The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-20

Next year. Oh December 90. 1920. we
celebrate tn" three hundrcdth anniNcr-
sary If tho landing OF the MayiloWcr.
strangely enough. the historian. Laud,
nrw tells us that the families Of the
original settlers are rapidly becoming
extinct. He for tells the time when NIL
their descendants can be placed on an
other Maytiuwcr and s"nt back again
anon another ship Of hundred and
twenty tons. This statement is most
startling. CARLYLE once said that the
Mayiluwcr carried II political and spiri-
iual cargo. the most precious in the his
tory Of thu world. and he makes the
fame Of the Mayfowcr eclipse tho fame
Of the Santa Maria. upon which Column
bus sailed. and The .Argo. upon which
Jason went forth i'll search Of the
Golden Fleece The more thought Of
the extinction Of tn" old Puritan stock
Stirs alarm III all lovers Of liberty and
their native land.
influence Of the Mnynowcr.
| All this is the more surprising be-
cause the carly Puritans were known
for their large families. Their blood
was strong blood. Many scholars be-
lirvr that one drop Of that old blood
went farther than any blood known to
history. All Europe was slft"d for mon
OF independent minds: then these orig
NAL thinkers were siftcd Ia obtain tho
Puritans. some OF whom remained IN
acknowledgements. ilumpdon and Will
,tOn-and some Of whom Winthrop nnd
bradford and Rrcwst"r--c 10 this
country. To take the influence Of these
iuritans out If our history would BE-
like taking Moses frnm the Jewish poo
pie, like taking Caesar out OF Rome. or
the Magma Charia out of Enslard's life.
\ single little town like Northampton.
massachusetts. illustrates the influence
IF the Puritan blood. Tho town haQ
only two or three thousand. and Yet II
produced within one century about on"
hundred physicians, more than on"
hundred lawyers. a hundred and twenty
rlcrEymen. scores Of college professors
and presidents. several of our greatest
authors and historians. one vice prcSi-
dent and several members or the, cahi-
net Witness the Field family. Six
sons out of the Congregational minis
;rr's HON" in Stnckbrider. Witness tho
Bccchrr family Of L!tchncld, ronnrcil-
cut: with the Emerson family. the
rahots. the .Lowells and score Of
other Puritan families. The extinction
OF this old Puritan stock would be a
calamity To the world.
The Dtfused Blood.
Ono consideration lessons the prssI-
mSm OF this historian. nc pnSSlSa'
New England is just where il always
was. between the Atlantic IN the east
and the Hudson on the west; tho intel
lcctual and moral New England has
Jnurncycd afar from Plymouth and
Eoston. The IurilanS were always n
! thrifty folk. with Il note Of adventure
in their blood. Tho opening up Of the
mineral resources Of tn" coal states, or
tho iron and copper regions. the great
middle west cities. the unique oppor-
iunitics Of tho Pacific coast regions
have lurcd the sons Of the Puritans for
from Plymouth Rock. The daughters
also have changed their names. The
men provcrhlally in an era Of nervous
stress and excitement break down.
while the daughters Of tho Puritans'
through leisure and good care. have
survived and reared large families. I'm
| der other names. therefore. the Puritan
stock and descendants OF the May
/ flower arc in the world and serving It.
No one who has widely travelled in Che
| forty-eight states OF this country but