Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-12-12

Indian Remains la Charles County.
The following which we clip from the Bal
rinore Sun Of last Tuesday as II CORE. pondence
/ from Warrentun, Virginia, is local in its char
acrer and contains much that will be OF interest
to the people of our county. Many things con-
tanned in the article are known 10 be true and
have caused much rural speculation as to their
origin and The explanation here given may
prove satisfactory There is, however much
in this article of which We hav teen heretofore
entirely ignorant as we are sure have a so been
many residents of our county
Mr.. Elmer R. Reynolds, who has given
much time to tha examin ,tiou Of abori-inal re-
mains in Virginia and Maryland was in War
rentou recently. In convers ,ton with the Sun
CORRESPONDENT he stated MANY interesting facts
about the Indians o; Mary land, the result OF in
vestigatiors made last year in the shell mound.
on the eastern side Of the Potomac from Manic
Inciuded in the territory OF the Wicrmico To-
dams. THIS tribe was first mentioned b. Capt
John Smith, who visited them between 1907
and 1910 A fuller account of them is found
in an account OF Maryland by Father Andrew
White who came over with Lord Baltimore 5
first colony.
The she'll heaps o. the Potomac commence on
Pope's Greek, near Newburg. The Clifton shell
mound, al this point, covers many acres OF
ground Oserlying the shells is stratum of
earth from one 10 three feet deep, which has
been under cultivation since 1880, prior 10
hich date il covered With forest trees.
The deposit Of shells is from i've 10 eight feet,
and is composed almost exclusively OF the shells
OF the common oyster, intermixed with the shells
| of the hard clam and tortoise. Bones OF biris
| FL 81 found I he Irpule m rs
taken from this mound are axes and b miners
and stones, which we're used IN opening the oys-
ters Fragments of pottery, exhibiting primi-
tive sort OF glazing and decorated with designs
IRE found. The most artistic specimens from
this locality are in the National Prehistoric and
photographic Museum Of Rome and the civic
museums of Bologna and Ravenns and Copen-
hagen. Tobacco pipes, net sink,r skin
dress:r broken knives and arrows have also
been found Pits of ashes or charcoal are fire.
quent. These fires were kindled for the double
purpose of preparing food for the hungry fisher
| men and steaming the oysters TO facilitate their
removal from the shells before being dried and
carried inland.
At Lancaster's Landing, on the Wicomico,
was obtained axe worthy of special men ton
from the fact that il is composed of European
flint The finding of this axe led 10 an inquiry
on the part Of Mr.. Reynolds which ELECTED the
information that ia the earliest col onIa! times an
English vessel discharged a cargo Of ballast at
| Lancaster's Landing. and that this ballast ~as
chiefly composed Of flint, which had probably
been obtained at one of the numerous chalk
cliffs near the English cham l. The Indians
realized that this flint was superior to the mi n.
erals which they had used in the man ufacturt
of their weapons. A. old Indian tow at th'
headw tiers OF the Wicomco were found polish
ed axes, three finely finished peslles, one o
P which was nearly yard in length, three sphere
idal stonrs used in some original pastime, spear
heads, knives, and many interesting beads o
stone bone shell and glass. The beads were
: from one 10 two inches in length and were sym
metrically flashed. The glass beads were o
that rare ancient type known 10 archaeological
as Venetian polychrome, and were probahl,
from the Nara III factory. They were of varou
/ sizes and, as their names indicate, of beauii
f, fully iaterwoven compound colors, among
hich red, white, blue aud green pred dominated
: P..4es OF stone and clay, executed after cruats
and complicated designs, were also found.
i The only human remains of the Wlcomicoe:
F, were discovered in 1880 in an ossutry on ths
Potomac In This s.pulchre were the remains
: Of three adult Indians. The pathological con.
t dtion of the sku OF one of these indicated the
existence of sore extraordinary disease. !
WAS covered with deep pitlike cavities.
The Wicomicoes as trioe sold out their pos
sessions TO Inc COlOHlSlS han novel away.
few, however, embraced Christianity I'D re-
u manned behind. A majority Of these converts
j and their descendants intermMri:d with tn,
. ave population. There is, however, in Charles
A county one Indian who is said o be undoubt
edlv Of orig inal unmxed Wcowco blood Hi
) complexion is very dark, but no like that Of
3 negro. His eyes are black and piercing hi
d hair is of the same color and stnight He i:
rather uncemmunicatve and avere TO CONVEX
9 sation. His replies are always mtnos, Liable il
!, cha racter His profession is nomi1ally that Of
b n farmer, yet most of his time is employed il
e hunting fishing and idleness.
Mr.. Reynolds, in Memoir on the Pre-
Colombian Shell hounds at Newb,rg, Mary
e land, and The Aboriginal Shell Fi-ds Of tn,
Potomac and Wicomice Rivers" published il
i. the proceedings Of the Congress of America MIST
in Copenhagen in 1888, has given az interest
ing account of his investigation of l,rge num
: Der Of shell mounds and shell fields in Maryland
The Modern Clothing House is ACNI
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They show ChiidreD's Suits from So so up t,
the most elaborate make; Mems from $40 t,
S35, and OvercOuts in profusion and at al
prices. If you want style, quality and low
? prices lou cannot 90 astrav at this house.
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