The Elbert County tribune., 1908-08-06

aged eyes regain their youthful fire.
her gestures take on the simple
grandeur of her illustrious forbears.
The town OF Warren. X. l., has done
something toward the memory of the
sisters ancestor. Massasoit. On Oc-
tober 10. 1907. tablet was unveiled
over the spring which has always been
known by the name of the mighty In
dian sachem. 1t bubbled near his for
est home and the Massasoit Monument
association walled 1t up and improved
the surroundings that the spring might
run for all time as reminder of the
white mans indebtedness. On huge
stone was placed the tablet and on
the tablet is this inscription: This
tablet placed beside the gushing wa
ter known for many generations as
Massasoits spring commentaries the
great Indian sachem Massasoit, friend
of the white man. ruler of this region
when the Pilgrims of the Mayfower
landed at Plymouth in the year of Our
Lord, 1620.'
When the Pilgrim Fathers landed In
America Massasoit's empire extended
from Cape Cod to the Narragansett
Thirty villages owed him allegiance;
10000 Indians obsyed his word. But
furious plague broke out and when the
white men met with the sachem his
people had been almost exterminated;
whole tribes had been decimated. The
early historians say that the savages
died in heaps" and only remnant
of about 300 warriors was left to the
ruler in his lodges about Massasoit
spring.
1t was on Thursday. March %, 1921.
only 101 days after the Pilgrims had
landed on the new continent. that Mas
sasoit met them formally for the first
time. He had previously given an
audience to two of their emissaries,
one of whom was Edward Winslow
and had expressed friendliness for the
white man. So to this meeting he
came In all good faith. accompanied
by his half-brother. Quadequina. and
go of his warriors, all armed with
bows and arrows. their faces painted.
Some had skins on them and some
naked; all strong tall men in appear
ance."
The Indian chief appeared dramat-
ically on what Is now called Watson's
hill. and lined up his men, making an
imposing array. To them came Ed.
ward Winslow, carrying pair OF
knives, chain and jewel for the
chief sachem; also a pot of strong
water, with some biscuit and butter
for treat. Winslow stayed with the
Indians as hostage and Massasoit,
F<1l Ix,, 80 III. 4
scended the hill toward the Pilgrims.
Capt. Standish met him with file of
six musketeers and gave him a salute,
afterward escorting the chief to
hastily erected building, furnished
with a green rug and three or four
cushions.
Here treaty was made and signed
between Massasoit and the Pilgrims.
Winslow offered himself as hostage
for the keeping of the agreement; Mas
sasoit declined. A regulus as to honor
himself. he scorned to accept pledge.
Honor was to him as the breath of life,
and for SO years he kept the treaty to
the letter and the spirit until his
death, in fact. 1t was the Pilgrims
themselves who violated 1t. The great
Indians fidelity to this agreement
made the American colony possible.
So great was the fame of Massasoit's
wisdom and goodness that it reached
King James of England, and that mon
arch sent his red brother a silver pipe
as mark of esteem. This Massasoit
carefully guarded. but when one of his
warriors did a great deed of valor, the
chief was so moved to admiration that
he made him present of this. his
greatest treasure.
He was a philosopher. too, In his
crude way. And of the bigness of his
heart numberless acts testify. He ia
vored a strange custom of his people.
formed on the idea that happiness is
only a matter of comparison. Acting
upon this, he once, when making a
journey with Winslow, sent messages
into Plymouth to inform the people
that their leader was dead. When the
chief and his friend entered the town.
the general sorrow was changed to re-
joicings.
why did you sent us word that
Winslow was dead?" asked one of the
Pilgrims.
ITO make you happier on my re.
turn" was the reply
Several times during his rule, Massa.
soft prevented raids by warlilke tribe $
upon the almost helpless colonists. For
years he held the Narragansetts 4,
check. He died in 1861; and his deat u
| spelled disaster to the colonists