Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-06
COL. JOHN BUCK,
The Founder of Bucksport.
A. d. 1862.
Born in Haverhill, Mass, IT'S.
Died March IS, 1875.

"Buck," and also something not
wrought by the marble worker. On the
| smooth surface of the pedestal is a
curious outline, irregular and describ-
ing that which can easily be imagined
to be the form of foot of normal size.
Some people say that it is foot, but
those are of the superstitious town folk
who believe the legend which has been
choice stock in Bucksport for many
years
They that delight in perpetuating
this story say that Colonel Jonathan
Buck was a very stern and harsh man
and the leading spirit of his day and
generation. His word was law in the
community. He was the highest in civil
authority and his decision as immova-
BILE as the granite hills that loom up in
the haze of the northern horizon.
He was most Puritanicai, and to him
witchcraft was the incarnation of bias
phemy. Thus, so the story goes, when
a certain woman was accused of witch
craft, at the first clamorings of the pop
Mace Colonel Buck ordered her to be
imprisoned, and later, after a mere
form of hearing. she was sentenced TO
be executed as a witch. She pleaded to
stone.
The day OF the execution came and
the condemned woman went to the gal
lows cursing her judge with such terri
BILE imprecations that the people shud-
dered, but the magistrate stood unmov-
ed and made a sign to the officers to
hasten the arrangements. All was ready
and the hangman was about to perform
II I,,%x hA
turned to Colonel Buck and raising one
hand to heaven as if TO direct her last
words ON earth pronounced this astound-
ing prophecy:
i'Jonathan Buck, listen to these
words. the last my tongue shall utter.
1t is the spirit of the only true and liv-
ing God which bids me speak them to
you. You will soon die. Over your
grave they will erect stone, that all
may know where your bones are crum-
bling into dust But listeni Upon that
stone the imprint of my feet will APP
pear, and for all time. long after your
accursed race has persisted from the face
of the earth, will the people from far
and near know that you murdered
woman Remember well, Jonathan
Buck, remember welll"
Then she turned to her executioners
and another act, one of the forever in
effaceable blots. was made a part of
American colonial history.
The ''witch's curse" as it was call
ed. and is to this day. was almost for
gotten until many years afterward, when
the monument was erected to the MEM
DRY of Bucksport's founder. 1t had been
in position hardly month when faint
outline was discovered upon it. This
gradually grew more and more distinct
until some one made the startling dis
covery that it was the outline of foot
which some supernatural craftsman
had traced on the granite. The old leg
end was revived and the Buck ceme-
terry was for years the Mecca of the sp-
perstitious and curious for miles around
The 'witch's curse had been full
filed. they said. An attempt was made
to remove the stain. but all efforts tend
ed only to bring the outline out in bold
er relief The stain or whatever it was
seemed to penetrate to the very center
of the stone.
The hinges of the big gate have
creaked for the last time to admit a
Buck. The last of the race has been
laid to rest, beneath the oaks and ma
pies, and the setting sun throws the
shadow of the once mighty Colonel
Jonathan Bucks monutaent athwart
the double row of messy mounds, as if |
still exerting his authority, and the |
same rays light that mysterious tracing |
held up to the view of all that pass and
repass along the dusty turnpike
The imprint of the foot is fact. and |
is there today as plain as ever. The |
legend of the ''witch's curse" may or |
may not be fact The fanciful defend |
the legend. but the practical point out |
the apparent discrepancy between the |
dates of the era of witchcraft persecu- |
ton and the regime of Colonel Buck |
They say that the stain is simply an |
fault in the granite. and that |
the legend was made to fit the foot and |
not the foot the legend. But the foot Is /