whose son Paris went to Sparta and
stole away Helen, the wife Of Grecian
prince. To avenge the wrong the
Trojan war was fought, with disastrous
consequences to Troy.
From this interesting city the relics
were gathered which have been pre-
sented to the Smithsonian Institute.