Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-01
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.
The Mound Builders,

In recent number of The Tribune the
following notice of the Mississippi Valley
Mound-Builders appeared:
At the meeting of the National Academy
of Science, in April, Mr.. L. H. Morgan con-
tributed paper in which he advanced the
theory that the Mound-Builders of Ameri-
ca were Village-Indians from New Mexico,
so called from their habit of living in com
munities. The earthworks left by the
MOund-Builders are very similar in design
and structure to the embankments which
were raised by the Village-Indians of Yu-
catan and Chiapas as the site of their dwell
ings. These last were, in warm climates,
built of adobe; but, north OF the Ohio, were
probably constructed of timber, and their
walls coated with earth. In illustration Of
this theory, Mr.. Morgan exhibited plan of
buildings adapted to the bank-works crea-
ted by the Mound-Builders, and also cores
ponding with the dwellings of the Village
Indians. The communal mode of life was
better suited to a warm than to cold eli
mate; hence Mr.. Morgan concludes that
the Village Indians who attempted to estab-
lish themselves in the territory north Of the
Ohio Eventually succumbed in the strug
gle for existanee, while their kindred in
Mexico and Genital America were able to
sustain themselves for much longer per-
iod."
The theory Of Mr.. Morgan was supported
by additional testimony and argument pro-
duced by Miss Powell, who has made Indi-
an structures an especial study, and by
Prof. Marsh, who has, in long series of
comparisons. been impressed with the like
ness between the skulls of the Mound
Builders and those Of the Village-Indians
The interest manifested by the student
of science to unearth hidden mysteries
seems to be unbounded, and to the diseov-
erers source Of peculiar pleasure and prof
it, particularly so in the nineteenth centu-
ry, when the earth is nearly if not quite bel
ted by human intelligence, human research,
and knowledge.
Ex-Gov. John Reynolds, of Illinois. now
deceased, and who, during his eventful life,
occupied distinguished place in the for
nation of the political and social existence
of Illinois in its early history, in his ''Life
and Times" has preserved an interesting
outline history of artificial mounds in Illi-
nois, and all over the West,-Big Mound
in the American Bottom, etc.
And who is there among the older inhab
itants Of the State that don't remember
Gov. John Reynolds? In his "PiOneer His
tory of Illinois" and ''Life and Times, he
has left an enduring monument to the stu
dent Of history as an indispensable histori-
cal data to the early life and settlement Of
the Great Northwest.
Reynolds, in his peculiar style, writing
of these mounds. says:
The number of mounds in the West, and
the millions Of people inhabiting the VAL
lev Of the Mississippi in some remote peri
cd, is truly astonishing. These mounds
were made by hand, and show an almost in
caleulable number Of inhabitants in the
country when they were made. Bracken-
ridge says: "The number Of villages Of
these forgotten people must have been
5000, and the chief city existed not far
from the mouth Of the Missouri It is un-
settled il these THnu6 were constructed
for places Of worship, Notifications, or bur
ial purposes, or for all these objects.
/ have never read any reasonable account
Of the time, or by whom, or for what puI-
pose, these mounds were made. 1t IS stat,
ed that in the West alone there are several
Thousand Of them. They vary from iO IeeV
high to the mammoth mound in the Amer
lean Bottom. miles east OF st. Louis.
which measures almost 200 feet high, and
is 800 wards in circumference.
one writer states that the large fortifica-
tion at Marietta. o., was made by the Ro-
mans when they had Western Europe un-
der their dominion. This is random shoot
ing, in my opinion.
On the Ohio River, 12 miles below Wheel
ing, are many mounds, one Of which isvery
large. A town is laid out here, where the
Atlantic & Ohio Railroad, now the Balti-
more & Ohio Railroad, strikes the river, and
is called the ''Mound City," for the many
mounds on its site. The large mound here
is 80 feet high and SO rods in circumference.
It is stated that the Great Mound near
Washington, in the State Of Mississippi, is
146 feet high and 56rods in circumference.
At Circleville, o., are extraordinary
works of the sncients, some of which are
military, and show much Advancement IN
the art Of fortifcation. One fort IS exactly
square, and the other circular. Ihe Squsre
fortress is As rods on each side, ana the CIR CIR
cular is 800 rods around IL. Ihese IorS
were walled with earth, and one OF them
A. paint Greek. O., are also stupendous
ancient Notifications. The land inolosed is
s90 rods In circumference, and embraces
f26 acres Of land. Within this tortiAcstion