The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-10-21
American wonders.

b J..
Davenport, Iowa, on the banks of the
lsslppl there is an artificial cave hewn
out OF tire solId rock, its entrance covered
by huge stone, reached by stone steps.
The floor of this subterranean cavity, which
had undoubtedly been made thousands of
years ago, was thickly strewn with ashes,
the charred remains of bones, and a sub
stance which they took to be leaves, first
wetted, then pressed together, and resem-
bhngin color and solidity the cake from oat-
meal Among The dry ashes they picked
up three tusks about the size OF boar's
teeth. and still lower the boat hoax came
in contact with hard substance which
proved to be a skull, brown as polished
walnut, perfect in every respect, aud of ex-
traordinary size. On further examination,
almost complete skeleton was discovered.
But the most singular part came to light in
the hardened and almost petrined leather
scraps, bronze buckles, and wooden leg
which continued the right extremity, that
limb having been removed about midway
between the hip and knee. This is very.
interesting discovery, proving that knowl-
edge of bronze was among the learning of
the aboriginal Americans, and that mechan-
ieal surgery in those DAYS was equal at least
to the adoption of timber extremity.
PREHISTORIC ROAD BULDERs.
Several years ago Considerable excitement
was created in Fairmount, West Virginia,
by the discovery of traces of an old macad2
amized road, extending along the right
bank of the Monongahela, opposite that
place. Recently the government engineer
ing party engaged in the survey of the upper
MOnongahela river, with the view of slack
watering that stream from Morgantown to
Fairmount, examined this old road, and
from the members of the party we learn
that there can be no doubt but that rosd
furnishes another trace of the long race
thit once dominated the continent long be-
ffre the Indians came into possessions,
There are traces of the road Tor nearly
eleven miles along the marrow strip of bot
tom land between the hills and the river,
though at many points the river, having
shifted its channel and cut into the hills,
has entirely obGterated every evidence of
it. Generally the road is covered by from
two to five feet of alluyium, either deposited
through the course of ages by the river
doods, or else in the slow washing off of
the hills skirting it, Its width is said to
be about fifteen feet. The most curious
features about the road is that tie stone
from which it is formed appears invariably
to have been burnt Wherever the road
shows itself in the cutting banks, itnis
mdIhco ny IHc uldcA bupsVIAJuln Oh dSneS-
In depth the broken stone varies from six
to eighteen inches, OF irregular fragments.
The material employed appears to have been
largely composed of fgboulderssof1red sand-i
stone, and the conjecture is that they were
broken after being made, hot, by water
thrown on them. There are few Of any
boulders in the river or adjacent country;
the query arises, where could the material
have been obtained to make this road.n At
ths crossings of the streams there are no
traces of bridge abutments or piers, which
lead to the conclusion that the streams
were crossed on wooden bridges. Atmany
points the road is covered with trees over
$50 years old, which makes 1t certain that
it was constructed long before the advent
of the white man; and there are other cir
cumstances surrounding the case which lead
inevitably to the conclusion it was made in
those early ages when a semi-eivilized peo-
pie inhabited North America No one ao-
quainted with the habits of the North
American Indians would giEe-them credit
for constructing such q work of art as this.