Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-05
PRovINCEToWN's TALL TOWER
Completion and. Coming Dedication
of Memorial to the Pilgrim '
Fathers.

The pilgrim spirit has not fled
1t walks in moons broad light.
And It watches the bed of the glorious
With the holy stars by night.
1t watches the bed Of the brave who have
And shall guard this icebound shore
TIL the waves Of the bay where the May
flower lay
Shall foam and freeze no more
So sang the Rev John Pierpont, poet
descendant of the pilgrim fathers and grand
father OF the famous financier who took
his Christian names from him. The pill
grim spirit of which he wrote will have
occasion to rejoice this summer in its own
quiet, subdued manner, for it will receive
convincing evidence that it has been trans
mitted to the descendants tot the men and
women who founded New England. The
evidence has taken shape in the lofty pill
grim memorial at Provincetown, Mass
(which awaits the convenience of President
Taft for its dedication.
The pilgrim memorial is the outcome of
the efforts of several years by patriotic
men and women who Saw unbecoming neg
lect of the memory of an important historic
occurrence in the fact that the place OF
the first landing OF the pilgrim fathers in
America was unmarked by fitting monu-
ment. Almost every one who thinks him.
self acquainted with the primary facts of
American history believes that the pilgrim
fathers and mothers set foot first on the
famous rock at Plymouth The town on
the inner side of Massachusetts bay is
made the destination yearly by thousands
OF patriotic travellers. But they err in
thinking that in paying veneration to the
rock under the stone canopy at Plymouth
! they are setting foot on the first place In
New England trod by white men. That
honor belongs to Provincetown, Mass. the
! village on the inner side of the fish
hook barb of which Cape Cod is the shaft
1t lies across the bay from Plymouth In an
easterly direction. The date was Novem-
| Der 1, 1920, old style.
| 1t was just before the landing was made
at the spot which is now Provincetown
that the pilgrims signed their immortal
agreement for the better ordering and
| preservation ana furtherancel' of their col.
ony that has been called the first written
| constitution in the world Abraham Lincolr
declared that this document did more fol
human liberty than the great charter wor
by the barons from King John at Runny
mede.
There will be imposing ceremonies a
PrOvincetown when the new memorial Il
to the president OF the United States, dig
nitaries of the commonwealth OF Massa
chusetts and others will be present. TIL,
historical address will ve delivered b,
President Emeritus Eliot of Harvard. Tn
cornerstone OF the monument was laid Au
gust 20, 1907, by former President Roose
welt, but he probably will be in the ives
when the monument is dedicated.
The monument Is 26s feet inches higl
and is constructed OF Maine granite. 1t
modelled after the famous tower OF tn
Palazzo Publico in Siena, Italy which
considered one of the most beautiful cam
paniles, or bell towers, of Italy. The con
struction of the ProyiLceIown tower wa
, supervised by army engineers It rest
upon a concrete foundation six feet thicI
The monument cost about 100000, Of whic
$4,000 was contributed by the national gov
ernment and $4,000 by the state of Masss
, chusetts. The remainder was raised b
private subscription through the efforts {
the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial association
: l-WashinRtOn Post.