The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-08-23
NUMBER 1S.


NEWhRk, Oulo, Juiy, 1908
One Of the most striking features in tho
geography Of the western States is tho
Notifications and mounds of some an
cient but extinct race, that once inhabit-
ed this portion Of North America. Re.
Gently, in company with party Of gen.
tlemcn, wo paid visit to two Of these
antique fortiAcations, situated about two
miles from the village Tho two ara
some little distance apart, and, from
present appearances, we're once connect
ed by subterraneous passage. A
similar passage connected one Of these
forts with the river a few rods distant.
One Of these forts is perfect circle, and
encloses an area of 40 or so acres Al
the entrance is passage.way Of several
yards in width, called the neck It s
several yards in length
There is high cmbankment on each
side Of this entrance, caused by throwing
up the earth from the inside, thus leav.
ing deep ditch, which is now full is
feet on an average from its bed to the
top of the embankment. At the end Of
this entrance.way or meek, the ditch
and embankment turn to the right and
left, at nearly righ. angles, and continue
on in circular line until they meet at
the opposite side, making complete the
enclosure The depth Of the broad ditch
and the height of the embankment are
very uniform throughout, and from ac'
tual measurement, we found it from 3
to Is feet from bottom to top. When
made it was doubtless much more The
area is as level as lake, and is shaded
by scattering growth of trees, under
which is quite profusion Of grass and
flowers Trees from two to three feet in di.
ameter are growing in the bottom of the
ditch, and also on the top and sides Of
the embankment. We endeavored to en-.
circle some of these monarchs Of tho for.
est with our arms, and found that We
could not span over one half Of the cir.
cumference. One hollow oak had blown
down. leaving the stump; we stepped in.
to the centre of it, and stretched our
arms at full! length, an6 found they were
to short by one foot, to reach from out
side to out side This tree grew on tho
very top of she embankment near the
: neck"
The other fertilization is an octngou,
aud encloses an area Of about the Same
size. At each angle of the octagon is an
entrance way, and within, in front of the
passage, is a high mound, to serve as n
defence. Nothing can bo more perfect
in form than this octagonal fort showing
conclusively that its builders had a;
least, some knowledge of mathematics
These two forts are only liuk in tho
chain that rurs OIL through Franklin and
Perry Counties, and thence through
Kentucky and Tennessee, and extends
even into Mexico. After walking quite
round on the circular embankment, over
d good foot path, kept we'll trod by the
feet of frequent visitors, we sat down to
mediate. The air was soft, and laden
with fragrance from the flowers and GLOW
er fields about us amid the leafy branch
es of old trees, were nesting the wesry
birds, the river murmured and glistened
in its bed, the corn.clad valleys lay
stretched in the deepening shadows. aud
the golden sun light yet fingered on the
1t was the closing hour Of
Iovely day.
But who were the architects of these
ruins Were they savage or civilized
Were they white or red menf Were
hey giants or pigmies Were they tho
work ofthe present race of Indians, or
hat of some race that occupied this
country long before Columbus was born,
n lived to dream Of a new world , By
What strange occurrence were they in
luced to leave this fair horitage2 Was
t compulsory force, or spirit Of EN-.
grafton aud wild adventure To all
hese and many more meditative inquir.
es, conjecture alone could afford answers.
The most probable conclusion is, that
hcse Notifications are the work of the
Id Aztec race, that fourished and fgur.
ID long before the American Indian
ribes had possession Of North America.
The whole subject, however, is wrapt in
MYSTERY, and affords speculative field Of
he Philosopher and Antiquarian. Rapt
n meditation, while
"Thc ruins closed us in,
We stood and gazed aronnd
II seemed as mo foot of man
For ages, had intruded there.
We stood and gazed a while,
Musing on Aztec pride and Aztec fall.
Then over the battle ground,
And out the neck or gate.
We passed in silence on.+
A tolcrable snecdote is told of two tip
lers, residing in the vicinity. They met
I one Of their usual haunts, aud one pro.
osed a wager that he could drink the
reatest number Of bumpers, ana not
'etray his condition, 1t was resolutely