The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-08
TREES WITH A HISTORY
ElmS Associated With New
England'S Colonial Days.
THEIR ULTIMATE FATE

Pioneers-The Crazy Man Who Gave
Apples to the West-6ie Trees Of
This Nation.
The first Protestant church service
in America was under the trees at
jamestown and the first church bell
rung in the West was the one that
Father Junipero Sierra tied to an arch
ing oak bough at San Diego. The first
agricultural fair in America was held
under a giant elm at Pittsfeld, Mass,
the same tree under which the men OF
that neighborhood formed when they
marched away for the War of 1912.
When Connecticut's charter was in
danger of seizure ii was hidden in
hollow oak.
Because the Scotland "dool trees
or grief trees" on which they hung
their enemies in reality or in efIigy,
early colonists here must needs have
something of the sort. So they chose
to set up liberty trees in New England.
The Scotch had sycamores, the New
England colonists chose elms, which
were made to serve many purposes.
Under them meetings were held, from
their boughs the bodies of offenders
dangled, and in their shade drunkards,
liars and thieves sat in the stocks.
One tree on Boston Common had
a dark history. 1t stood near the
long path that DR.. Holmes immortal
lied in his "Autocrat of the Breakfast
Table" and on it were hanged Mar
garet Jones and Anne HlDbons, two
the Quakeress. Under it Mrs. Oliver
was logged for "reproaching magis-
trates."
In 1876 this old tree fell in a wind.
storm, and a detachment of police had
to be called to keep the souvenir coll
lectors from cutting it to pieces. An
offspring of this tree, about forty
years old, is to take its place.
The dean of Americas historic trees
is the Washington elm of Cambridge.
Under this tree Washington first took
command of the American Army, July
3, 1775," reads the inscription compiled
by Iongfellow and engraved on a tab
let. Some say that the first evangelist
in America, George Whitefield, preacn-
ed under this same tree. Twice has
the lightning struck it-both times in
the same place-and no doubt its days
are now numbered.
One of the famous peace oaks that
stood in front of John Eliots old
meeting house at Natick is said to be
still in existence. II was brought TO
the missionary by the Indians he haI
taught and planted by them as an ex-
preston of peace. At Dedham another
oak is pointed out as the pulpit once
used by George Fox the Quaker, when
meeting house was denied him.
Penn's famous treaty tree fell in
gale nearly a hundred years ago. It's
prominence was so marked in its early
days that the English soldiers placed
special guard around it during the
Revolution. After it was felled by a
gale in 1910, great part of the tree
was sent to the old Penn family seat
at Stoke, near Windsor, England,
where 1t is still preserved.
Jane McCrea 1777," is an inscrip-
tlon that was seen for long while
on large pine tree near Fort Edward
on the Hudson This tree was the sill
ent witness of the death of the girl
whose scalp was taken by an Indian
to Burgoyne's camp and sold, wherear
her lover who recognized It, deserted
the army that would allow such prac-
tiCes.
For many long years mulberry
tree stood to mark the place where the
Cplverts and the Indians made the
treaty that gave Maryland to the Cath
olics, but it fell fifty years ago, Church
furniture was made of it for use IN
the ancient town of st. Mary's and the
Bishop of Maryland has gayel made
from a bit of it.
The strength OF the tree Is almost