Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-05-20
ACCOUNT or JUBILEE
AT JAMESTOWN IN 1907
How BtCenteTnIa| Was Celebrated
as Told 10 an Old
Pamphlet.
uAEARTHED BY BISHOP MEADE
Two Days and Nights Spent at
jamestown Island and One Day
at Old williamsburg by cele-
hraters Nearly One Hundred Years
Ago.

The following story of the James
town Gi-cpntennial Jubilee Of 1907 ii
published in the current Issue of the
Southern Churchman, and shows that
the preparations for 7:le ccieora;ion
neXt year have their precedent in Vir-
ginia history.
what follows is made mp Of extracts
from pamphlet mearthcd by our
old Mortality.' Bishop Meade. ana
recorded in his "Old Churches of vir-
ginia:'
'nue notice having been given Of
the intended celebration. the prepare
tons commenced on the 10Th. A
packet, n slnop aud n schooner arriv-
ed before the 18TH with band, of mn.
sicians and q company Of artillery and
cannon, ana will number of visitors.
On the 18th. the beach hogan Ia
assume the appearance of regular
encampmrnl. from the erection nf
tents Tor the sale of various articl IS.
ana the scene WAS agrprnh!y di.er:ii-
ned by groups Of hcautif;l women
VINO were every moment ia: S'nS from
the main into the island Il WIS ECi
unusual 10 see the groups of pilgrims
stealing away from the thrune and
hustle of preparation. from the wild
revelry of Joy and the enthusiasm of
and rapturOus eXiiltatiOn 10 saunter
among the tombS with the illustrious
dead, whose virtues and achievements
mad furnished the motives for their as
SemDlaSc. II WAS in the highest de.
cree interesting and cdifyng 10 trace
me effects produced upon the minds
ana faces of the spectators by the
view OF these venerable remains of
other times. The eye in surveying
me ruins OF the church sterple, gar
landed 10 its summit with irregular
festo0ns of smilaX and ivy. carried
hack the mind of the interesting Incl
dents and events of the first settlers.
crowd of pilgrims were discov-
cred on their hands ana knees within
the church yard. removing the dust
and rubbish from the Wondering and
mutilated tomhs. exploring with anX.
lons though patient curiosity. the al
most effacod characters, with which
affection and picty had skctched
them' IN the vain expectation that
they would he immortal Whilst en-
gagged in these Eious and interesting
stole over the mind; the grosscr pas
sions OF our nature. the dull pursuits
OF the world. were forgotten. whilst
each for moment, by the witchery
presence of those gallant ana vener.
able spirits that once animated and
Informed the mortal tenants of those
graves.
as IL We're by general consent the
discovery of the oldest stone became
All object of general emulation; and
IN the course of the examination. the
results. as they seemed TO be success
ful, were trinmphantly announced
Not even the senrchers of gold mines
whose mania is so deSeryedly ri;licnl-
ed anu censurcd by Smith and our
other historians, could have exceeded
the zeal and patience with which the
pilgrims of 1907 examined every char
acter OF fragment that promised to
throw light on the character rf thei.
forefathers and the antiquities of
their nation +.
Beyond 1GS1 nothing legible could
he traced; but. from the freshness of
the marble bearing this date, con
trastcd with the surrounding masses
OF mntilated and Wondering decay. it
was the general impression that this
stone was comparatively young.
Among the group of objects calcu-
lated to excite reflection on such an
occasion. 1t was impossible 10 avoid
noticing the growth of sycamore.
platants occidentalis, whose germs
had been deposited between the fis-
sures OF two massive tombs, whose
growth was gradually but certainly eff
fecting their demolition. In vain did
brawny wreath Of the poisoned oak,
having fir t wound itself round the
sycamore. grasp the trembling mar
bles for the purpose of averting their
fall. The sycamore was Il lever that
necessarily propelled them from their
centers and ii was obvious that moth.
Ing but It's death could save them
from falling without the line of the
base. To reflecting mind. every
incident is fruitful This seemed to
be a struggle between life and death:
and what may appear extraordinary,
1t was the general wish that death
should come off victorious in the con
test.
"On the 18th, the dawn was ushered
III by cannon; n second announced
the first faint ctchings of the sun on
the edge Of hOriZr.n. During the
night. several vessels had arrived,
and the eye rested with pleasure on
the spectacle of thirty-two sail at
anchor in the cove; boats plying in
cessantly off and on from the shore;
groups OF beautiful women every mo.
ment making their appearances:
crowds flocking III from every part
of the adjacent country, and the Pow
hatau. evolving in silent majesty his
flood, margned as far as the eye
could reach with plantations and gay
villas.
About II o'clock. the long deserted
shores of jamestown witnessed