The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-01-26
RELICS OF A LOST RACE.

RELICS OF A LOST RACE.
The East st. Louis reporter of the Democrat
has, from time to time, made mention Of the
finding of large quantities of human bones,
ancient vessels, ornaments, and implements in
the mound at that city, now being leveled, and
the earth used in filling the trestle work of one
of the new railroad tracks across the old slough
east of Bloody Island.
Saturday the fast-dsappearing mound was
visited by a number of people from this CITY.
among whom were Professor March, of Yale
College; DIR. Briggs, of this city; General A.
j. Smith, and one of our reporters All that
had been said about the finding of old relics
was verified. E.s .etss.ss.
The mound is about mile from the ferry
landing 1t was originally forty feet in height,
oval in shape, and about three hundred feet
long. The greater portion has been cut away
and carried off. On the summit of the por-
tion left standing is large elm tree, probably
sixty or seventy years old, and near this is an
oak of about the same age. About twenty
years ago there was q dwelling house on the
top of the mound, and a graveyard ON the side.
The workmen have dug up the bones of three
races buried in the mOund-frst, the whites.
whose remains are only partially decayed, tho
cofiins showing that the more recent inter.
ments were not more than twenty years ago;
second, the bones of Indians, with skulls en-
tire, indicating q period of interment perhaps
hundred years distant; third, the remains of
the ancient race OF mound.builders, much de-
cayed, the skulls being in fragments, and the
smaller bones entirely decayed. s
The bones OF the whites were carefully
placed in pine cofiins and reinterred in suita-
Bile place Some of the skulls had the hair on,
looking comparatively fresh. There was the
skull of a woman with long hair, tastefully
plated. and looking us though the head had
been dressed by some Elms of former period.
The skull of an infant had crumbled to dust,
leaving mask OF silky hair matted together.
These human remains filled seven or eight
large boxes
The bones of the Indians were treated in a
manner characteristic of the intercourse be-
tween the whites and the red men of the forest
they were rudely showed aside, and any one
desirous of adding to bis anatomical cabinet
was free to help himself to what remained Of
" the poor Indian" Some very large thigh
bones were amongst this assortment, and there
was found a jaw-bone of mammoth size. Some
of the skulls were perfect, while others were
broken and separated into several parts Pro-
fess0r Marsh, who has in his collection thirty
skulls of ancient mound-builders, secured
perfect skull, resembling that of all Arrapah0e
Indian.
The remains of the first or lowest strata at
tracted more attention than the others. The
bones were very much decayed, no skulls be-
ing found entire, and the hair having disap-
peared These bones were found in two vaults
one q square structure, the other Of crescent
form, and both about fifty feet across. (No
measurements were taken, and distances are
only estimated). One of these vaults was near
the southern side Of the mound, the other
about the centre, and both more than thirty
feet below the original apex of the mound.
The crescent vault was covered over with q
roof formed of slim slabs of limestone rock, of
different sizes, and showing no marks of tools.
The roof had been supported on wooden col
umns, and the sides were lined with wood; but
all the wood work had decayed, aud the roof
had fallen in, dsarranging the bones, SO that
where these bones were found were many rel
les of the race who first occupied the ground
entire jug-shaFed vessels of unglazed earth
enware, stone hammers, hatchets and chisels;
oblong heads, perforated in the centre length
wise, marine shells, arrow-heads, vases, pieces
of flint &c. Many OF these relics had been
carried off by the workmen and by visitors,
and 1t is difficult to estimate the quantity Of
material contained in the mound. Arrange
ments have been made, however, for securing
to science all interesting relics that may here
after be found in the demolition of the mound.
Not the least interesting of the objects
brought to light were the eight cedar posts,
previously mentioned in this paper. Two Of
these posts were on exhibition at saloon near
by. They are much decayed, great portion
being rotten wood; but some posts are still
sound. No sign of knife or az is visible, the
ends being rotted away. They appear to have
been cedar logs placed in the ground at dis.
tance of sixteen feet apart, and they stood un-
der the center Of the mound The purpose
for which they were placed there il q matter
Of conjecture. Charcoal was found in many
places in the mound.
Although nothing very remarkable or new
was found in this old mound. yet the relics are
of great interest to the antiquarian and pale
ontologist
Indian mounds are SO common in the West
that many people pay no attention to them;
yet there are others who would like to know
of their origin and uses. The Big
Mound, recently dug down in this city, told its
story, and gave rise to disputes among scientific
men. There are other large mounds in this
vicinity that remain untouched. eats
Monks Mound, near East st. Louis, 10 100
feet long by 500 feet broad at the base, and is
DO feet high. covering upward Of eight acres of
ground, and having 20,000,O00 cubic feet of
louis Democrat, Dec. 12.
A LITTLE boy who went to church was eau.
AN H.