The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-04-02

pifcr Oh rock Which was exrnvnted Al the
depth Of some four OF Eve fest b~low the
surface u the earth, by the laborers employ
I'd In blasting aud digging the foundation Of
q new building in Upper Town. near III.
American House. I, is q thin, fiat piece Of
metallic substance, u grcyish green color.
and bexagonal SHAPE, evidently made by art,
and Is beyond oil doubt an ancient coin Of
some kind.
ita position was exactly parallel with the
strata Of the rock, and Ito surfaces are plain
" marked upon the inclosing layer, showing
that when the coin wns deposited in the
matter In which Il was found, the substance Of
the rock wm soft and yielding. probably In IN
actual state Of solution, and as il gradually
hardened. the fiat surfaces Of the coin WEIR
forced 10 assume the same direction a. the
forming strata Of the rock The coin IL some
what rudely executed, yet the most cursory
inspection will convince any one that il vas
designed and used at some period Is money,
q circulating medium, AMI hence il betokens
condition Of society many degrees removed
from state Of barbarixm. II viii I'M
doub,cdly prove most interesting relic
and will probably give rise to many and W.
rier spsauiatioar~~ how tia II coaa ,Serca'
To what period and people Of the worlds
history does il belong' VIVA, is its geolo-
gical significance These are questions
which at once crowd upon the mind Of the
most superficial s.uden, Of geology and e,hnol-
ogy, indeei we may say, which suggest them
selves to the most unscicntifc.
The long period Of time necessarily re-
quirei for the formation of rocks has been
one Of the facts adduced by geoloyis,s Us
iBdubltable evidence Of the vast age Of the
earth; and the fact that no remains or relies
Of man, or Of his works, are ever found cx
cept in the most recnt and superficial form
atoms, has been dwelt upon "a conclusive
proof Of the comparatively recent creation
81 the human race. We must therefore
conclude, either that the limestone rock Of
st. Paul is Of an extremely recent formation,
and that It's formation proceeded with rap
di,y heretofore considered impossible by the
mos, learned and experienced gcoiogists or
that q rare Of civilized men once lived and
conducted the ar. Of peace wher. we now
are, nj q period 90 remote ~ to startle the
boldest speculator in the science Of ethnolo-
Ky. The adoption Of the former conclusion
would at once strike at some 81 the present
received axioms Of the science Of geology,
and, II found conhrmedIby future investiga-
tons. would inevitably overthrow u large
part oi the present conclusions Of that sci.
ence. II, on the contrary the latter alterna-
tivc, towit, that Of remote race. were
adopted. the Mosaic account Of the origin Of
the human race would have to I've received
with many and most material qualifications.
In fact the notion Of the unity OF the origin
Of the human species would probably then
have TO b. abandoned. Who can tell to
wha, this accidental discovery Of little
piece Of metal may not lead 1t is proba
BILE that future excavations will disclose
other and ditiercut relics Of the same epoch
embodied in the rock which at present forms
the firm foundation Of our city II would
he most singular coincidence Il Sc. Paul,
which Is. par sreelisnes, the thca,er Of modern
enterprise and gc-aheadatlveness, the favor
ite resort Of the mos, progressive wing Of
Young America. the newest born city Of
the new world. should turn ou, to snrpass
every other portion Of the globe in the re-
mote antiquity Of i,s antiquarian prciuc.
tiona
But We have not the space nor the requi.
site a,tainmeuts to speculate upon this mat
ter further A brief description Of this
singular relic Of an age long past and Of an
extinct people, will show tina, We have not
5xasSess;c,! he curious character n ,lr ais.
covcry. nor overratcd the comparatively
civilized condition 81 the people II whom il,
forms 10 interesting and instructive yet aud
memeuto, They had evidently attained con
siderable progress in the arts and were ac-
quAin,cd with and ussd letters. The very
existeuce Of coin indicates conclusively the
prior existence. for considerable period. Of
al established and profitable commerce AMI
regular and stable form cf government.
The coin A. We have alrsdy said. is some
what rudely ", distinctly executed Il,
y evidently not Of very high intrinsic value.
though ~e should say !, contains few parts
OF silver. lts principal ingrsiicnts ART
apparently zinc and copper 1t is manifsstly
q compound Of different metals, copper being
the rrcate-s component. Its shaps, - we
have said. IS hexaguual. its diameter aboa,
tha, Of q Mexican do,las and in thickness I,
s sboa, or line. OF the twelfth part Of an
inch The edge IS entirely smooth The
SSviss and characters upon the two sur
kAcx. however. Constitute the chief stature Of
intery~t - vel the ms, inciting and dlhcal,
cb,ec, Of study They an, nevcr,heis>a, ~
markedly distinc, and vel pr,~rvcd On
one ss.e there Is in the trVu, ground lc~
asiy sa beach ~i,hsAe iuimi,Ahle s~ filing
mp the rar. Far out upaa the dis,an, - s a
Disabled ersa. imrrsrsly psrsptihle and
apparently ,c~~d atos' entirely at the mercy
II the billo~s ~i,Aou, sinsle visible ooca-