The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-01-18
/. PLYMOUTH ROCKS CRACK.
Its Origin Involves a Unique and
Ridiculous hit of History.


aus origin Involves a Unique and
Ridiculous hit of History.
Plymouth has been called the cradle
Of New England. II is on the coast
thirty eight miles south Of Boston and
ls thriving and prosperous New Eng.
iand town, with good schools and
churches and town hall and shops OF
all kinds and comfortable homes.
On the fiat strip of land that runs for
miles up and down the shore Of the
bay the dlmlnutive white houses OF
the fishermen are crowded close TO.
gether. In the center Of the same fiat
land strip, fanked on both sides by the
nshermens homes, is a large, open
square forty yards from the water
front. Here stands Plymouth rock the
first sight of which gives one a mental
shock, for, no doubt, fancy has pictured
an immense boulder rising grandly out
of the sea, but instead the visitor sees
only an oblong, irregularly shaped gray
sandstone rock twelve feet in length
and five feet in width ut the widest
point and two at the narrowest. 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 differences that
at times divided the inhabitants into
two factions.
For a long time there waged spirited
and bitter wrangling between the Cd.
posing parties, and 1t even settled
down upon the much cherished Ply.
mouth rock, which one party declared
ought to be removed to a more worthy
position In the town square and the
other wranglers protested 1t should not
be moved an inch from Its position,
even though they had to guard 1t with
their pixies and guns.
Finally the stronger faction drew I'D
their forces around Plymouth rock
and in attempting to move 1t up the
hill split 1t asunder, which seemed q
bad omen for those who had attempted
such thing until an ardent Whia
leader flourished his sword and by an
eloquent appeal to the other jealous
Wings convinced them that they should
not swerve from their plan Of carry
ing the rock to place in the town
square.
"Tbe portion that first fell. to the
ground belongs to u.s." he cried, "and
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
new position was very impressive, and
the people stood with barred heads and
in reyerent tones chanted their high
pitched psalms in token Of thanksglv-
ing.
In the town square this part Of Plym-
outh rock remained for more than
half century, when a committee Of
the council resolved to move 1t back to
its original position and Join 1t as best
they could to the other half Accord
ingly, in 1884, on the morning of the
Fourth of July, the Plymouth rock had
been reunited in all seriousness to its
long estranged portion and the union
made complete by a mixture of cement
and mortar.
Today four granite columns support
a canopy of granite that offers Plym-
outh rock an Indifferent protection
against the rain and the sun and serves
to keep back in some measure the
thousands of sightseers that go 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 a high
iron railing composed of alternate boat
hooks and harpoons and inscribed with
the illustrious names of the forty men
who drew up the pilgrims compact
on board the Maytiower that Novem-
ber day as they sighted the coast that
henceforth was to be their home
Cornella Hickman In st. Nicholas.