Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-23
MOUND BUILDERS RELICS.
What Has Recently Been Found in New
York state.
From Tie PhiIadgl0hia Times

fttAttefg'AtQ
RANDOLPH, \. Y. Nov. 19.-Pine Ridge
is the name given a peculiar eminence
near this place. 1t is situated in the
heart OF a swamp that lies back from the
COnewango creek, a few miles northwest
of the town. Pine Ridge is at least sc, 900
acres in extent. 1t is rarely visited by
white men, except when some venture
some hunter penetrates to the lonely re-
treat in pursuit OF game. Those who visit
it, however, are at once struck with its
peculiar formation. On all sides il an al
most impenetrable swamp. The
ridge is doubtless the work of the
mound builders. DR.. Frederick Larkens,
of Randolph, the author of Ancient
Man in America" and several other val
liable works on archaeology, has within
the past few days paid the wonderful
fortress visit, has made measurements
and unearthed number of valuable rel
ics. TIE doctor gives an accurate de-
scription of the place. The mound is a
parallologram, 600 feet IN length and 900
feet wide. The ditch surrounding it is
six feet deep and only on one side is there
any approach to the plateau except
through deep swamp, and that is over
narrow causeway. The knoll is covered
with large trees and evidently the earth.
works have not been disturbed by man
]
I Of years ago.
The doctor spent several DAYS in maxi
| ing excavations with party of work
men. inside the fortress, a few feet be-
meath the surface, the workmen came
upon quantity OF human bones which
yielded readily to the action OF the atm0s-
phere and soon crumbed. The skeletons
We're IN sitting posture and in circle
around what appears TO have been fun
! iaft "a. Of 10, l..
from timely tempered native copper and
flint, pipes carved from stone, battle axes
OF stone, curiOusly shaped stone imple-
ment resembling an old-fashioned iron
door latch and polished as smooth as glass.
copper plate bearing rude picture of an
/ elephant in harness. a stone bust repre-
/ sentlng full-grOwn man with high fore
/ mead, and a block Of mica nearly one foot
! square. There is no mica. as far as known.
nearer than North Carolina. In the centre
OF this tortltcatiOn tdere is still flowing a
copious spring OF water. the space for
several feet around being covered with
/ tiagstOne, which must have been carried
no less than ten miles, as the swamp sur.
/ rounding the ridge does not furnish any
/ stone except an occasional boulder. There
are several legends still told bv the Indi-
ans whd live on the reservation near here
about superior race OF men that Occu.
/ pied the land before them, but the tales
are 80 mixed with superstition that il IL
/ impossible to separate the truth from the
| fiction.
There are many other traces of pre-.
| historic races in New York State, in
/ Pennsylvania, Ohio and other parts OF
/ the country. There are no less than TO-
600 mounds and monuments Ofthe Indians
/ in Ohio alone. The mound builders were
/ evidently a peacef I, agricultural people,
familiar with pottery. ignorant OF the use
Of iron, but acquainted with copper,
which they mined on the shores OF Lake
| superior. Their ancient excavations
eXcelled in magnitude all modern
mines. Though utterly and strangely
! ignorant OF coal and iron the mound
/ builders worked mica mines in North
| Carolina, soapstone mines IN Virginia,
lead mines in kentut Ky, and they also
sank oil wells in Pennsylvania. The
growth OF trees over the trenches dug
along the lead veins In Kentucky shows
that IL must be at least 800 years since
they were abandoned. Fragments of
cloth have been preserved through the
action Of the salts of copper, which shows
that the people were acquainted with
weaving. AS 10 their determination IL Is
evident that the mound builders fell be.
fore an invasion OF the northern barba.
rians. such as also took place in Europe.
Belgium in the Monetary Union.
BRUSSELS. Nov. 22.--The adhesion of
Belgium TO the latin Union has been ar.
ranged.