Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-03-21
MISTAKES OF HISTORY.
The Universally Accepted Records Are Not
Always Reliable.

The Universally Accepted Records Are Not
Always Reliable.
"What is history but universally
accepted fablc?" said n learned
Smithsonian professor. "Iquotc the
great Napoleon. For example, con-
slider Plymouth Rock. In tho town
of Plymouth is rock with q fence
around it. 1t is sort of local fetch.
On FOrcfathcrs' day every year ex-
crciScS arc held there commemorate
ing the alleged fact that on this rock
tho pilgrims landed Asa mattor of
fact, thCrC Is no evidence that such
was the fact. Professor Claiming,
the historical expert of Harvard, has
traced the story back and believes it
to have been started by an old man
named FhunCC, who many years ago
pointed ont the rock to some chill
drCn, saying, Here they landed.
"HiStory states that the pilgrims
arrived on Sunday, but refrainod
from landing until Monday lest they
should break the Sabbath That is
purc nonsense. As u matter of fact,
tho women and children staid on the
ship all winter because it was moro
comfortable
Tho gOrgcOusncSsa and high civil
cation of the ancient MCXicanS ut the
timc of the Spanish conquest have
been permanently CmbalmCd in his
tory. The whole story is Il miSrcp-
rcScntatiOD. COrtCHnaturally wished
to give an impression at homo that
no had conquered n great and rich
nation. In rcahtyi it was only Il half
civilized and untut0rCd people The
mode of living was patriarchal.
whole families of 100 or moro prr-
SONS living in one house The com
munal dwelling was of one story and
necessarily Of large size These
structures wore described by the
SpaniardS as palaces. Tho people
ate only one cooked meal each day,
for the rest of their food depending
on grub diet picked up anyhow.
Tho dinners, partaEon of by so many
individuals, arc reported in history
rs 'banqucts.
The SChoolboy learns that Column
bus was the man who first conceived
tho idea that the world was round.
Nothing could be more nOnScnsical.
The truth Is he merely accepted u
notion on this subject which had
been handed down from classic times
by scholarly mon StrabO tho Latin
author, waS ono of these. Tho con-
coptiOn WAS for many centuries as a
faint light glimmcring in darkness.
Let me call your attention to an
instancc of the making of fictitious
history. There are good reasons for
believing that the NOrScmcn reached
the shores of North America before
Columbus. The records of their
sagaS, however, give no notion of the
locality where they landed Only a
few Such nOndcScriptivc facts are
stated rs that they found grapes
growing. Yet IN enthusiast named
Horstord, trustee of Harvard, a
few years ago built on the Charles
river Il tower between Waltham and
Newton TO commemorate the landing
of the Morse VOyagcrS at that point.
The SagaS tell of going up n river,
and HOrSford chose to assume that
the Charles river was tho river re-
ferrcd to. Very likely tho notion
thus recorded by monument will
gain general credit somo day, though
there Is no moro reason TO suppose
that the river was tho Charles than
that it was tho Delaware or tho Hud-
son or any ono of dozens of other
rivers.
Il quoted Napoleon moment ago.
You probably know that no battle
was ever fought at Waterloo Wa
terloo was n post dispatch station
some miles distant. Dispatches were
sent thence to England, and hence
tho namc given to the battle
"Shcrman's rido to Winchester
was not 20 milcS-nOt over ten miles.
l think. There mover was any foun-
datiOn in fact for the story of Bar
bara FrCitchic. The same is true of
tho yarn about POcahontaS and John
Smith. "-WnShington Star.