The anti-monopolist., 1874-12-10
THE MOUND BUILDERS OF OHIO,

THE MOUND BUILDERS OF OHIO.
at Nevxark--T Their Appearance and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES as to
Their Age.
Newark (O) Correspondence OF the New
York Tribune.1
The FIRST settlers of the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi Valleys found various forms Of
earthwOrks in the solitudes of the
wilderness overgrown with dense for
ests. It is said that Ohio alone has
10000 of these in the sum Of mounds of
various sizes, and l,500 Enclosures are
scattered throughout the State. They
are found in Illinois, Wisconsin, and
other Western States. and in the Gulf
States. varying in size. Some are small
hillocks 2 or 3 feet high, while others
assume almost pyramidal mag
nitude, like the mound at
Cahokia. Ill, which has base Of more
than 6 acres, summit of nearly 5
acres in area, and height of 90 feet.
One of the most elaborate Of all these
works is located at Ne 1ark. O. 1t is
laby rinthine in structure, containing
some Is miles embankment. and after
years of investigation arch@ologists can
do no more than surmise as.to what its
uses were. Clearly it cannot have been
built for architectural purposes, for the
Enclosures Of which it principally con-
sists have the bitches on the inside Of
the embankment, while the outside pre-
sents no visible obstacle to an invading
army. One of the largest of these in
closures. End the best preserved, is
known as the ''old fort and stands
| - miles southwest Of the city Of
Newark. 1t consists Of circular en-
bankment Of more than mile in cir
cumference, entirely unbroken except
on the side toward the city, where
mammoth gateway, 100 feet wide, was
constructed by the builders. On each
side of this passage the ends of the am
bankment project little from the CEN
tre of the inclosure and rise to height
of 25 feet, while the general height is
about Is. Upon this embankment. and
within the ditch on the inside, the
trees are as large as those upon the un
disturbed portions Of the ground around
and within the fort. The citizens still
lives in Newark who cut an. oak tree
upon this bank sixty-two years ago
which numbered over $50 rings Of an
nual growth. From this mammoth
gateway two parallel walls of earth, a
few rods apart, lead to a rectaneu ul I
inclosure over half mile to the north
east, which has an area Of about u
acres; beyond which, nearer the city,
are still other works, traces of which
are somewhat obliterated. From this
network near the city two sets
of parallel walls run west more thar
two miles to another inclosure i'll the
form of an octagon, containing about
fifty acres. to the southwest Of which
and almost Joining it, is another circle
about equal in size to the sold fort.
Both of these are situated on range o
hills. The plowshare has performed
it's work of demolition to some extern
upon the walls Of these latter Enclosures
with the exception of one point in th'
, circular embankmcnt. This consists 0
J earth and stone somewhat irregularl,
built to the height of twenty-five feet
, and, as it lies to the extreme southwes
of the whole system of works, i. j
/ thought by some that this was tn
. watch tower or signal station on tn
, west.
When, by whom, and for what pur
, rose these mammoth works were built
are puzzles which have always biffie'
, the skill Of archaologists: 1t is eviden
that they were built long ages ago
, for where the timber has not been re
{ moved by civilized men, as IN the cas-
of the '.old fort" dense forests covere.
5 the works. which must have required
: thousand years to grow where the,
now stand. 1t is not altgether unrea
5 sonabIe to suppose that generation afte
generation Of forests has grown and de
, cayed upon this soil since it was built b.
the dusky sayagcs into the form W
now find it. Also other things 60 Il
prove the antiquity of these works
, The Indians had no knowledge or ira
, ,lition concerning their erection. Skull
found at the bottom Of some Of thes
mounds differ greatly from those Of tn
, Indian. Also species of hemp clotl
{ has been found in some of them, thin,
unknown to the Indian. From thes
: and many other facts. one may reason
: ably conclude that they were erectet
: by a race OF people anterior t
: the Indian race, whom by common
consent we call the Mound Builders
For what purpose these works wer
constructed has not been satisfactoril,
: settled. Some have the appearance o
, military structures others look .
though they were built for purposes Q
observation, while still others seem t
have been designed for religious or bu
| rial purposes. Some mounds have tn
/ form of birds, serpents, alligators, o
5 other animals The '-old fort At New
E ark has a mound in the centre severa
d feet high and about fifty feet long, bull
S in the shape of an eagle with sprea'
: wings. Upon removing the earth from
: the top of this mound. charTed WOO
a and ashes were discovered. What thi
! indicates it is difficult to tell. Perhap
the priest of some mighty nation ono
: offered sacrifice upon this mound IN tn
i presence of the assembled Thousands
( Or it may have been here tina
$ the concluding ceremony Of some na
= tional game Was performed NotwItt
t standing the manner Of constructing
e the works, their appearance IS decid
AL -