The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-11-28
BECKLEY "REMINISCENCES
SUPPOSED CRAVE OF CHIEF OF
THE MATTABESSETTS.

stone of CuEious Formation Unlike
Anything Else Ina the wn-Doubt-
less Valuable Indian Relics Close by.
In the lot in BeclSley, once owned by
Charles Webster, is an old granite stone
of many tons weight. AS you pass on
the railroad from Berlin Junction to
Middletown, just below Beckley station,
the traveller win notice it on the left, in
the meadow land. This stone has been
an object Of interest for many years,
and has excited the curiosity of travel
ers. No other stone like it can be found
for miles in all directions original to the
soil. 1t appears to have no connection
with that part of the country. 1t is a
striking anomaly in peculiar condi-
ton of geological questions. The best
authorities agree that the boulder came
down from the Vermont mountains
during the ice glacial period, and
grounded on the summit Of one of the
high hills back of the Lotan Porter
farm. That the granite /, or syenite
boulder. once the last resting place Of
Kirkham, king of the Mattabessett In
dlcllSy 10 INV GIL ctCCCpLSu lIuLIs Liz
boulder must have at some time stood
higher UP on the hill, for the great ac-
cepted west trail passed up this hill d.
agonally to the northwest. On Lamen-
tation mountain are found smaller
boulders, similar to this one, showing
conclusively that the glacial theory is
the correct one.
The Indian custom, when a great
chief died was to bury with him many
articles and above all place great
boulder or plant a tree that protected
the relics for all time from the elements
and wild beasts, for no Indian, friendly
or hostile, dared to interfere where the
great spirit watched the tomb of de-
parted Indian.
1t is to be regretted that the site of
Kirkham's tomb has never been located
Tradition states that he was buried on
the trail, universal custom i'm those
days. A distance Of less than one thou
sand feet ought to unearth treasure
of historic value. But will it ever be
dones >~
OF all the New England Indians,
Kirkham and his tribe We're the most
friendly to the white people. AS late as
1915 the cellar at the mouth of Trout
brook, where 1t enters into the Malta
bessett, on the N. T.. BeckIey place,
marked the cabin spot where Chloe
Kirkham lived and died in the early CO.
lonial history of Connecticut. She was
the only child and daughter of the king
of the Mattabessett Indians, and as late
as 1910 the last remnant of that tribe
wintered on the south side of Great
hill on the farm of James Beckley. AS
late as 1870 Solomon Beckley regularly
provided pork, potatoes and other food
every winter to the last Indian colony,
and his daughter, Mrs. White of Brook
ly, remembers when a child the pomp
and ceremony showing thanks and
gratitude for the winters provisions,
when like the birds in the spring time,
the poor Indians began their annual
tramp in the, forests of northern New
England.
The Hermit feels that he has tres
passed too long on the patience of the
reader and the columns Of the News,
and will briefly end by promising to
write some more later on Of the early
colonial history Of Berlin.-Berlin News.