The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-22
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Remsmbsr the Maydower.

- -
Plymouth. ilass., oct. N.-The
preliminary guns & The Paerim
Tercentsnary hare besa hFed, ana
Plymouth ~ settling dswn TOR u
quiet. but busy. winter.
There will be one day Of solemn
festivity. Dec. 81. when 2 few
celebrities and . few more citizens
will be crowded into the little town
hall, and the landing Of the Nay
hover win Be reheafsed and COM
mented ON BY IN oratoe Of note,
probably Senator Lodge. AMER
that, The celebrations are to be dis
continued until July, for New Eng
land winters are 90 rigorous that It
was thought best 20, postpone the
pageants and dedicattons until .
time when the greatest number Of
visitors can be present, and when
the speakers can dispense with
eaf-muffs and not have. their Inn
pressive remarkA marred by N &C
compartment OF chattering teeth.
There has been some misundef-
standing regarding this program
and . great many people have come
to Plymouth this summer, with the
idea that the 1920 tercentenary
would be held IN 1920.
Plymouth ID to be IN ingDFAgiy
picturesque town next summer and
thereafter, according to the plans
! of the Tercentenary commission.
Practically all OF the money used
by the commission IL TO be put into
permanent improvements and me-
MORALS, with . view to making
Plymouth a national shrine, instead
Of what one commissioner calls .
local dump.
To Restore Waterfront. =
Dingy old wharves and store
houses along the water front are
to be torn down and the shore line
restored to look - It did when
the Pilgrims first knew 1t. Al
present, this shore line 10 straight
strip Of sand, but surveyors who
have examined the beach at low
tide agree that the original outline
made two promontories with q little
bay between, where the rock stands
There has been . little difnculty II
acquiring the buildings and land
which must be taken over In order
to restore the waterfront. Some Of
the owners are holding out fol
prices several times those giver
by the assessment records: but tn,
commission Is not greatly Worried
over this, for the right Of eminen
domain has been granted, and any
one who refuses to sell at q reason
able rate can be forced to do 20.
On the restore promontories, bacl
from the beach. there are to b.
planted cedars, pines, sumach an,
other shrubbery such a. probabl.
once grew close to the shore
These will form an appropriate set
J ting for the famous Plymouth Rocl
which Is also to be restored to
, more natural position.
The top Of the rock, which wa
.. split on just before the America
revolution, is all that can be seel
Of it. This part stands at the orig
inal site. 1t was several time
moved from one part of the tow
, to another, and 1t shows sigma O
! age apd wear. On one moving d.
, it cracked and the pieces had to b
. hastily patched together with c.
ment. But that is not the worst q
its mishaps.
: Plymouth Rock HAD . Hard Lit
I Visitors to Plymouth used I
d make a practice of breaking o
0 substantial chunks as mantlepiec
s souvenirs or paperweights.
:. fact, the blacksmith across the wa
e was SO bothered with requests Il
his hammer that he hung one U
}. near the rock for the benefit ,
. strangers. Churches In Brookly,
q Boston and other cities boast BIZ
e Of the rock In their structures, an
a Timothy Dwight. president Of Val
L said that he had seen pieces Of
in practically every town in Il
u United States.
This vandalism was final
!, stopped, but not until the rock W,
u reduced, nobody knows exact
how much
1t is now under a granite canop
protected largely by sentiment al
: the people who are usually aroua
1t, or passing by. Anyone CT
n touch it, sit on it, or-as touris
II often are-be photographed stan
I ing on it. But these simple plea
Il ures are about to be curtailed. I
Il next summer the top Of the 70,
Il will be taken OF the concrete DO
H OF the canopy, and lowered so tn
X 1T rests on its own base. The who
\ rock will then be at sea level, a,
II the tide will wash up close to /
side. but not touch it. A new era
k tie canopy will protect it from L
a rain. and grating from the cares
d. es OF visitors, who will have to co
8. tent themselves with looking doy
ir on it from the high shore sides.
Dr. For the benefit Of any who m
h think 1t possible that much mon
and sentiment are being expend
on = rock which never played a
part in our history, it mey be 50
. that the past Of Plymouth Rock b
y been accounted for beyond a dou