Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-10-28
VOL. TX, NO. AZ.
Ancient Puins in Texas


The Washington american has rac.;x.
ed Information or some ancient ruins.
which, II correct, must possess great in
lercst for our readers, as furnishing an
other link In their chain of evidence
showing that this continent was inhabited
years ago by highly civilized race of
men. The fact that this discovery has, as
IS reported, been made almost in our nelch-
borhood, III what IS called Big Thicket'o,
the San Jacinto, will probably cause som.
OF our readers to be incredulous. rb.
discovery is said 10 have been made by q
Mr.. Smith, IN company with two or three
other men, while examining a tract Of
land belonging To- a Mr.. johnson. abou
twenty miles distant from Montgomery.-
The ruins described were on Mr.. John
sons land. The fragments show that
they are the remains of an ediice of r.-
uiarkable and nlagnificen, architecture.
constructed OF material nowhere To ~.
found IN this country. We copy the de-
scriptioi as follows:
The only portion Of this gigantic struc-
ture which remains whole, is a martha
column, ftu,ed and surmountcd by a cao,-
tol, upon winch IS carved on one side a
Sheat OF wheat, aud Oh the other some
thlng which was supposed to be water
ia!I, Ut somewhat defaced; on the other
two sides Is plain engraving of ever
green. \ portion of another column j.
also there about the same size. The col.
rmn that remains whole is about si,ter,,
feet IN length: The foundation of the ed.
ihce covered an area Of three hundred
and ten by two hundred and sixty fae,.
L l.
MI, Smith believes, though it is not GER
taln' that there were on each side of tho
building a poruco fronting about one third
OF the distance. There are a great many
fragments of fine workmanship, but tn.
gentleman accompanying Mr. Smith had
not time 10 place together TO ascertain 10
what part OF the building they belonged.
There were several marble arches.
nearly whole, which they supposed 10 have.
been over the doors and windows. Their.
were also In pres rvation two or three
marble slabs, which are supposed 10 huvx
belonged to flight of stairs. The STONE
of winch the edItice was built is gray
limestone, presenting n beautiful polished
surface, the most Of which are buried. as
also was most of the columns discovered.
Mr.. Smith has no doubt that wonderful
and valuable discoveries may be made by
excavation, and has promised to return in
tour weeks 10 assist IN making further ex-
aminatlons into the mysterious affair.
Ihe ruins are situated in the midst of
4 dense thicilet, almost impene trable, and
III all probability would not have been dis
covered by these gentlemen had it no,
been for pack of dogs having ovennkcn
a bear near the spot, in quest of which
the gentlemen went.
MIR. Smith Is suTpris' ID that the survey
or who surveyed the country did not maxi
this discovery, as Mr.. Johnson's line pass-
es within two feet Of the marble column
described, and a tree is marked within
thirty feet of it.
There have been Il great many evidan-
ces discovered proving the settlement OF
this country anterior to the present rac..
but this IS the surest testimony we have
yet seen proving the civilization of tho
race which preceded us. The most mia
terious pert OF the affair is the marble
employed IN the structure, as it is we'll
known that no marble is to be found in
this country nearer than AustiD, and il
would be an utter impossibilitv 10 trans
port So massive piece as this is reported
to be by land carriage. The only rea-
sohable conclusion we can come to is that
the heavy material was exported from
other countries and brought up the San
Jaclnto River by water to within a mil.
and a half OF the structure. The fact is.
the whole affair is a profound, impenetra-
BILE mystery. and we should be disposed
to doubt the existence of the structure
o.d not our personal knowledge of the
author forbid snch conclusion. We
shal. await anxiously further developments
VIII n will be mad, IN short time
Montgomery Ala. Mail.