The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-08
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RELICS OF AN ANCIENT CITY IN
Eer$S MLSSOURI,a -

RELICS OF AN ANCIENT CITY IN
MISSOURI. -
(St. Louis Republican, Feb. 1871
Capt. Whitley has just returned from
New Madrid County with over 100 mere
specimens Of pottery and relics of the pre-
histroic residents Of Missouri, which will
be added to the Centennial collection.
Capt. W hitely and the party who accom-.
panied him have traced the remains Of a
former extensive city, which show the ev.
adence of having been densely populated.
The city was surrounded by Notifications,
the embankments with covered ways
connecting the outworks of which have
beeh traced for several miles. The re-
mains Of moands, serving either to watch
an enemy, or IS cemeteries for the burial
of the dead, in which are found skeletons.
associated with drinking vessels, are also
found distributed about the area of this
ancient encampment. The indubitable
traces of the dwellings. streets, and av-
enues, were also traced over large por.
tions Of the grounds, the proper surveys
(which would doubtless tend to throw
new light on the origin Of these people.
The houses are quite small, from 8 to II
feet in diameter, and located about 10
feet apart. They existed in regular rows
with streets and avenues running through
the city at right angles and at proper dis
tances apart. The foundations of the
dwellings, if not the entire structure,
were made Of kind of adobe brick, of a
red color like modern brick, but ofcours:
er material. The brick, specimens of
which were brought up by Capt. White
~, have transverse holes passing through,
supposed by some to act as ventllators
to the dwellings, as, the bricks being
laid flatwise in the wall, the sides Of the
house would be thereby pierced with a
multitude of holes for the admission of
the outside air.
Another and more probable theory is,
that the bricks in malleable state were
pierced with round sticks for the more
readily handling and burning, and the
sticks having burned out, leave the i'm.
preston Of their form, in the shape of a
hole. The sites of these ancient habita.
tions are plainly observed by sunken
depression Of several feet in the ground,
leaving evidence like that seen in the sites
frequently me: with in the country Of
modern times. At the first sight of these
habitations, the observer might be led to
believe that these ancient people lived in
cellars and built their houses under
ground but this impression will vanish
on rejecting that the accumulated debris
of ages has entombed these dwellings be.
meath the surface. Besides, on one side
of the ancient city, there is still lake or
marsh, which at some remote period may
have overlooked its banks, submerging
portions Of the site of the ancient city
long after Its extinction, and added its
deposits to the accommodating debris. The
site Of the city is now covered with trees,
mostly oak, of an ancient growth, show.
ing that thousands Of years have rolled
round before the handiwork Of these early
Missourians was exhumed for this exhib.
ition at the Centennial. The pottery
brought up here this time by the indie.
fatigable antiquarian, some Of which was
taken out on Saturday last, consists large.
~ of drinking-cups, culinary utensils, and
bottles of gourd.shape. There are also
rude trowels and tools used for fashion
ing and ornamenting the pottery, and
whet-stones for sharpening the stone axes
and other instruments in use. But the
fantastic character Of the the ornamental.
ton of the vessels is what strikes every
one with surprise. There are very accu.
rate figures Of fish, frogs, hcdgehoss, and
such animals that existed at that time :;
besides, among the feathcred tribes are
the goose. duck, owl, hawk, and probably
the rooster from his comb.
There are miniature busts of male
heads carved out Of clay, representing
type of face more resembling the an
Gent Astic race than the modern Ameri.
can Indian but further and more careful
inquiry is necessary tefore coming to any
conclusion on this point which would tend
to settle the origion of these early build.
'ers and taxpayers of tho State.
C0NGRESSMEN'S WIVES
The Washington correspondent Of The
= Cleveland PLai7,deuler writes: The
wives of two congressman were waiting
for the elevator last evening at one Of our
hotels. Twas demurely reading the eve.
ming paper with my eyes, eagerly devour-
ing their conversation with my ears, and
this is what I heard. Said Mrs. H.,
'1'm awful tired; I've made twenty
calls to day, and tomorrow 1 must make
as many more. There's precious little fun
Said Mrs. L.: "Fun indeed not! not
q bit OF it. Whv at hOma when Goorra