Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-30
TEXAS ANTIQUITIES.
Footprints Of the Aboriginal Tribes of
Texas-SOms Interesting Dis
ooveries.
Unmistakable Evidence of the Existence
Of a Civilization Far in Advance
Of the Redman.
Relics of the Mound Brildefs Thousands
of Years 0ld-skeletons of
Gigantic Men.
Written for the Gazette.

w esaN NV ihAOlliCus Allbtoty uOtb
not record the year and tradition is
silent. But certain it is that the state
itself Is not wanting in many evil
dences of its great antiquity. Those
old monuments OF earth-works ex.
tending along our coast as far as the
Nueces river, and which dot the coun.
try in various places from the Sabine
to the Rio Grande, and which time
long since has nearly leveled with the
surface OF the earth, are but mute wit.
nesses which inform us of inhabitants
or villagers who once dwelt here, and
of the
HIGH STATE OF CIVILIZATION
to which they had attained. The
mounds and other monuments which
this strange race OF people have left
behind them are acknowledged on all
hands to be most heary with age; 30
much so, that Prof. Alexander
to some of those found
in Texas even thousands Of
ages.n / have seen them in great
saying that our state must have been
III NClJ dnCltub NY q
powerful and highly civilized people.
III the Chinese race should be swept
away IL would not leave behind 1t
monuments equal in size and work
msnship to those of Texas. In deep
forests, in places far remote from the
habitations and cultivated fields Of
white men, the traveller will some
times find himself in the presence of
massive ruins whose appearance indi-
cate that they were first erected
MANY CENTURIES AGO.
Large forest trees several hundred
years ola are sometimes found grow
ing amongst and on these ruins.
Along the margin of the classic Salado
in my own county Belly in several
places we find abudant evidences of
prior occupancy. In horseshoe like
bend of this stream We may yet see
traces of an old fertilization Of earth
work, which is without doubt the re-
mains of this ancient race, the Mound
Builders, and from its terraced shape
we infer that 1t was used by the ma
tives as
APLACE or WORSHIP
and sacrifice. as well as stronghold
in time of war. Near the base OF this
remarkable stru cture have been ex-
humed human bones, flint arrow
heads, and potters' ware, the latter
very exquisite in workmanship and
finish. In the lonely little val
ley which encireles this structure
we find the remains of an aqueduct
several hundred yards in lenght. In
Red River county in three separate
places, and in Bowie county In one OF
two places, the same silent evidences
attest to this prior occupation, how
many centuries ago we can only CON
lecture. In them may also be found
flint arrow-heads, human bones, pot
ters' ware and
OTHER PREHISTORIC RELICS.
In the northwest part of Lampasas
county quite number of mounds has
been discovered. In 1876, Prof. Alex
ander of Salado college opened 9
mound in Lampasas county, in which
he made certain discoveries that
taken together with the form of the
mound End the several relics found
in the same, led him to the
conclusion tn at 1t was the work OF the
Mound Builders and that, too, In
Every ancient times" This monu
ment, as he informs us, was trnp
Gated oval, the level on the top meas
uring sixty feet in length by twenty
| in width. From indications not nee
essary to be mentioned here Prof
Alexander argues that the mound
could not have been intended for Du
rial purposes, but was evidently
erected for the foundation of build
ing of some kind.
IN COLEMAN COUNTY
several important discoveries have
been made, the most important and
remarkable at recent date, May
1884. The following letter from 8
regular correspondent to the ForI
| Worth GAZETTE gives the par
ticulafs OF this discovery. We
give it as 1t appeared in THE GAZETTE
leaving the reader TO draw his OWL
conclusions.
awhile we were yet in town Cole
man City Mr.. VIM. Babb reported tc
us the finding upon his ranch in this
county Of huge skeleton, supposed to
be that of human being. The skeie'
ton was examined by DR.. Broadna2
and pronounced by him to be human
| The leg bone from the knee to the foot
measured four feet, eight inches, ano
| thirty.six inches around. The arm
bone was three feet, one inch from th'
elbow to the hand, and rib was foul
| feet and one-half inch long. This
skeleton was found near a creek anc
was almost unearthed by the washing
of the water. As coon as the waters
are lower the entire skeleton will b'
exhumed. Mr.. Babb says the above
figures are true, and being reliable
man we publish them. This skeleton
Judging from the parts already meas
ured, must have been some eighteen
or twenty feet high"
Led, through curiosity and a desire
| TO learn more OF the particulars OF Thu
strange and wonderful discovery, th'
writer addressed letter 10 DR.. o. w
Broaduax relative TO the discovery
and promptly received the following
answer:
CorroswooB, CALLAHAN Co., IEN
August Is, 1854,
| Mr.. James 4. Deshieids.
Dear Sir: Your letter Of the l2tl
instant Is at hand. The bones wer'
found on the bayou, or Pecan bayou
one bone OF the fore leg, from TN
knee down. Is four feet eight inchei
long and five 10 six Inches III