The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-31
THE MOUND MYSTERY.

A PROFESSOR MAKES IT ALL PLAIN.
tbs MOUNDS IN THs MISSISSIPPI yALLrY
MADE BY ROWING MEXICANs THREE Hun
DRED YEARS AGO.
TIE New York Timss cynic comments
causlicslly on the theory Of Prof. Denton
concerning tie origin Of the mysterious
mounds in the Mississippi valley: The
my ysierious mound builders OF the Missis-
I isippi valley hsve been a source OF much
solid ABSTRACTION to patriotic Americans It
Is true that we know nothing Whatever
about the builders, but neither. for
that matter, did any one else: and Il q as
quite certain that when we boldly asserted
that they We're prehistoric race there was
no danger that any European antiquarian
would dis9rove the assertion. But now
comes Prof. Denton and rntblsssiv
snatches from Us our only anriunities
he tells Us that tie mOueds we've built only
| four hundred years 500, aud that tie
| bdilders, ms cad CT bsiug q prehistoric Faes,
were merely ordinary MexicaBs. Prof.
Denton Dases his assertion OF the identity
OF the Mexicans and ths mound -builcers
upon two II rtmarssbls facts. In the mounds
ere found pieces OF volcanic qisss-suca
glass SIS is found Ia Mexico: and Cortez.
when he invaded she latter country. found
copper tools made OF a variety OF metal,
which he instantly recogUizsi d az coming
from the Lese Superior copper mines. The
inference to be drawn from these facts is
evident Whenever a Mexican wanted
ttifie of copper, he simply went ID Lake
Superior and got it. AS
THE JOURNEY WAS A RATHER LONG ONE,
he naturally filed his pockets before starting
with pieces of volcanic glass, a very iittlsof
which, when used ss sn article OF food, goes
a lor g way and as the road was somegbas
infested with Indians and wild beasts. be
wisely threw up mound or two as breast
work wherever be encsmped for night.
OF course, he occasionally dropped a few bits
OF unusually tough glass, when breakfasting
in camp, and bencs we find glass aud
mounds in close proximity to one another,
The desire for copper was then probably
very general among the Mexicans. lust "a
the desire for Texan cattle is in our dav,
Thus large number of Mexicsas
doubtless stepped over 20 Lake Superior IN
leisure moments for pound or two Of cop
per, and these frequent journeys fully Sc.
count IL Prof. DsntOn's mind for the -ru-
qGency OF mounds in the Mississippi VALLEY,
and the abundance Of copper in Mexico It
the tine OF Cortez's invasion. When
Mexico was Conquered by the Spanisrds,
copper probable went Outof fashion. At al
events, the Mexi-aas nOlOnger went 70 Lake
superior in search Of il. and thsir neglected
camps crumbled into shapsless and mean
inglfss mounds. The only thing which
could possibly reconcile Us TO the destruction
OF our cherished prehistoric mOund-builaers
is the ingenuity and
CLEARNEss OF PROF. DENroN's DEMoNsTRA-
TON
thst TIE real mound bDilders were stray
Moxicsas. There ere dull parsons who
might easily have misiuterprstad the
sbovs msniiohed facts as to copper and vol
canio glass, and held them TO mean that the
mound builders were an indepeadsnt race
OF psopls who vent to Mexico occasionally
t. ay IN taeir winter glass, and paid Tor it in
copper. TIE professors siuteTpreistion, how
ever, is much more satisfactory and inter-
IS ing. He ought 20 have carried his theory
still further, and proved that t. G Egg ptians
were merely MeXicsDs who travelled a liz
lie further thsu the mound builders. Cop
per tools ere found in Egypt as we'll as
10 Mexico, and the people of both
countries were apparently equally fond nf
pyramids. If we assume that whenever il
occurred TO Mexican that pyramid would
lcok nicely in his font yard ae went Ov5r
to Egypt aud selected One-drOppiDg. it may
be. an occasional copper tool out OF nls coat
pocket IS he stopped 20 thoroughly exam
inc the interior Of his chosen pyramid-we
need have no further doubt thai tbs Egyp-
tians and Mexicans were the same people.
In fact, il we adopt the professors apparent
axiom that the finding o; the same srtlcle in
two Countries proves that the Inhabitants
IN each belong 20 the sans race, tbe science
of
ETHNoLoGY WILL BE GREATLY sIMPLIFIED.
We csn consider that We are all Cinnamon
because we drink teR, and that Bsrnum is
an Esquimaux because he associates with a
Polar bear. Perhaps the discovery of this
great scientific axiom is worth more than
the fondIy cherished belief in the antiquity
OF our moun6s. After all, we need not tell
our foreign visitors that Prof. Denton has
solved the mound mystery. When they ask
to see some relics OF the mound builders
work, we can show them certain marvellous
specimens of architecture in tEis city. They
will never detect our patriotic fraud, nor
fancy it possible that intelligent beings of
the nineteenth century reared such mon
strous and misshapsn piles. Thus shall we
satisfy their desire for the marvellous, and
send them home prepared TO write volumes
of learned essays upon the "Prohable Pur-
pose and Possible Builders OF the Tall
Towers Of the New World"