The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-01-12
THE OHIO DEMOCRAT
MISTAKES OF HISTORY.


@ffUkw Inut Croep Into tuo Fopul0f NuHuU
and Arc Hard to Eradicate.
what is history but universally
accepted fable?, said q learned Smith
oonian professor to writer for the
Star. II quote the great Napoleon.
For example, consider Plymouth Rock.
In the town Of Plymouth is a rock
with fence around It, It Is q sort Of
local fetish. On Forefathers' Day
every year exercises are held there
oommemorating the alleged fact that
on this rock the pilgrims landed. As
q matter Of fact, there is no evidence
that such was the fact. Prof. Chan
ming, the historical expert Of Har-
ward, has traced the story back, and
believes 1t to have been started by an
old man named Faunce, who many
years ago pointed out the rock to
some children, saying: Here they
landed
"History states that the pilgrims ar
rived on Sunday, but refrained from
landing until Monday lest they should
break the Sabbath. That is pure nop-
sense. AS matter of fact, the wo-
men and children stayed on the ship
ell winter because It was more COM
Portable
1.-THE gorgepusness and high civil
ixation Of the ancient Mexicans at the
time Of the Spanish conquest have
been permanently enbalmed in his
tory. The whole story Is misrepre-
sentation. Cortaz naturally wished to
give an impression at home that he
had conquered great and rich ma
ton. In reality 1t was only q half
civilized and untutored people. The
mode OF living was patriarchal, whole
families Of 100 or more persons liv-
ing In one house. The communal
dwelling was Of one story and neces-
Rrily Of large size. These structures
were described by the Spaniards as
palaces The people ate only one
cooked meal each day. for the rest Of
their food depending on grub diet
picked UP anyhow. The dinners, par
taken Of by 30 many individuals, are
reported In history as 'banQuets.'
"The schoolboy learns that Colum-
hes was the man who first conceived
the idea that the world was round.
Nothing could be more nonsensical.
The truth Is that he merely accepted
q notion on this subject which had
been handed down from classic times
BY scholarly men Strabo, the Latin
author. was one Of these The con-
oeption was for many centuries as a
faint light glimmering In darkness.
Let me call your attention. to an
instance Of the making OF fictitious
history. There are excellent reasons
for believing that the Norsemen
reached the shores Of North America
before Columbus. The records OF
I their sagas, however, give NO
notion Of the locality where they
landed. Only few such non-descrip-
tive facts are stated as that they found
grapes growing. Yet an enthusiast
named Horsford, a trustee Of Harvard
q few years ago built on the Charles
River tower between Waltham and
Newton to commemorate the landing
Of the Morse voyagers at that point
The sagas tell Of going up a river, and
S1orsford chose to assume that the
Charles river was the river referred
to. Very likely the notion thus re-
corded by monument will gain g
general credit some day, though there
IS no more reason to suppose that the
river was the Charles than 1t was the
Delaware or the Hudson, or any one
Of dozens of other rivers.
I quoted Napoleon moment ago
Ycu probably know that no battle was
ever fought at Waterloo. Waterloo
was post dispatch station some
miles distant. Dispatches were sent
, thence to England, and hence the
name given to tha battle.
"Sheridan's ride to Winchester was
not twenty miles-not over ten miles
I think. There never was any foun.
.dation in fact for the story Of Barbara
Frietchie. The same is true Of the
yarns about Pocahontas and JOIN
4mith.-Washingtcn Star.