The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-23
ON PLYMOUTH ROCK
A VISIT TO THE CORNERSTONE OF
AMERICAN CIVILIZATION.
Plymouth Rock, Its Traditions and
Surroundings-The Splendid Me-
mortal to the FOrefathers.

scenes, incidents, places. in localities where
the present remarkable and unparalleled
growth Of these United States Of America
had their origin and their birth-in the
womb Of time, great mother earth having
the bed prepared on wild New England
coast, where forty-one Pilgrim Fathers, in
the good ship Mayfiower, from Delft Ha-
ven, Holland. where they m on the
shore on the morning Of July %, 1920, and
sailed for a country in another part of the
world, and built their homes on a spot
where
"a church without a bishop,
A state without a king
Did not dwell, and where they could not
only worship God according to the die
tates of their conscience, but be free from
the endless prosecutions of that church of
state then dominant In the old world.
1t is not my purpose to go into a eulo-
CYSTIC disquisition of our forefathers. That
has been done in prose and poem. Our
Mrs. Heman's immortal verses, 1.-THE
breaking waves dashed HIGH" and Bry-
ants stanzas. "wild was the day the win
try sea-" etc., nave been ringing in my
ears for over forty years. Thank Cod 1
have lived to see the fall fruition of the
spirit of those poems. gazed on the orig
-ai PidCtu MY lOOt Oh ana walked over
that same identical rock, now revisited, in
the same spot where the forefathers landed
on that bleak, wintry morn in December,
1870. l shall not digress. but state, which
will be in a separate article, suffice.
Last Friday / also visited the ancient
"Pemguard Rock in the coast of Maine,
where another colony came and located in
l60I-thirteen years prior to the coming of
the Pilgrims. But from the Plymouth col
ony we get the foundation that has cul-
minated in the establishment of our pres
ent Union, hence Immortality clusters
around this ancient SPOT, and every year
$1,000 visitors pay a pilgrimage to this
American mecca. Leaving Boston on the
excursion steamer William Storrie, the
writer took passage with a large party.
Plymouth lies forty-flve miles from the
Hub, and a delightful ocean ride of ninety
mics can be got for 40 cents. Sailing down
the south shore line one sets a fine pam
oramic view of the Atlantic coast which
is well lined with cottages, resort houses,
hotels, etc. After passing the Furts and
those numerous islands-each a history
the famous Nantasket beach. the Coney
Island of Boston, we view the ancient
town of Hull. where houses dating back
e Queen Anne's time can be seen. Hull
has = history. Old politicians used to wait
for her prophetic vote when it numbered
but seven polls. A saying became tradi-
tional LAS Hull goes, so goes the State"
In 1869 Hull had thirty-three houses, when
Boston had but one. In the last war Hull
a population of ISL But this article is
not on Hull, but her three hills have
nore than a passing story. Passing
Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfeld. the home
and birthplace of Daniel Webster, are in
full view: then the ancient town of
old colony. Soon comes into view a large
monument upon an eminence. Inquiry re-
largest monument yet erected in this coun-
try to perpetuate the fame and deed of a
single individual, save George Washington
and this is a granite shaft 10 feet high,
the Miles Standish monument, captain of
the Mayfower, whose statue crowns the
TOP. fifteen feet in height. The stones in
three to five tons each. General Grant
b-rssn.nd l. to the keystone State while
he was President.
APPROACHING THE ROCK.
While / did not stop off at Duxbury, the
ancient house of John Alden, a Pilgrim,
built in 1866; also the Standish house, built
by Alex, the son of Miles Standish, can be
seen; also Monks hill, S2 feet above sea
level. From this spot beacon fires were
burned during the revolution, warning
Washington when the army was encamped
at Dorchester of the movements of the
British. Near by is Rock Nook. where Dan
lei Webster met with the accident The
Inch pin of his carriage broke and threw
him to the ground, on April l, 1852, and the
sickness ensuing terminated his fife the
following October. Then the vessel ap-
of water about five miles in width and
three and one-half in depth, from Gurnet
Point to Manomet. A fine circular sandy
beach extends around on Gurnet avenue.
Two lighthouses, a signal station with a
life saving crew that has seen a good deal
or service among wrecks; here is Fort An
y p- nn1 I"A- anI m 49, 49, IL l----
up during the civil war; which is also the
terminal of the French Atlantic cable. 1t
was across this bay that the shallop from
the Mayiower, with it's crew. rowed in
search of a safe landing place, on a Sunday.
History and tradition say: From a large
rock with a fat top on the Sabbath day we
rested" This is now an island called
Clark. named in honor of one of the mates
of the Mayfower. On this little strip of
land the Pilgrims knelt in prayer and lis
tened to the first sermon preached in the
English tongue on American shores. Linz
tied space debars me from going into gen.
eral eet "a see on WHAT tive 3sa hours rsn is given give m the
important is the rock, Pilgrim Hall, Fore
fathers monument and the ancient bury
"Ye bodies of them that came over in the
Maylower." First is the Rock" the most
interesting historical relic on this continent.
foot of Coles hill is where. in the severe
winter of 1921, the Pilgrims were siezed
with a malady like the scurvy,
WHICH CduScQ tie ucdln Oh One-lalf
their numbers; They leveled their
graves and in the ensuing spring planted
corn above them so as TO deceive the In
dams as to their numbers. In 1774, during
an attempt to remove the rock to be placed
at the foot of a liberty pole, it became dis
severed, but was reunited on July 4, 1884,
and removed to Pilgrim Hail. In 1889 the
Pilgrim society acquired both the rock and
spot. The rock was again placed back in
its old position, and now enclosed under an
marble canopy, consisting of four angle
piers of the Tuscan order, about fifteen
feet square and thirty feet in height. En-
closed in the original iron fence, but a
p-assageway for visitors to pass through
or step on, is the rock. This / did, assist
ing some twenty ladies' to do the same.
The rock is oval shaped, a huge boulder.
about eight feet long, three feet wide and
looks as If it would weigh FIVE or six tons.
Millions have seen and miiliona no doubt
will yet see this grand stepping stone to
American greatness. The next visited was
Pilgrim Hall. with its relics. Among them
are Elder Brewster's chair; Peregrine
Whites cradle; sword. platter and pot of
Capt. Miles S~tandish; the compact with the
forty-one signatures, made In the cabin of
the Mayfiower: paintings. rare documents
books and INNS, the most notable being a
commission from Oliver Cromwell, Lord
Protector Of England. to George Edward
Winslow, written on Parchment; numer-
Gus old-time portraits hanging on the wall.
the most conspicuous being the, WinsloW
low, who came over in the May1ower; a
model Of the ship; the old Bible, printed in
1920; the old sofa of John Hancock; the Tong
shot gun; the gun barrel, with which the
Indian chief. King Phillip, was killed; the
Standish case. containing the famous Da-
mascus blade belonging to the Pilgrim can
tain. The Arabic inscription shows that
the weapon was manufactured three cen