The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-15

| agan, Is his residence or course Rechad q
| visitors are searched before they are ad-
mitted, and when they are leaving by the
Sultan's officials. Daring this time OF
trouble in Armenia Constantinople and
Crete, Rechad has boon more narrowly
watched than ever for the Sultan and
his CLIQUE know that Rechad is popular.
Unlike the Sultan, Rechad is one of the
handsomest men in Constantinople.
From Turkey to Greece is a short step.
In many of the Grecian isles diving for
sponges forms a considerable part OF tho
occupation of the inhabitants. A visitor
10 that unfrequonted region describes the
following rather startling custom. He
says that Himia. which Is little island
directly opposite Rhodes, Is worthy of
notice on account of the singular method
by which the Greek inhabitants of the
island get their living. ON the bottom OF
the sea in this locality tho common
sponge is found i'm greater abundance than
in any other part Of the Mediterranean.
The natives make IL trade TO gather
these and their income from this source
is far from contemplate; their goods are
always in demand among the Turks, who
use an incredible number OF sponges in
the ablutions prescribed In the Moham
medan ritual. A girl in this island is
not permitted TO marry until she has
brought up q certain number of spOnges
and given proof her skill by taxing them
from a certain depth. But in certain of
these islar ds this custom is reversed The
father of marriageable daughter bestows
her on the best diver among her sutors
lie who can stny longest in the water
and bring up the biggest cargo of
sponges marries the maid.
What is reputed to be the largest boul-
der in the United States Is found in
Connecticut midway between New Lon
don and Norwich. IL is known as Coche-
gan Rock and the Connecticut Legislature
is considering the advisability of buying
il for the state. The stone is evidently "a
relic of the glacial period, and is 80 feet
long, rs feet high, contains about 20, 600
cubic feet OF stone and is estimated to
weigh 10, 600 tons. This stone has been
studied by the most famous geologists of
the United States, but none OF them has
ever been able TO state with accuracy
just what variety IL is. The strangest
feature is that in appearance and in
grain il is totally unlike any other
stone found in Connections or New Eng
land this lack of resemblance extending
10 other and smaller boulders, which
We're also evidently deposited on Connec-
ticut soil by glaciers.
What is more goologists who have ex-
amired the regions of the far north de-
clare unat they have never seen any stone
which bore any resem blance in appearance Q
or texture To the Cochegan wonder.
Indian tradition says this stone was for
centuries used as council block by the
red men of Connecticut. The first white
man TO own the land upon which II
stands was Samuel Chapman, and he, in
1862, sold it TO Joshua Baker 1t has
changed owners several times since then,
its present proprietor being Alexander
Atchinson. This boulder, almost unques-
tionably, say the scientists, originally
formed part of some great formation of
rock in portion of the American conti-
nent so far north that 1t has never been
reacheC-py civilized man, and thus we
are unable 10 compare 1t with anything
of like nature.