Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-16

real estate robbery is that bptn banks
have to suffer as the wind shifts, so that
there is something of a depletion on the
western shore. 1t is a theory OF the
local inhabitants that the river will con-
tinue to travel toward the rising sun
till it reaches the railroad. although the
journey will take a good many years.
This cemetery of the aborigines is
remote from any travelled road, on the
east side of the river, and the usual
method of reaching it is to drive over
the South-end bridge and down tee
Agawam bank to the vicinity of the
gin-mill, and then cross over in a boat.
This last part of the trip is apt to be q
little exciting these windy days, and
without a careful skipper the chances
are favorable for shipping considerable
water. At a point a little northeast of
Gallup's grove, which is on the oppo-
site shore, a small brook runs into the
river. Here was the summer camp of
the Podunks, who are supposed to have
controlled the territory lying between
Pccowsic and East Hartford. The
great salmon fisheries, the best Oh
the river, were on the western
bank, further down the stream. From
the brook the meadow stretched
southwark a mile, over the present Con.
necticut line, to a hill which rises
abruptly from the level, and the base OF
which is close to the river. This was
the winter home Of the tribe, and
it is said that no warmer or more
thoroughly wind-protected spot can
| now be found in all the region.
Between the brook and the hill
the graves are situated, separated
from each other by a considerable
space. During the last ten years
B. Wilson Lord, who lives across the
river, has dug out fourteen skeletons
and Captain Gallup three. They cannot
be taken whole, except in rare cases,
but the bones are 80 well preserved as
to leave not a doubt of the parts to
which they belong, although they
crumble unless carefully handled. The
graves are found about three feet below
the surface and the position of the
skeletons shows that the bodies were
buried facing the east, with the feet to
the north and the head, which rests on
the right hand, to the south, the figure
being laid on a curve, very much as a
tired laborer might throw himself
down for a nap in the field. The
waves Of the spring freshet undermine
the bank and cause it to cave in, thus
revealing the resting place of the dead
to the relic hunters.
The bones which come from these
graves indicate that their original own
ners were for the most part stalwart
men, although parts of a woman's
skeleton are occasionally found. The
skulls are very narrow in the forehead.
Some of the jaws T provided with
sound teeth. but there are teeth dis
covered which show that they must
have caused agony in the whole family.
Some were evidently pulled in early
life, because the apertures which knew
them one are overgrown. The graves
do not abound in relics. In the neigh
borhood of the hill a good many soap
stone utensils have been picked up, but
zone are found near the brook. Pottery
has, however, been secured in the lat
ter region, and some years ago Mr..
Lord obtained a three-gallon succotash
pot, baked from clay and ornamented
on the outside in approved style. 1t
was placed in the grave with the top
down. Captain Gallup has grub hoe Of
stone, weighing some pounds, various
SHINING knives, etc. A good many
flint arrow points are gathered, which
it is claimed must have been brought
from as far away as the Hudson River.
Quite a collection of clam shells has
been found in grave, and some Of
them appear to be of the saltwater
variety. The graves which are the
farthest away from the brook do not
have any relics in them, and they are
consequently supposed to contain the
bones Of men who persisted in battle on
the opposite side, and whose bodies
floated across and were cast on the
bank. The theory is that their allies
buried them, but did not have anything
which they could spare to put into theii
graves. It is also argued that they
were fleeing from the whites when they