The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1884-02-22

Editors Democrat

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Editors Democrat:
Ny attention has been called to o
lengthy resume IN the North Vest News
OF sho 18th inst, Of my article of recent
date which appeared In the DEmocnAT
respecting the ancient mound builders
Of this county. The Nous is honest In
30 frankly acknowledging its ignorance
Of the existence Ia Oregon of such mon-
uments Of antiquity as alluded to, but
seems TO presume that beyond the limit
cd circle described by lis knowledge Of
chronological history of this coast, none
are safe 10 stepping lest they also come
in contact with insurmonntable mys-
teries ~ 1t apparently has. II Expressed
an opinion that tho writer of the article
in the DEMOCRAT was triiling with the
credulity Of those whose interest in
antiquarianism IL laudably awakened
at any item pointing in that direction.
Mr.. Finlaysop, Of Forest Grove, who
had personally inspected these relics,
verified the original announcement very
sptly through . subsequent issue of the
Nes0s. The Ne,os in answer to Mr..
FinIayson's rejoinder, satisfactorialIy
apologies intimating that the slight
jOcularity IL INDUCED in, in its former
article, was only intended for leyity and
not 10 deter further research, but on the
contrary says "such discoveries deaervl
the greatest consideration and should
be made with care, 80 AZ 70 carry GER
tain proof Of the facts, etc." II colt
tends that these mounds cannot bs
coeval with those Of the Misaissipp
valley, for while tho latter probably
antsdate our time thousands Of years
the former could not be more than q few
centuries old. In support Of this later
theory 1t says strings would not b,
preserved In the ground through cen
tnries, and brass thimbles arc In truti
brass Of any form, is Of recent origin
While argument and criticism, respect
ing individual theories, arc anxIously
courted by any ono deeply interested
ia these occult mysteries, probably II
the Na0s would consider for . moment
that these skeletons were found, with q
single exception, above the original sur.
face with added earth from four TO five
feet high hsaped over them in such a
shape AZ 10 cause all falling water u
drain away, and that probably the only
moisture they were at any time subjec-
ted to was the little that might have
been absorbed at the time Of interment
from the surrounding soil, il would con-
clude the statement that these strings
were yet in tact II not 20 Improbable Al
ID first imagined. We made these sx-
cavations in the middle Of winter, when
the natural ground is full Of water, bat
found uniformly dry soil throughout
Submarine fossils that are by nature
very psrishable have been found seven
thousand feet above the level Of the sea
buried under the soil Of the mountain
top, and in remarkably good state ol
preservation. Geologicslly they were
deposited there when the ocean occupied
the space now composing, nos only dry
land, but great mountain heights, aud
either from chemical action at this aIti-
tude or from the exclusion Of atmes-
phsric influences by being under the
surface, they have maintained their
original continuity. That the free cir
culation OF both air and water wal
excluded from these relics, found few
weeks ago, Is true, and the preserving
iafiuencs that might have been exerted
by tho copper tubes encircling these
strings and contiguous 10 the piece ol
mating referred 10 should be duly coz.
sidersd. As TO tho origin Of brass
thimbles, dent know that we have
any definite data, but brass as an article
Of utility, being q compound Of two
metals, was FIRST introduced In It's pres
spt form, and patented, but little over
= hundred years ago, but il had been
used, combined differently, much longer.
A generation before the TrsjAn was,
Jason, who had command Of the Argc-
nauts, was promised the golden fleece
en- condition that he plow a certain
piece Of ground with fre-brcathing
oxen that bad brazen hoofs, and ther
SOW IL 10 dragons teeth. As this story
il given by historians Of Homer's time
and long before the Christian Era, it ID
net probable that such an unreasonable
link Of superstition would have been &c
saoredly preserved, or brazen at all men
toned, had. they not had at least som.
knowledge Of It's congener-and in fac
its manufacture. Frequent allusionl
are made in ancient history, beth bibli.
cal and profane, Of tho employment o
brass fer utility and adornment.
That there was race Of mounC
builders that preceded the American
Indian, there Is not rsom to question
and that they were measurably skillsC
in some Of the important arts, cannot b
gainsayed. Then, since all the compo-
nentS Of brass are to be found on thii
continent, what reason have we Il
claim priority in its manufacture I Il
may have been one Of the lost arts.
America was discovered, according K
history,by the Scandinavians after theil
colonization of Iceland and G. Greenland
as early as the year one thousand, and
settled in the state Of Massachusetts,
In ITO Modoc, SON Of the Prince O.
Wales, is supposed to have landed
small party on the Virginia coast. Wha
intelligence or necessity forced thes,
people to discover aud manufacture W,
have no record. The coast of Oregon
was discovered about the year 1892