The sun., 1899-05-21
A 9RIyDsToNE GARDEN.
The Curious Fancy of an Oldtime Resident
of storkville Centre, VT.

"A singular character In his way" said Col.
Calliper. was my old friend Philander Knob
staw. who formerly lived in Storkville Centre.
VT Mr.. Knobstaw was n man with fondncss
for flowers and that sort Of thing. and his flower
garden was one Of tho plcasnntest sights In
Storkville Centre: but 1t was his grlndstone
garden that most attracted at tention. especially
among strangers. who never failed to marvel
when they saw IT,
Mr.. Knobstaw had read. II seems. in his
early youth the more or less familiar para
graph about the tree that had grown up in the
opening through an old discarded grndstone.
and tbat had at last filed The opening and then
lifted the grindstone clear OF the ground and
suppose he must have been kind Of fascinated
by this story. for when he had come into pos
session OF his property. after the death OF his
parents. which was when he was still quito
young man. he set about the cultivation Of his
grindstone garden promptly. He bought in
the village dozen Grindstones Of various
sizes. and here and there. in a space that he
devoted to the purpose he laid them down and
planted tiny sapings to grow up and !ft them.
Of trees including some ofquick growth. Tiant-
erlndstones. And as a matter Of fact. the first
tree began to lift it's stone In about eight years.
ike Ds con oT ra 5e &
tree after the tree had grown up. but it was a
grindstone. and tn the tree was lifting it. and from
endless interest and hnialins care. et''1 "''''
And as matter Of fact. they all needed
OF them lifted the stone around them evenly
and thdu truly at first; Il would have been marvel
out and prop up this edge OF one and the other
edge OF another. and so on around the grind
S he T s cd dG n4a
Of the ground, and then nv almost irn percepti-
nle but to him delightful degrees he saw them
hnv fpt.. flxr Ia
Then Phlander Knobstow let the public in
friends, and few folks had looked over the
fence-and much the public wondercd:. and
hey ed ns the %s
! too high to serve as scats-then II was that the
little grindstone came, out on Its tree, as told
looked odd enough. up at different I heights. hts. six Il!
feet. eight feet some ten, feet up above the
more wonderful than ever: and wonderful It
remained for long time: great curiosity.
perhapS you might say. the great curiosity of
~ 80 Bpt when Philander died the day., q the
srnddst0ne garden were His de-
Gsen and they s so down
| the greater nun ber were growing on hardwood
trees: and each tree; Of course. filled the hole in
length above and below. the length running
through the st stone served admira ply as a spin
gle upon Whlch TO mount the Rrlndstone to turn
| 1t when II vas put to that use. The practice
| with these ,Knobstaw. grindstones was to cut
| off the wood as have ind cated and then shave
the ends down little and put on each end an
from wear and becoming the journals upon
| which the grindstone turned.
When the value OF the grindstones in the old
| cut down all at once. as had been at first in
| tended. but they were sold there was de-
mand for them. For some years when any
| body around Storkvie wanted grindstone
| he did not go to the store and look over tho
| up against the side OF the building. hut they'd
go out to the knobstay place and walk around
anything there that suited; and if there was.
| why. he'd buy his grindstone Of the Knobstaw
estate"