The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31
GRINDSTONE HILLS ORIGIN.
FOLKLORE IN MAINE OF MANX
YhRIETIES AND SOURCES.

l
| Irish Have Different Theory rs to the
| beginning of Grindrtone Hill - Pic
| tureslue stories OF Convincing Power.
PATTEN, Me. Dec 29.-Tho ghost tales OF
| two bemispheres and thrco or four races OF mon
met and became hopelcssly mixed when the
| pioneers from three points OF the compass came
| TO Maine and began 10 wrost tho sovereignty OF
the soil from tho Indiana There wero three
tribes OF Indians in the State at that time, all OF
whom hold different bcliofs Tho French rom
Montreal, tho Puritana from Massachusetts, Bay
| and tho Scotch Irish from New Brunswick and
| Nova Scotia convergcd upon Maine during the
seventeenth century and added their contribu-
| tons to popular demonology until the whols
territory was overpopulated with spooks and red.
| white and blue devils that made tho forests howl
! from Kittcry to Allagash. largo book could
not hold half OF tho witch tales that may hear
| around logging camp. during winters chop
! ping. II a half brcod Abcnnki Indian makes
all ante Of some ghost that Lives In Old Town
without paying poll taxos, q Passamaauoddy
| and a Norwig WOO rival will double the bot and
make It Jackpot, whcreupon Frcnchman. .
| Yankee and Bluonoso will como In and swell
the stake to figure that few truthful mon would
| care to pocket.
In Grindstono plantation on tho west branch
| OF the Pcnobscoti Il alnrgo h1 or small mountain
that is steep on two sides and rounded al the top
giving Il the form Of grindstone sot on edge and
half buried In the ground. How this grindstons
was placed as II is and who did It have boon the
causes for brisk argum emit for many ycara
Tho Yankee version Is practical with q shade
OF cxaggeration. There was onoo q very good
man named Smith who came TO Maine from Ply
mouth. Mass. and took up farm on the west
branch. Ho raised oats and hay for the lumber
men and 3 OF rich selling rum TO the Indiana Az
he pr ospered his hay fields grew wider compelling
him to carry his grindstono q ong distance 10
sharpen tho scythes As no was q very good
man, n kind wizard turned big hill Of sand int
a grindstone. ono edge Of which was In Smiths
dooryard while the opposite faoo WAS out In the
back lots. that the same stone could sharpen
scythes in two places at once.
Tho rapid torrents Of tho West Branch ware
kindly provided with water wheel which turned
the grindstone free Of cost until Smith died
when the great industry came 70 a standstilL
and Neal Dow. who was ono Of Smith frisndl
stopped the sale Of liouor in Maine
The French version Of the tale, though less
practical, IL far moro forceful and dramAtioI
About the time that Wolfe getting at Mont
calm in front Of Quebec q company Of French
men was hurrying across Maine 10 relievs the
French garrison. IL late In August and
very hot with brisk thunder showers after every
meal. The men were wet and mad They had
used UP oil the French cuss words they had been
able TO take along and began 70 make some worry
wicked wishes One afternoon when the big
toinc Lc Blanc, the Captain, ripped out ful-hand
oath and said he wished IL would rain grind
he spoke dying missile darkcncd the air and .
Srinds,onc as big as q mountain fell upon Re
s NH ssp AND %. Si
in ynif for The eYpcf,sd relief End was defeated
30 wicked. France would have held control q
Angus Mcleod Of Pic,ou Cow Bay Nova Scotia,
a, red Gar!ed, doubls.listcd giant is tho hero
OF The Gaelic story Years nEo before almanac!
north, found the North Pole and erected big
monument Of Dumfries granite on the spot. One
was tending his lobster pots in Cow Bay, a casual
iceberg went aground nearby, Angus while
RsAGs 5s ' 5sa guilty fHS IF stsq qG d he.
. lee sS hi, hass by hSekn
North Pole centuries ago OF course he was
in duty bound 10 take the monument back, other
wise all the dead aud gone Mel Gods would rise
fSp$ %0S I'5 1o MA hold 'Gf'sSF sa
70 make new berg, and raft or q boat was out
Of ,ho question for poor man. hut Angus
decided wheel the ""q mSnumen, To is T resting
place II dh!n weigh over fifty tons anyhow.
4 and ESn h Whs SiS
y through New brunswick. passed the Custom
SnS MS S Of the s" Wheel ana bTnS ws into
swamp near the West Branch compelling him 10
unload aud hew gu, wheel with wider. tire
from giant beech tree which grew nearby. After
this lac went on without furth al ventures Since
then tie spaces between the spokes Of tho wired
wheel have Iilled IN with sand and the m ass has
turned % stonc-the GIindstone Mountain that
is named on the map Of Maine.
are responsible for the Indian account Of how
Gnndsionc Mountain came where IL is. II was
come across the blue waters, that old Sailasoca-
bSn sent her son 10 this maize field TO get a ripo
boy. was all idle fellow who liked TO shoot az rab.
BITS and ehckadecs, with bow and arrows.
untl dark and never thought Of the pumpkin
that was waiting for him in the comfed Ho
was long ways from the field and very hungry.
ing up on the eastern hills, The mist which
orb making II look very much like a pumpkin
MeilgshsGway gazed a. y until brilliant idea
habit OF flying close down TO the ground and
Song very much TASTE, than the big which
II he could shoot the little moon and take Il home
TO his mother WHO was old and nearly blind,
lie waited until his game was overhead, drew
his GROW back 10 his right ear and let 60.
en,ys;,ed for moment in is socke, in The sEy
9 hill and still swelling. He looked at tie sur.
face that fronted him and saw IL was populated
with yellow Indian devils having long white teoth
and claws Ii Ike tho spines a thorn tree. Then
he yelled and ran home, where he was glad enough
10 accept the whipping which WAS waiting for
him. The braves Of tho tribe were Just starting
out on the warpath and relied upon the little
moon 10 give them light so when II didn't show
up at regular business hours they sent band
out 10 learn the reason. They found tho moon
half half buried n tho mud close % the VEST B,anch
II was rapidly turning to stone.
. As the woods were full Of hungry Indian devils.
scrvations; MellgnSoway was sick for long
time after he had shot the little moon, and think
ing h. was gong u die, he confessed the whole
business The Sachcms discussed tho case for
!, week The boy grow impatient and informed
them that II they expected IN have any fun In
burning him to death They hal better begin right
away, because he had another engagement with
Death which he had got tO meet anyhow II
was q case Of first come llrst served The next
day the whole tribe turned out and unanimously
elected him az chief medicine man Of Maine.
Being a doctor with regular diploma tho boy
had no trouble in getting well, after which hp
ned q thn md