The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-20
A CURIOUS STONE,
Which Scientists, Remembering the PickNich
Club, Refuse to Pronounce Genuine

Which Scientists, member the PickNick
Club, Refuse to Pronounce Genuine.
Philadelphia Record.
An minated discussion is going on concerning
the. genuineness Of alleged Indian markings on q
stone in the possession of Henry D. Paxson,
of Doylestown. The matter is an important
one for biologists, since If the some could be
proved genuine it would settle in the affirmative
the question of the coexistence1 of man and the
manmoths. This stone, known as the Lenape
stone, is an Indian tablet about seven inches
long, and belonged to some ofthe tribe of Della
wares. There is engraved upon it-and IL il
this work that causes the dppute-the figure of
an Indian shooting a mammIth with an arrow,
while the sun, represented a a face. sends forth
its divergent rays. Al cluster Of thunderboits.
arranged as the Greeks represented them. DART
ing from the hand of Jov, completes the pic
ture. 1t is the uniting Of he brute, the human
and the divine groups into one picture that is
regarded by biologists as remarkable achieve
ment for primitive man.
A portion of the stone which has become the
subject of controversy VS. plowed up ten years
ago by a farmer, named Hensel, near Doyles-
town, and last fall the remaining piece was
found, and the two partsWere placed together.
completing an undoubted Indian relic. No one
disputes the genuineness # the stone itself, nor
that it had marks upon it when found. Mr..
Paxson purchased it Of he farmer for a small
sum, and Professor III @rville Lewis, of this
city, hearing through Nh j. S. Bailey Of the
stone and the drawings upon it. asked to be per-
mitted to see it. Accordingly Mr.. Paxson
loaned it to him. On examination Professor
Lewis pronounced the work upon the stone a
forgery of recent execution.
DR.. ID. g. Brinton, the emiient ethnologist,
and other gentlemen distinguished in scientific
researches expressed the same belief. Mr.. Pax
son vigorously asserts the a~ntiqtjtv of the en-
craving on ibis tablet. and indignantly resents
the imputations of forgery.
Several reasons are given by the scientists for
this conclusion. The most observation-disclosures is
the fact that a piece of ivory discovered some
ten years since in the cave Of La Maddaine. in
France, the genuineness of which is not oues-
toned, had on it a sketch of a mammoth 50 like
the mammoth of the Paxson tablet that the lat
ter is believed to be . copy. The tusks are
formed IN the same manner; the legs are in
identically the same position; precisely the same
number OF hairs form the tail, and the same
number of lines are drawn across the back.
Professor Lewis saysi it is inconceivable that two
aoorlg1nes SO many thousands of years ago
should have formed exactly the same figure in
representing an animal then existing.
Dana,s mineralogy contains a picture of the
La Madelalne ivory and a copy could be easily
made. It is claimed further that grouping was
unknown to the ~aborigines, and was beyond
their powers of conception. The lines on the
stone are said to bear evidence of hAsing been
made by a sharp instrument and not w a flint.
as would necessarily be the case were the tablet
genuine.
The work on the stone is cleverlv executed.
and If a forgery it is a bold attempt to impose
scientists what would, if accepted, be
considered a most important discovery, and
which would have become of great pecuniary
value.