STANDING STONES

from time immemorial raised by man in commemoration of some person or event. Solitary standing stones, pillars, or monoliths, called menhirs, were often erected to mark a boundary or a battle site, and are found particularly in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Britt any. Sometimes the stones are placed in lines (called alignments), as at Carnac in Britt any, where there are no fewer than eleven lines of stones ranging from 4 ft. to 13 ft. high. When the stones form a circle or some sort of enclosure, it is generally called a cromlech; three or more stones with a capstone on the top (as at Kit’s Coty House, in Kent) is known as a dolmen. But the two terms cromlech and dolmen are used very intercharigeably in Great Britain. The old notion that these stone monuments were of Celtic origin, built by Druids, and that the monoliths were altars, has of jate been given up in favor of the belief that they were tombs of far greater antiquity belonging to the Stone Age. an English colonist, 6. in Lancashire. He served under the Veres in the Netherlands before 1603, and took an active part in the war against the Spaniards, but in 1609 settled at Leyden, from which place he embarked in 1620 for New Plymouth on _ the Mayflower. He was chosen military captain of the colony, 1621, and defended it against the attacks of the Indians, notably at Weymouth, 1622. when he defeated the Indians and broke up their hostile league. His daring exploits are celebrated by Long fellow in the Cour i ship of Miles Standish, and by Lowell in an Interview with Miles Standish. SON (1794-1867), Brit. painter; began life in the navy. From theatrical scene painting he went on to easel work, dealing mostly with marine subjects. capitalist and philanthropist; 6. in Watervliet, New York, d. in Palo Alto, California. He practiced law at Port Washington, Wisconsin and in 1852 went to California, where he became interested in mining, founding in 1856 the busine out of which grew a fortune of over $50,000,000. He was president of the Central Pacific road, governor of 91. He founded the Leland Stanford Jr. University to which he gave $20,000,000.