The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-09-29
CRACK IN THE ROCK.
HISTORY OF THE SPLITTING OF
PLYMoUTH's LANDMARK.
Torn Asunder by Opposing Factions
Of It's Early Day and Rejoined
Many Years After
wards

Plymouth has been called the cradle
Of New England. 1t is on the coast, SO
miles south of Boston, and is a thriving
and prosperous New England town.
with good schools and churches, and
town hall. and shops of all kinds and
comfortable homes, writes Cornelia
Hickman, in "A Visit to Plymuoth
Rock" in St. Nicholas.
On the fiat strip of land that runs for
miles up and down the shore Of the bay,
| the dtminutive white houses of the
fishermen are crowded close together. In
the center of the same fiat land-strip,
thanked on both sides by the fishermen's
homes. is large, open square 40 yards
from the water front. Here stands
Plymouth Rock. the first sight of which
gives one mental shock, for, no doubt,
fancy has pictured an immense boulder
rising grandly out of the sea; but, in
stead, the visitor sees only an oblong,
irregularly shaped gray sandstone rock
Il feet in length and five feet in
width at the widest point and two at the
uarrowest. Across one part runs large
crack which has been filled with cement.
and which gives to Plymouth Rock a
highly artificial appearance The origin
of this crack is bit of unique history,
and bears evidence to the early differ
ences that at times divided the inhab-
itants into two factions
For a long time there waged spirited
and bitter wrangling between the oppos-
ing parties, and it even settled down
upon the much cherished Plymouth
Rock, which one party declared ought to
be removed to more worthy position
in the town square, and the other wrang-
lers protested it should not be moved
an inch from its position, even though
they had to guard it with their pixies
and guns.
Finally, the stronger faction drew up
their forces around Plymouth Rock, and
in attempting to move it up the hill split
it asunder, which seemed a bad omen
for those who had attempted such a
thing, until an ardent whig leader four
ished his sword and by an eloquent ap-
peal to the other jealous wings con-
WINGED them shat they should not swerve
from their plan of carrying the rock to
a place in the town square.
THE portion that first fell to the
ground belongs to us" he cried; land
that we will transport with all care and
diligence to its proper home"
Twenty yoke of oxen drew the whig
section of Plymouth Rock up the hill,
amid the shouts of the throng that
pushed forward around the liberty pole
which was to mark the new site. The
ceremony of dedicating the rock in it's
new position was very impressive, and
the people stood with barred heads, and
in reverent tones chanted their high
pitched psalms in token of thanksgiv-
ing.
In the town square this part Of
Plymouth Rock remained for more than
half century when committee of the
council resolved to move it back to it's
original position, and join it, as best
they could, to the other half. According
ly, in 1894 on the morning of the Fourth
OF July, the Plymouth Rock had been
reunited in all seriousness to its long-es-
tranged position, and the union made
complete by mixture of cement and
mortar.
To-day four granite columns support
a canopy of granite that offers Plymouth
Rock an Indifferent protection against
the rain and the sun and serves to keep
back, in some measure, the thousands Of
sight-seers who come to Plymouth with
only one object in view, namely to press
up around the iron bars, and to gaze
through them at the revered rock, on
which they see the single inscription. cut
in the middle of its face in long, plain
figures, 1920"
The rock Is surrounded by high iron
railing composed of alternate boat hooks
and harpoons, and inscribed with the IL
lustrious names of the 40 men who
drew up the Pilgrims compact on board
the Mayflower that November day as
they sighted the coast that henceforth
was to be their home.
Bees as Acrobats.