Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29

i
OH poor sad heart, with its burden OF cr,s
Its aims defeated. its worthless life
his sa ply fy tine e tho and
Afar on the heavenly golden shore
Thy ships are anchored for ever more.
PREHISTORIC TIMES.
Interesting Relics Found Near
Washington.
At the last meeting of the Anthropologlcal
Society," In the Regents room, Smithsonian In.
stltut1on, DR.. Elmer r. Reynolds read an inter
esting paper on the "Dumbarton Aboriginal
Soapstone Quarr1es." He said that in attempt
Ing to trace the primitive history of aboriginal
people OF any quarter Of the globe, the fact soon
becomes apparent that their domestic and war.
like habits are to great extent asstmlated. This
feature is particularly observable In the charac.
OF the weapons, the modes of warfare and of
burial. preparation of food fabrication of cloth
1nglL Guiding In some Instances the use Of rudely
constructed looms, the manufacture and use
| or flSh nets, canoes and the moulding and turn
Ing of pottery, which art In some form or other,
either primitive or advanced, is nearly as old as
| important institution in the ''ancient of days.
1t Is mentioned many times In sacred history.
ana Is bold typical object in oriental simi-
tuaeS. The moulding of a vessel from plastic
clay was a characteristic figure OF the divinity
shaping the destiny OF His beloved people. The
utter annihilation OF an empire was portrayed
| wine jar when dashed to the earth. It would
be labor of magnitude and one OF great inter-
est 10 trace the ceramic art through all its vicIS-
sltudss towards perfection. In its rudest form
| IL sprung from the urgent wants OF people
anc was subsequently modified and advan ced to
suit their taste In ratio corresponding to their
| advance in civilization.
| We are struck with the fact that not With
| standing obvious advantages of clay unteasils
| the anclentS appear to have sought at an early
| date, a sterner and more enduring material
| end the mines nd
| S1phnus were brought under the yoke and paid
rich tribute In the enduring pot-stone the
use OF which, under various characteristic
names. can be traced back centuries beyond
that broad classic age. which preceded the
birth of the christian world.
The earliest authentic history OF this stone is
| closely interviewer with the annals OF Nineveh
and Babylon. Their artisans wrought vases
| and pitchers of exquisite form from this accom-
modat1ng mineral The Ph9ntclans recognized
Its freedom from tgneous destruction, aud 5ea
! IT extensively where the long-continued action
OF fire was to be WithstOod 1t was well and
favorably known to the Romans and its name
has descended through their Spanish off-shootS
as tdpis affairs. The ancient Brittons found it
near the tin mines OF Cornwall, but were unable
to use portion OF 1t by reason of the super
abundance OF certain elementary constituents
| which, by nOn-reciprocatiOn, changed It's char
acter from mineral to an earth, to which the
characteristic name Of lard stone has been
| given. AT some points near the surface it Is of
semlplast1c consistency. and from this form
1t changes to every degree of hardness, until
| the true SOapStOne Is reached,
The use OF this i'm pOrtant mineral for domestic
| purposes has been more extensive among our
aboI1gines than probably any other people on
the face OF the globe. Mines showing extensive
| and elaborate working have been found in
| many localities on this Continent.
To the natives, the possession of a quarry
became an object OF much desire. II loo it'd
| within the border OF a tribe 1t would be handel
down as an heir loom to each successive gem
GRAFTON, While by a Judicions system OF exchange
lt would become continual source OF revenue.
| (SuarrleS have been found In New HAMPSHIRE
| Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania and recently
in Virginia and Mary land. The quarry uniar
consideration is the most important aud inter
eSting remain within the old tribal bound aries
OF the AnacOStia Indians which tribe was the
most northerly OF the old Powhatan coated
eracy.
In 1884 their territory EXTENDED from Oxen
Run opposite Alexandria, to the Great Fans of
| me Potomac and from the peninsula Of Wash
1ngton, eastward along the Anacostia river
about thirty miles, embracing the most import
ant nSner1eS On both branches of the P0tO n &C.
me principal mention or this tribe Is found In
the much-quoted Relallo Iineris In Maryland
lam, by Father Andrew Wbite who came to
Maryland with Lord Baltimores infant colony.
He relates that While baptiZiDg the Tayac OF the
Plscataway Indians at Ktttama1ulndi, Anaeos-
tan, sachem Of the adjoining tribe, was SO
charmed with the English that he wished to re-
nounce his authority and accompany Fathers
White and Altman TO st. Mary'S to become a
citizen among them.
Anacostias capital town was probably stu.
ated at Bennings bridge just east OF this city.
1t embraced about forty acres OF lana. from
whence, during the past fourteen years. he had
corrected more tnan ten thousand objects OF
native manufacture. He had venturei TO place
the tribal headquarters at this point, because
no other encampment showing so extensive an
occupation can De found north OF the PIscat-
away region. The AnacOStianS carried on
large fur trade with the early French cOya-
gers, who pushed their traffic into this then
ultimate border OF civilization. Upon the
ny pOthes1S that the AnacOStianS commenced to
decline In power when they first came in con-
tact With the Whites as most Indians have
DONE the commencement OF their downfall was
placed about $50 years back, and their departure
as tribe at about two centuries.
At the latter date the French and English
traders were closing and tightening their grasp
upon the Indians. Every river that would float
a ship brought reinforcementS, until finally the
Potomac. the Patuxent, and the Patapsco, were
turned into shifting storehouse5, which ebbed
ana flowed not through the Stlvery influence OF
| the moon, but as they were guided by thu golden
sheckels of profit and loss. After the introduce
tlon OF nre arms, and the Indians had become
proficient In their use. the beavers continued to
diminish In numbers until, In 100, it ceased TO
be pursuit OF importance, although many
were taken each year. The magnitude of this
place In the last stage OF It's Decline and when
already the Anacostians were beginning to re-
lax their grasp upon the tribal territory. AT
this annual sale no less than ten Thousand
beaver skins were purchased by the French
and as 1t had probably reached Its last stage OF
Importance we have no subsequent record OF
AnacOst1ans dr1fted westward toward the noun.
tatns, and forever lost their name and birth.
right by consolidating with similar homeless
tribes
The sOapstOne quarry is situated three
foulths OF mile southwest Of Tennallytown on
the eastern boundary OF the great rock OF Dunn
barton, and about midway between George
town and the Chain bridge on the Potomac liz
early colonial times the whole region from
Georgetown heights to the Great Falls on the
north was purchased by the Earl Of Dunbar.
ton. The vast extent of territory on the oppo
site side OF the river belonged to Lord Fairfax
OF Greenway Court. The Dumbarton estate
was afterward sold to George G. and Lewis
| Washington, and from their heirs, early In the
present century, tt was purchased by Henry
Hazel, whose name a portion Of the eS.
tate now bears. 1t has since reverted
to the national government through the
non-payment of taxes, and now awaits
some clear-sIghted purchaser to develop this
| dormant source of wealth in our midst It's ex.
| lstence has been known to the neighboring peO-
pie since the country was first inhabited To
them 1t was OF no special Importance. They
carried away the bowls and diverted their origi.
nal use to watering troughs for their poultry.
Dr. Reynolds said his attention as first attract.
| ed to this quarry in the fall OF 1874. He at that
time was a student of medicine, and one day
while exploring the hillside for botanical speci-
mems. he observed curiously worked
| moss covered stone. which uDOn oX-