The Washington times., 1901-12-22
OLD ST0NEHENGE
PUT UP FOR SALE,
ENGLAND'S MOST ANCIENT RELIC.
Ruins of the Druid Temple Erected
Probably 1900 Years Bcforc the
Christian Ern-TooIs Used
in building Ii Uncarthcd.

IN butIdinE Ii tnearthcd.
Stoneh hange. England's oldest and mos
| impressive relic. has been making 81
much trouble lately that everybody vii
be glad If the present prospect Of selling
it to the nation is realized.
No doubt ii was generally supposed that
the famous and mysterious monument was
the property of the world at large--so tC
! speak. like Westminster Abbey. But The
I site on which the supposed temple Of the
| Druids stands is the property of a Iich
and slightly obstinate baronet, Sir Edward
| Antrobus, who il he were so disposed
could tear the whole thing down without
Interference from the law. Just as the
owner Of the house in which Pope lived
at Twiokenham razed the place cut Of
spite because her neighbors objected
strongly to some alterations she proposed
to make.
SIR Edward has been nightly stirred
up about his wonderful property for more
than year. He offered to sell it, but put
price on it that was prohibitiye for
anyone except the traditional American
millionaire" who was fancied to be about
to step in and carry stonehenge bodily to
the United States and rim It as a dime
museum.
Dnronct Exncts Admission.
The rich American falling to material
ize. Sir Edward himself made short step
in the dime museum direction. On the
last day of last year two OF the largest
stones forming the ancient temple OF the
sun blew down. One Of them was the
great block which has been known for
centuries as the leaning store," the
other was the pillar stone"
Soon afterward Sir Edward took counsel
with three learned societies of antiquari-
ans, who advised him TO have the stones
replaced in their positions. and in the
meantime 10 surround the ancient monu-
inent with n barbed wire fence, on the
ground that the constant tramping Of
tourists and sightseers around the group
Of powders has almost as bad an effect
en- them as the marches OF Joshua's army
had on the walls OF Jericho. This Sir Ed
ward did at once. but found the job an ex-
tremely costly one. and with; as he says,
the idea of recouping himself, the land
lord of Stonehenge for some time has
been charging visitors a shilling each for
admission into the enclosure.
The most important expression OF po9u-
lar disapproval aroused by this action OF
the baronet has been a petition to the
Wiltshire county council. the local al
body, which Is signed by sew
eral prominent antiquarians and societies
of high standing. protesting vigorously
against both fee and fence. both Of which
measures have been. they say. taken b.
Sir Edward in violation Of the rights OF
the public, enjoyed since time :mme-
mortal.
other critics of Sir Edward deprecate
not only his extremely unromantic barbed
wire fence, but the equally unpoetic toll
gate through which the visitor to the
temple Of the sun now enters. to say moth
ing of the various unsightly ioists and
supports which still are grouped about
the two pieces OF stone which have been
replaced. They add that the whole place
IS also a mass Of signs-chieily concerning
the possibility of obtaining refreshments
near by-which clash violently with what
little remains OF the historic atmosphere
Of the place.
Sir Edward responds that before the ex-
lstence of his fence the near neighbor-
hood of the stone pile was crowded at
all times with carryslls. brakes and pho
tographers' wagons, whereas now the
visitors first view of the place across
the moor is unobstructed. the fence being
invisible at a little distance.
The work of replacing the fallen stones
certainly has been done with great care.
and the incidental results have been prac-
tcally interesting. The work has Lecn
under the direction OF a celebrated archi-
icct while the excavations were made
under the supervision OF DR.. Gowland |
professor Of mineralogy at the Royal Col
Iege of Science. The leaning stone"
which is the largest single mass Of rock |
IN England, with the exception Of Cleo |
patra's Needle, the obelisk on the Thames |
was raised by means OF n |
huge padded cradle. and was surrounded |
a. its base by great masses OF concrete. |
Old Druid's TooIs Found.
In the course of the excavations sew |
,ral of the tools with which the great |
masses of stone were trimmed by their |
builders were discovered. The |
act that these were also OF stone is re-
,arded by English antiquaries as proof |
positive that the temple was built In the
tone age, probably before 1900 C. In
he search for further data as to the folk
Who originally raised the stones the soil
lug up was sifted four times under the
we OF DR.. George Gowland Many CHR !
,ings of the peculiar blue stone OF which |
;tonehenge is built were unearthel. as
veil as Roman coin and a penny of the
ime OF George III.
Having pondered upon the petition of |
he various antiquaries and learned so
titles. the Wiltshire county council has |
ecided that Sir Edward AntroIui was
justified legally in the action which lie
ook II is now stated that the haronet
S willing to sell StonehrHBe at less
rice than he asked for u at first, and
strong effort VII be ...adc 10
induce the nation to by the ancient
nonument.-Chicago Chronicles.