Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-27

were fresh and blooming in the gardens OF
Pembina.
Ancient Cloth taken from the
Mounds OF Ohio.
OF the seven papers read on the opening
day. the most interesting was that by Mr..
Foster, US. Geologist, describing samples
Of ancient cloth. taken fam .he mounds OF
Ohio. We give an abstract:
"In 1888. Mr.. Foster procured from
resident Of Charleston, jackson coufsy..
Ohio. several fragments of cloth taken
from meundin that vicinity. They were
found near the bottom, enveIoping several
copper rings. and greatly decaycd; though
some were sufficiently preserved to evi-
dcnce their having been woven. Fearing
deception or error. Mr.. Foster refrained
from making public, at thar time. fact so
novel in itself, and SO repugnant TO prevail
ing ideas as to the degree Of civilization
possessed by the mound builders; but hav-
ing lately received from Mr. John Woods,
of Ohio. gentleman high in Office, and Of
unques,ionable veracity, additional sam
pies, accompanied by descriptive letter,
all doubt as to the propriety of publishing
the discovery is removed. In his letter,
Mr., Wood states that the fragments of
charred cloth. together with an arrow,
and coeiderabIequantity Of charcoal and
ZONES were taken from the mound on the
western bank Of the Great Miami River,
two miles north of Middletown, Butler
county. Ohio. during some excavations rem
dcred necessary in constructing the Gin
cinnati. Hamilton and Dayton Railroad
The mound was originally twenty feet
high, and, fifty years ago. was covered
with large forest trees About ten feet
from its surface there was a compact layer
Of fine. red. and apparently burned clay,
about an inch thick; underneath which,
near the middle ofthe mound. wos another
layer of fine, cream -coloreI. differing from
any in the acknowledgements this lat.
ter. the charcoal, cloth and bones were
| formed. The bones were few and small.
Little earth was mixed with the coal and
cloth, which evidently remained as they
mad been placed when burned end cover
ed up. The charcoal appeared to be on
the outside Of the cloth, which was free
quently in folds Of hafa dozen thickness.
The layers of burned and cream-colored
clay did rot occupy but about five or six
square feet Of the mound. As to the peri
cd whenthe charcoal and cloth were de-
posted in the mound, the only question
occurring TO Mr.. Woods was whether the
mound erected by former race may not
have been made burial place by The In
dams living here when America was dis
covered. Thinking of this question while
at the mound, he was careful to examine
the condition Of the earth around and a.
bove the relics, and came to the conclusion
that it could not have been disturbed after
it was placed in the mound.
| On this question Mr.. Foster further re
marks, that there is no eveiJcnce that the
Moth American Indians possessed the art
ofspin ming and weaving when first known
to the whites; consequently they never pos
sessed it; for an art so useful when once
acquired, ould not be lost. That the cloth
was obtained from Europeans by the Indi
ans and then placed in the mound. at a
comparatively recent period, is improba-
bic for the following reasons:-The layers
of earth surrounding it were undisturbed;
It's material being less laptcd for clothing
and more costly wool, is not such civil
zed race would manufacture for barba-
rous one; and moreover, the texture of
some oftle samples could not have been
formed IN an ordinary. loom, but was un-
ubtedly woven by hand. From these
f.cts, Mr.. Foster infers that the mound
builders, who have left memorials OF their
existence from the shores flake Super
or to those of the mexican Gulf, were la
bolious, intelligent people, far more civil
zed and advanced in arts than the present
race Of Indians, with whom they appear to
have been in come ction. The fabric in
these samples of cloth, seems to be of some
material allied to hemp; and the separation
of the fibre from the weed is as complete
as if done by the modern processes of rot
ting and hecklipg. The thread, though
coarse. is regularly spun. The texture o.
the samples from Jackson county, is form
ed by the alternate intersection of war;
and wool; but in others from Butler county
the welt is wound once arcu ID the warp
a process only to be accomplished 10y hand
There is no reason to doubt that the wo
ven fabrics are the work of the mound
builders. The art of spinning AMI weav
Ing was practlced by the ancient Peruvi
ans. At Pachacamac, thirty or forty miles
from Lima, where stands the temple OF
the sun. there are numerous remains OF
walls built by sun dried bricks, indicating
the site Of a once large and compacttowr.
In the buralplace here, are found, runer-
Gus mummies in a sitting posture, wrapped
in many folds Of woven cloth, with an
exterior covering of coarse ma ting. The
fabric consists of the wool of lama or al
paca. and a cotton, which here grows
spontaneously.
The New Orleans Plea, une tells the
following good story of "a California wild
ow,' new variety Of rhespccies common
ly known by the name of"grass widows"
In the early part of the Sp'ing of 1919,
gentleman Of this city. remarkable for
that rotundity Of form and smiling express
sion Of face which are generally the 'indi
Gallons of good nature, free and easy man.
ners, and sober cast ofthoughr, was su d.
denly seized with the California fever
His family consisted of a wife and baby
taken from one o! the orphan asy lums.-
The anxiety which he exhibited to lodge
and provision them during bis intended
absence was the only care he was ever