The Washington herald., 1914-12-07
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Novel Monument to a Literary
Genius.
Cwritten E1presSy for The HeTah1

BY DIR. z. J. EDWARDS.
While I was upon a visit to Concord,
Mass, some ten years ago. met a citi-
zen, James Gull, who had made a study
of the interesting events associated with
Concord and who had become familiar
with certain incidents associated with the
men and women of national, even inter
national. reputation whose homes were
there, as for instance, Emerson, Haw-
thorne. Louisa Alcott and her father,
Elizabeth Peabody, who founded the
American kindergarten system, and
Henry D. Thoreau.
Mr.. Gull invited me to 60 with him TO
Walden, saying that he would show me
some OF Thoreau's walks and would point
out to me the bean field whose cultiva-
tion Thoreau so graphically describes In
his book. Walden" which has now be-
come q classic ! asked Mr.. Gull IL he
would also show me the place where
Thoreau built his hut, or what James
Russell Lowell called his "shanty," In
which he lived for two years alone.
Mr.. Gull laughed heartily, saying. "oh.
you would find that place without any
difficulty even II you went alone to Wal
den, because everybody who visits Wal
den has Joined in raising a monument
for Thoreau there and you can't miss II.
1t at once occurred to me that Mr.. Gull
referred to q cairn which l had heard
had been set up stone by stone by differ
ent hands upon the side of ThoreRu's hut
We entered the woods from the high
way which in a little over a miles dis
tance passes near the home OF Emerson
and which also tanks TanglewoOd, where
Hawthorne used to wander and mediate
upon what became his ''TanglewoOd
Tales" said to Mr.. Gull that there
seemed to be a well-beaten path from
the highway through the woods.
That's easy to explain he replied.
1T has been made by thousands who in
recent years have visited the site Of
Thoreau's hut"
In a few moments came within sight
OF the cairn and was astonished to see
how large it was. 1t must have been be-
tween twelve and fifteen feet broad at
the base and possibly eight feet from the
top to the bottom row OF stones. 1t was
in the shape Of a pyramid. OF all the
stones which composed it none was too
big for single pair Of hands to carry.
Each stone was a silent tribute to Thor
eau.
II have been told" said Mr.. Gull that
there is nothing like this monument TO be
found anywhere in the United States.
There must have been several thousand
deposits OF stones, pebbles. and bits OF
rock The monument has been gradually
growing It increases from year to year.
When people come to Concord, as hun
dreds do in the course OF a summer. the
first thing they want to see is the Con-
cord battle-ground Of the Revolution. and
the next thing is Walden and the place
where Thoreau lived for two years.
Never a day passes that you don't see
haV-a to fu-n N-VGfFNrE
lowering around this spot. They come
from all parts OF the United States and
occasionally from England. Every one
deposits a stone here, but in so doing
they have practically cleared the woods
and fields OF loose stones and now they
have TO go quite a bit along the shore of
Walden in order to find any"
Copyright, 1914. by E. J. Edwards. All rights re
serTed.)
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell of IAN
italian Method of Preparing Olive OIL"