Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-03-25
PREHISTORIC RACES.
Their Ruins and Relies in Northern Mexico
Remains of a Great People.

-Remains of a. Great People.
| have rambled among the sunless
catacombs at Rome, and read the ser-
fences cut in old Latin along its Won
derful walls; | have even had the novel
pleasure of witnessing tho excavations
made by DR.. Henry Schliemann in the
gigantic graves of lava that have held
Pompeii, and have seen him decipher
hieroglyphics hat flowed from pens in
ancient times. But was not impress
ed then as l have been lately when ex-
amining the picture writings OF the
mysterious mound-b builders, not unlike
Egyptian hieratic script.
Along the frontier OF Mexico are tho
footprints, one might say, of these pre-
historic people, and many scientific
Crusoe has seen these footsteps and
been startled. Builders of monllmen7
tai mounds, cliff-dwellers, with histo-
rywhose page have never been perused,
this mosteriously moving, this ever
STIRRING, this nomadic nation left as
slight track among the mountains OF
Mexico as do the Redouins on the sandy
Sahara. s.,. ..r-..
1t is known that tho mound-builders
selected as points, Of departure for the
South, Naneouyer's Island and the
neighboring mainland. Back of that
period it appears impossible to trace
them. Whether the wandering few
rested there and the curse of eternal
progress was lifted; whether fugitives
from the terrible face OF the Tartar
| found there the nucleus of a new IA
ton, viii all remain 4 part OF the arc b.
ives guarded by time. Their origin
seems absolutely in oblivion. ....
From this vicinity they were led by
following the river courses. through the
passes of the mountains into the great
central basin OF North America. The
strange people had entered continent
untrod by man. About that time Troy
was burning on the other side of the
globe, but the mould-bui}derS knew it
not. Irresistibly they drifted South
ward. Striking the healwaters of the
Missouri and the Saskatchewan they
| were conducted into the Mississippi
valley In two great armies they wan
dered till they rested Oh lie banks OF
the Mississippi river, one army coming
by the Red river Of the North aud the
other by the Missouri.
The remains OF the mound-builders
are placed uHder four heads. First,
mounds; second. cmbankments or ram
parts; third, mines and excavations;
fourth, arts and manufacturers.
| The mounds are classed as temple,
altar, burial, observatory, or residence
mounds. The temple mounds are of
various forms and sizes, distinguished
by their truncated tops. The altar
mounds consist of concentric layers of
earth, sand or gravel; beneath this
mound is an altar or hearth of baked
earth, evidently of sacred Importance.
In the burial mounds are even yet
found the dusty bones of this people,
sealed in from the air for centuries.
The observatory mounds were simply
signal stations, along which cOmmuni-
cations were passed between communi-
ties hundreds of miles apart. The res
idence mounds were terraces elevated
above the surface OF the ground. The
Ohio are part of the great system OF
mound cities erected by these ancient
giants. In fact the animal mounds
here, as in the North, are but immense
bas-reliefs of men, beasts, birds and
reptiles.
They then occupied the various tribu-
taries Of the Mississippi, following them
out with wild instinct. Their wan
behring's did not cease till their feet
pressed the Alleghenies on the East,
and till they stood in wonderment by
the dark blue waves OF the Mexican
gulf. They driftcd into Georgia and
Florida, and also crossed tho Rio
Grande into Mexico.
High up on the face of cliffs along
the deep canons of Northern Mexico
are the caves of these curious colonists,
close to eyries of eagles, thousands OF
feet above the valleys. In some cases
path just the width of human foot
leads from the brink of the cliff above
to the mouth OF the caves, in nearly
every instance q narrow ledge over
grown with shrubbery. In these caves
they lived and died.
The embellishments and ramparts are
classed as defensive and religious. The
Notifications manifest progress, in the
art of war at least, as advanced as the
/ early Greeks and Troians. The reEg-
ious enclosures were usually combina-
tons Of geGnetrical figures, in which
perfect squares and figures are found.
The mining operations of the mound
builders were extensive. In the Lake
Superior region they mined copper, in
Missouri galena, and in Mexico iron.
They mined iron impurities. Elsewhere
they quarried for mica and porphyry.s
The arts and manufactures of this
people were of considerable Importance.
After rude but effective fashion they
cast copper and iron, from which they
not only manufactured weapons, but
also ornaments and coin. They were
so distinguished in wrapping amulets in
silver that the work could scarcely be
distinguished from plating. Articles
worked in gold have also been discover
ed in the caves and mounds. Their
pottery was regular in form, though no
traces have been found of potter 5
wheel. The pottery was decorated
1 with animal forms, arabesqnes and gcr
ometrical figures -ineised with Sonic
! sharp Instrument. On their pipes was
| generally their most. artistic work.
They made cloth out of vegetable and
animal fiber. A few statuettes and fig
ures of animals have been eXhumed
from their mounds, which were thought
by some to be idols, though doubt
that, for all research points to these
wanderers as iconoclastic in high de-
gree, and as being devoted to the sole
worship of the sun, and to human sac
rificc. A powerful priesthood and a
widespread religious system is consid-
cred to have been paramount among
these fire-worshipers.
The inference drawn from an exam
nation of these monuments left behind
1 by these people is that they were ex-
ceedingly numerous; that they were