The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-07-07
9AtscelIa
AN EXTINCT PEOPLE.
BY NJ. L, BRVIs.

In the forthcoming history Of Hamil
ton County, Colonel Henry A. Ford hat
an intereSting chapter on the Noun
Builders Of North America. Few Of ut
are really aware of the close Relationship
the Anglo Saxton bears to this remarka'
BILE race. OF course there is necessarily
much speculation: there aIe no absolute
certainties. Prescott, in his admirable
history on the conquest of Mexico
throws much light on so mysterious a
subject. From these and other resourC.
es, we CLEAN many facts, though often d
CirCumstaDtial nature,
All that scope Of country, probably, ly.
ing between the Great Lakes and the
Gulf, the Atlantic and Pacific oCeaDs, was
at one time peopled by a race previous
to the American Indian. Centuries have
elapsed since such state of civilization
existed. Possibly, there was a little o.
our modern improvements, The sciences
most surely were elevated to degree oi
sound praCtiCability. Their knowledge
of enclosing in circle an area equal to
that of square was perfect. A mound
having nineteen acres, and square oi
the same size, with gateway in the lat
Ter, and the former in exact juxtaposi-
ton with the entranceway, were found
at Circleville, Ohio, giving evidence Of
their mathematical skill. In pottery and
devices in metals there have been found
the Clearest cases Of artistic design, In
warfare they had few intestine broils,
their enemies, like those of Rome, com.
ing from the North. Politically, they no
doubt were not as far advanced asGthe
Indian when Columbus discovered the
New World in 1892. 1t is to be regretted
that the Red Man has degenerated since
he came in contact with the Caucasian.
The question, whether the Indian cross
ed Behring's Strait from Asia, seeems to
be verified in the Mound Builders
Where the savage came from is, perhaps
as doubtful as the race which he con.
quered, except that evidence which sa.
cred historians give, and which is now
generally admitted to be credible. The
general belief is that man began his ex-
istence near Mt, Caucasus, Asia. He
spread in all directions, crossed the
strait in some ContrivanCe of human
workman ship, and peopled the western
Continent. The Indian, therefore, has
only done what previous race PCComp.
lished. His love of adventure impelled
him to cross over on the ice or in boats,
and finding the people on the verge of
standardization, it was not a difficult
matter to deprive them of their landed
estate. Emigration moves Westward"
is as clearly illustrated here as in many
other pages OF history. 1t must be re.
membered that where forests were fifty
yeals ago, in the time of the Mound
Builders, was without timber. The
mounds in most instances occupy elevat.
ed points of land, and in some cases
have full grown trees on their sides,Com.
manding fine views of the Northeast. In
fact, this is almost i'm aiably true. No
where, in the doz, ns, scattered up and
down the country, is there one which
commands 30 good view as when look
ing toWord the north or east. These
facts prove that their enemies came
from the region of the Great Lakes, and
that these Conical.ehaped elevations
were sigual stations in transmitting the
danger to distant settlements. Mounds
vary much in size in different parts Of
the country Generally they are from
six to fifteen feet in height, and from
eight to twenty feet in diameter. Their
height, to be sure, has been lessened by
the friction of age with the elements,
while the base has continued to widen.
About every fifth mound is double in
size. At the outer edge, and sometimes
extending underneath for several feet,
are aften found human skeletons. The
skull and femul sre most common. Good
authority places their date before the In.
dian. 1t may be debatable whether
bones could exist for 80 long period as
there certainly is between the Mound
Builders al Americans. In proof that
they would last many centuries before
entirely disappearing. there were found
low in the Catacombs Of Rome hundreds
of human bones. They come from
Christians who were prosecuted three or
four centuries after Christ. On the
slightest exposure THEY Crumble to dust,
but their Credibility is unimpeaChable.
Geology also gives many proofs of the
durability of bones. The MastOdon is
an animal long gone by, but that it ex
listed no one cares to dispute. Might it
not be that the Mound Builders and Mas
todon were Coexistent? When one dis
appeared, both disappeared, and only
left the faintest traces of their existence,
A year or two since there were found
the remains of powerful giant, seven
feet in height, on the Big Miami, oppo'
site New Baltimore, in Colerain town
ship. Physiology and Anatomy combine
in affirming that centuries could elapse
before full grown skeleton would dis.
appear. The bones are generally found
in Crouching position, occupying a
square, protected on all sides by a sort
of red limestone not common in this ge-
illogical period. Often there appears to be
a regular burying.ground close at hand.
this is certainly true of that range of
hills dividing Dry Fork from the Great
Miami in Grossly township and Harrison
township; on NJ. S. BonnelPs hill, in
Crosby township, on John Myers cd
farm on Howard's creek. up further in
Butler county, down along the Great Mi
ami at New Baltimore, and in White
water township, a couple of miles below
Miamitown, are evidences of this anti