Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-07-14

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In the lower part of Penobscot
Bay, where the ocean currents, pulse
strongly among. rock-bound, inlet,
broken islands. is a shoal bearing
upon its summit a RIDE stone-hear
known locally as "ArtnstronS's Pyra-
mid"
TIE spot, which lies at least three
miles from the nearest land, IS bare
until more than quarter-tide, rising
from the water like the rounded
back of long turtle. The pyramid
itself is a four-square pile, with a
base peThars ten feet on each side
ana over six feet high. It's slopes
are festooned with rockweed and en-
crussed with harrac!es and at high
tide its summit is several inches
under water.
Strangers who pass the place when
the water is low enough to allow
them to see the irregular mound OF
rough bouliers wonder why it should
, have been built. Its tumble-down
state shows that it callot be a. gov
ernyent beacon; besides, there>seems
Z no rsssan for any mark in a locality
Sd Tar cut of the track OF navigation.
Al The time when the heap, was
thrown up, however, there were very
good and urgent grounds for its erec-
ton. grounds which prevented care
frar, being taken and made haste an
absolute necessity. The Egyptian
pyr~-,,ils were constructed as me-
Z morii-ls to the dead: this pyramid in
Penonscot Bay was built for the liv-
ing. End its story is this:
In the month. CT August, 1888,
: Alexander Armstrong, boy Of seven
teen years old, was living with his
!, mother and two younger brothers in
snail house On rocky street of
Carrer's Harbor, the thriving island
village on the southern end Of Vinal-
hayeG. His father was absent from
home on a fishing-schooner the
greater part CT the year and this left
Alexander practically the head Of
the family.
y i
He vas strong. active young fell
low. At seventeen he had mans
5 strength and judgment and a
stranger would have set his age at
considerably over twenty. Occasion
ally he worked cutting paving in the
srsnite quarry, but whenever any
gccd excuse could be found, he was
or the water. His principal occu-
patton during the sumner was taking
visitors out fishing, On the first
Wednesday of the month mentioned
above he had arranged with three
city asn to make a days cruise after
coi to certain banks four miles
southeast cf the island.
.TTGe three men were Robert Green
ougl and Carlyle Saunders, salesmen
for q large drygooGs concern in Bos-
ton. and Marshall Neal. a Hartford
Insurance man. All were spending a
brief vacation at a snail hotel in
4 Carver Earbor.
Before six O'Clock the next morn
Ing, after an early breakfasttof cof-
fee. doughnuts and cold corned beef,
they were fairly out On the open
tay. moving slowly southeast in a
gentle breeze.
Before eight o'clock they reached
the fishing-grounds, where they net
) with very good success, getting a
couple iot>hundredweight Of fneN cod
and haddock before noon. Then tie
lines were pulled in for time, while
everybody took a hand in the prepar-
alton of chowder on the rusty stove
4 In the little cabin.
Armstrong superintended the pro-
cess; and when the three landsnen,
with appetites sharpened by their
forenoon in the sea air, had tasted
the steamirg contents of the kettle,
they were willing to vote him the
best Of cooks as we'll as an expert
e.ced navigator.
Aftersthe dishes had been washed,
the party returned to their fishing.
Not long after dinner their bait be-
came exhausted. They did not wish
to go back home until evening; and
as the tide was now dead low, Arm
strong decided to sail to the turtle
backed shoal, which was visible about
mile of, and there to dig some of
the large clans for which it was
famous.
The wind, which had been south
erly during the forenoon, was grad
ually shifting to the eastward and
the fog. which in dog-days looms like
low, feecy wall on the eastern hor-
izon. now threatened to roll in and
! spoil their sport. The young cap
tain. however, did not doubt his abil-
ity to find his way back to port, even
IL 1t were as thick as dungeon u
as the coasting phrase runs; his
I passengers, too, were eager for an.
other chance at the cod. So the boat
was headed for the shoal and the
keel soon grated on the rocks in q
little cove at its northern end.
The bow CT the craft was pulled
up on the beach and Armstrong asked
Saunders fo cfav op uotoh r,b;1a h z