The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-02-05

long bones for the most part having
been split in twain. lon gitudinally
The stone AK manufactured by the
forefathers of our Gallic neighbors
was very efficient weapon with which
to split bones. Science has revealed
to us that this ancient population OF
Europe consisted Of savages such as
the Esquimaux now are; that in the
country which is now France, and in
the Rhine-land, they hunted the rein
deer, were familiar with the mammoth
and the bison, acquainted with the
hyena, Stunned with savage cunning
the ponderous strength of the cave
bear, and fled in terror at the terrific
roar of the cave lion. A French wri-
ter on fossil man mentions that these
two latter animals attained the amaz-
ing proportions of fourteen feet in
length, with corresponding height.
In these caves have been found, as re-
marked, the bones of man. and his
first rude implements, axes of stone,
bones rudely ground, or rather whet-
ted into something bearing a faint re-
semblance to a stiletto, or long bone
needle, probably prepared for the pur-
puse of sewing together their vest
ments of skins. And as still further
to distinguish him from the beasts of
the field, in the same positions, and
nowhere else, at this early period, are
found the charred remains of wood
and animal flesh, proving that in some
way, man, in his earliest stage, learn
ed the use and the necessity of fire.
But no vessel for cooking or other
contrivance for culinary conveniences
has as yet been found. This was the
age of stone, and Partisan society had
not received the polish Of the nine
teenth century. No sign, or writing,
or hieroglyphic, or device appear to
have been known to man at this early
stage of his existence. Language
must have been of the most meager
and confined to a few of the simplest
words. No agriculture, no trade, no
commerce, no courts, no churches, no
schools, no picnics, no evening parties
for as yet man had not aggregated
in villages, but lived with his family
solitary life in some grotto, or cave in
the hillside; his sole employment the
CHASE, tlu W GlldG lie IeSOIGeu Only
when compelled by the pains Of hun
ger.
If your imaginations are sufficiently
active, you may conceive the family
which inhabited the grotto of Hohen-
fels. The father stalwart savage of
brawny build, clad in skins never sub
jected to any process of dressing, his
arms bare, and brawny, and bloody,
his long head with his shaggy hair
growing low down upon the brow
bearing a strong resemblance to the
front of some nondescript wild ami
NAL; a huge stone ax,roughly wrought,
his only weapon; the mother fit
mate for such a companion; the
daughter, maiden of eighteen, clad
no, the wardrobe mysteries Of a Pari-
sian belle, even of the glacier period,
is too sacred subject to be lightly
handled, and we forbear; but add that
two young sayages, apparently of the
masculine gender, complete the fami-
ly group. The time is evening. A
fire of resinous wood is burning and
sputtering upon the floor of the cave,
and the thick, pitchy smoke, despair
ing of any outlet, contentedly settles
down in pail of cloudy blackness
over the family circle. The father
has brought in reindeer for the eve
ming repast, and the mother and
daughter having skinned it with the
aid of stone knives, are now engaged
in dividing it into parts of a suitable
size to submit to the action of fire.
Just as this is accomplished, the faith
er taking the longer bones from which
portions Of the flesh have been re-
moved, by few well-directed blows
with his stone ak divides them longi-
tudinally, and something like a strug-
gle takes place for the marrow, that
being the choicest of morsels, and,
next to the brain, the most delicate
dessert. The daughter, being favor
ite, procures the larger share, and graf
ifies her cultured taste with the luxu-
ury Of raw reindeer marrow. And
now the flesh upon the fire having be-
come slightly warm, the whole fami-
ly, without order, respect, or prece-
dence, gather round the fire, and,
reaching out with long, claw-ike
hands, each seizes upon the portion
nearest him, and tears and rends the
scorched and bleeding flesh until the
ravages of hunger are appeased, and
the bloody and revolving repast is fin
ished, and then, gorged to the full ,one
by one they drop off to sleep, the belle
being last, which was very proper con-
duct for belle of that period. 1t is
said of our brethren, the Esquimaux,
that fairly hearty specimen of the
tribe can devour with neatness and
dispatch fifteen pounds of raw flesh
at meal, and having thus gorged
will sleep for hours. So slept the an
cestors Of the Gallo race after a feast
The skeleton of a young girl found in
the grotto of Hohenfels, showed a full
complement of teeth; the front ones
set at such an angle with each other
as to be strongly suggestive of an en-
larged capacity to tear and rend. And
indeed they were, as might have been
expected, much worn in front; con-
slant gnawing had been too much for
them; and there were no dentists ii
those days to replace incisors at sc
much tooth. 1t is a fact worthy OF
remark that the teeth, the front teeth
of all the skeletons of this period, pre-,
sent the same aspect, in some instan,
ces quite worn down to the bony
structure, while the molars present /;
sound and healthy appearance. | have
noticed old dogs with their front teetl
quite worn away, while the rear one.
we're in good keeping.
, Such were the men Of the age O.
stone, and such their manners anC
customs as annaarS hu the racnrds /