The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-10-11
North Carolina Aboriginal Att
Procfth the Nc obIe Red Man
Knew the Uses Of fSoap-Stone,
IL mot Soap!

fnot Soap!
Recently we referred to the fact hat
Mr.. Mann ) Na,entine has : very large
collection OF lniian relies which are
Supposed 10 indicate a much higher ol der
Of AT than is usually attributed to the
Noble Red Man. Mr. Nal+Dtiues son,
with party Of ,carcher>, has been IN
Hdy-ood, Jackson aud oiter Western
counties All Tie present summer, look lug
for new spccl.ncls- lie hasspent several
Thousand dollars il lndlan mounds, ana
found other 'lrip!c' bears, *
a writer IL tie v J. iFo,Ii -ays;
So much To- discussion be
tween DR.. R4,. an; 'ir N4.cn,Ia-
have been ianll.Iar Win The Na.cuiine
collection aud have maud Cd aui examin-
cd many ct the prIraIpa sculptures al
the whole hui, embracing orcr ilco
MousJnd oijecis Lav: ,.iSo by 10y eli.
and with others, whose upluiuus IA
archie oiogicl mat; err are entlt ed to sone
weight, compared theu elth tyies In
other liuds anu Jai.a ! alu lu .,Itied
IN predl, tin- TIA. Tx, ura Wntthy i. he
atJention Ut ;hV u-t eUBCd invest
tUrs ~ tic hello roi :>.r7 Mr Naicn-
the i.as dev te,, great ,ic..i u attrulip,l
tU such subjects, ahu wi,h his sous hau
betore his "objscliind succeeded ia col
lectlug the largest and most varied assolt
mcnt of Indian Iclics''-such as arrow
aud spear heads, hatchets, &c. In the
south. lie was the first to Investigate
the Halifax Wall, in North Carolina the
discovery OF which created considerable
local sensation some years ago. His work
here Induced him 10 open several mounds
II the WIld. mountainous region of West
North Carolina where he met with littie
that was uuIq' e,r IS pecla y valua bic uutl
he struck upon tn Obje rs vi CT were
found ct two or three different points IN
The same locality and for the most part
under virgin soil. Some of them, were
TAI eJ from beneath the roots of la re
;rce, The material is steatite or soap>
stone. DR.. Ran prefers the term "pot-
>toLe. The anlmal type embraces near
~ all Of the known New World ami na,>,
he bear IL ai sorts OF attitude rcdotu.-
mating pclhaps, and several Of the O.d
" or!d animals. such as The riirocoros.
tie two bumped bactrian came, the nip
~ .iJsss III uS, AiC i-uitt tdu tIOE
9, ,s>r srecin.cuS, in thi> ,ieplltnlct.t arc
clt.. ur iicaks VI tIncy OF lri.ice cut an.-
mas entilciy unknown Tie oluit..olo
gical type j. equally varied Il the rep
Ieelntatiuli. oi human te.ugS nearly all
The figures are clothed III neatly fitting
dress. .S,n,e ure sedted IL urnt- ciliys
some dFe fociscd az euch others embrace.
some are Engaged u4 dO0,est,c dr0cott0ns
nj ] IN
carving Is 80 remarka ably well executed as
10 suggest the employment Of metal in
struneuts, AMI but for the indisputatle
tactS Of he find and condition o! the
objects themselves, Is calculated 10 JUSTLY
incrcduiity touching any great antlquay
Tno figures vary III e ght III three 70
eight iucbts and when taken cut C!' the
ground hat; TIC smell OF raGcii oil. some
kliG VI grtasc mixed with SCOT hayi z
evlIunlaiiy been rubbed INFO them is,
;htlr ese.vajioiI. y large uituiEc "a.
y fi;.ct, but Tie inlJorlty arc ni:ilc - -
'.,i.i a., i II q aiC cActtulasiy Scr,.G = Il,
tie - -. the aiaIusi i,h, r.. i...'. I -
AIS, III IL collection seI tsai U. u.> 80
,..uti5 cAoru Ell by lndlars, bat IA, :Ia :
tci la j. much frcei cr ti.s.u tl.!>c II q {
Oihci~ ana he w: kmanshi: mach RI :e.'
One OF the figures alluded Us u SUI Z :
lnc d nous, hold god has a rude messed
carving GU il that looks as if IT might be
totem placed there by another hand
apd in later period. Ii. Mr.. Val2Dtine
has formulated any theory IN regard to
the objects ] am not aware Of it, but
heolie, abundant have been advan, ed.
None are satisfactory. One theory is that
they are the work of the gray eyed ln-
dian> " ho are supposed t. have absorbed
he lost Il, anUke Island cuiohy. but this
i, strongly initiated against by internal
,videlce q aItiq .ity aud 'he tailu.e to
represent ,llaracttilstlcs vI'her ct these
IndauS ur the wnites. Mr. Valentine
saws he has traced some resemblance t.
the objects mentioned by Squire and Da
Wis There is also a resemblance to some
Of he Objects found by Jones of Georgis
AMI Jones Of Tennessee, but the prepon
deiauce Of evidence would seem to indi
cate hat they antedate these objects
The human type shows great uniformity
but the archaeological development LsrdIy
warrants i,s distinct classification with
eisher ot the Recognized Subdivisions :
| the dolichc hccephalOus, the brachloceph
lous me>UcphalouS as laid down by the
best authorities. The pottery Of the col
lection is also unique, especially III It's or
ramentation. \ notably well-pres:rvct
aalula specimen IS group OF three large
bears staining back to back. Not a few
Df he Objects represent children at rla,
aud the large uajpIity are in he ioun,
II iiig b relief
The Farmer and UechpBic re en-: !,
gave TO Mr.. W. II Primrose, who is ma
king an extensive collection, an India'
axe, which Giiferz from any we ever seen
and shows some artistic sAili 1t has
!; very neatly carved groove down the lea
el d; Ces NED 10 il seit key wedge. an
tigt Ell tie spiit--tick baudie Of tn
hate het, when it becomes relaxed an
loose. Ii has also a notch around tb
head TO hold the buffalo thongs. b
which It Was bound ORDINARILY the saw
aye artist scoipeC srcb details.
We have rot selu Mr.. ialeriiuo's col
. lection but from ihe description one ca
uu derstand thar when the bad little IHju
got a spanking u tying the water bucS,
10 Gid Tige's tail, aud laising snc.. : il.
that every Brave in the tribe took I
tie u hes in his stocking-feet, It he lit
.l,l,. rebate Hort oG t. Il e his, o.:
spent a ia, a-4day wai,tiirr, a.--ton
,iuii babies ,ri I'D Junai-ske's barlow
kufc.
We regret to hear that hog cholera
!. raging fearfully in portions of Pender. n
W. 5. Pr;dgen, of the Cain,uck sectiol
: lost upwards of eighty head his son, NJ