Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-11
RELICS OF PIGMIEs.
A Buried City Of LilliputiAns in the
Cumberland Mountains.
Remarkable Discoveries Of
Archaeological Treasures
Little People OF n
Past Age.

teacnlng ana was N heeQ OF rest, anu
taking a good horse rode up to the
| Chalybeate springs, in White county,
SEINE twelve miles from Sparta, the
county seat, These springs were on
the road across the mountain from
Nashville TO Knoxville, East Tennes-
see, aud about 100 miles from the for
mer city.
They we're kept at that time by a
New England man, named Beokwith,
aud some thirty or forty persons were
there.
We heard from our host that there
was a buried city of lilliputians some
Eve miles distant through the noun
rain passes, and a company of FIVE
gentlemen, with q colored man for
guids. started out to make an in
vestlgation. Our road was a mere
bride path, and would have
been quite impossible to find without
a guide. We reached the place about
noon, aud at once began our inquiries.
The farm was owned by Thomas Wills
son. good Scotch name, and have
no doubt man of truth. He said
when he came there, some thirty years
before, the ground was covered with
the largest growth of trees, poplar,
sugar maple, black walnut and ash.
Ii was what was familiarity called a
cone in the mountains-the soil rich
sandy loan, and the field was then in
corn. The walls of the city were in
he form OF an octagon, or nearly so,
and enclosed about six or eight acres.
They were about three feet high, made
Of earth and loose stones thrown up,
and bore the marks of the pillow, and
had evidently been very much higher.
10 show their great antiquity,
4 stump of a poplar was pointed
out, standing directly on the
wall, that measured six feet two
inches across, and must have
been FIVE hundred years old--counting
the rings in an inch, and estimating
the whole number in the tree. No
doubt it had stood there when Colum
bus discovered America, and was a
good sized tree then. Running
through the center of the town we're
swo rows of houses, on each side ola
street. These were mere circles of
earth only a foot or Is inches high and
lbout II feet in diameter. Near the
center were two such circles about
thirty feet in diameter, which had
probably been their council houses.
These could be distinctly traced, ais
though evidently greatly reduced by
time.
but the strangest part of the story
is yet to be told. Mr.. Wilson told us
that on the highest part of this en-
closure many graves have been opened
and skeletons found. They came upon
them in the first place while blowing.
The pillow struck fiat stone, aud
on turning it up there was found
human skeleton, of very diminu
tive size. He said that about a
hundred had been exhumed up
to that time. They were all buried 10
sitting posture, with the knees drawn
up near the chin, and the hands
llasped on the top of the head. A
aat stone was at the bottom and on the
four sides and on top. By taking an
iron crowbar, and striking it down in
the mellow soil we soon found grave.
We opened two that afternoon. In
each grave there was found vessel
Of some kind, usually bowl, about
the size of an ordinary pint bowl,
which had undoubtedly contained
food. In one of the graves which we
opened there were found four vessels,
all made of clay and muscle shell and
charcoal, we'll worked together, and
either burnt or dried in the sun. The
soil was remarkably dry, and the
bones and vessels were we'll preserved.
We found in one of these graves, in
addition to the bowl, a small sized
dinner pot, with ears on the sides just
like the dinner pots Of our grandmOth.
srs. 1t was not like them, of iron or
copper, but Of this same composition
With the oCher vessels. 1t would hold
about three pints or perhaps two
quarts, and was made quite sym
netrically and with an eye to
beauty. IN this pot was the bone oil
4 deer's leg, charcoal, and a muscle
hell about one and half inches wide
md three inches 10 length. This was
40 doubt put in for spoon, and the
piece Of venison and perhaps other
Oerishable food, with fire, now only
charcoal, for the supply Of the de
parted on his way to the happy hunt.
ing grounds, with provisions. In the
'ame grave was tray, about eighteen
inches long, and nine inches wide, and
Two inches deep. Also small vessel
hat would hold perhaps gill for salt
most likely.
The bones were we'll preserved, anC
We got out the entire skeleton, even t
ibe bones of the fingers and toes.
And now the most curious of all il
% be told. The bones OF the thigh
md Of the arm were not quite
half the length Of an ordinary
man; so that they coRld not have beer
more than two aud half OF thre,
feet 10 height. They we're no
he bones of children, for they wer,
lard, and childrens' bones Of that siz,
would have persisted in few years
being almost wholly cartilage. Be
sides, they had the wisdom teeth
which proved that they were adults
Then, all the graves which had beef
opened contained these small skele
tons; not one exception. There coul,
not have been 80 many infants buriet
10 one place. In this same grave
which seemed W be that Of q chief, W,
found GU the neck Two small oFna
ments about the size OF an old fash
oned copper cent carved out OF muscl
shells, with holes through them for
string 10 tie them round the neck
: AT the lhead Of the grave, inside Q
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