Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-16
AN EXTINCT RACE.
interesting Relies of the Mound Builder,
Found i'm Georgia.

The region around SEMI Shoals waa
laVorlte haunt OF the redman, as eyi.
denced by the tumuli on the river and
creek banks and the relics of theii
nandiwork that bestrew the ground.
Every field in this locality is rich in
pottery. arrowheads, and other indie.
slfuctible implements formed by their
crude skill. just across the river from
Mr.. fambrough's stand three LARGE
mounds, while number of smaller
ones are found on the creek bottoms.
Mr.. Morton tells us that the large
mounds were evidently intended as a
fortlflcation. for many years ago. after
freshet had carried away the soil
around them down into the CLAW. q
black circle of decayed wood was seen
showing where timbers had been driven
INTO the ground and rotted of. This
stockade perhaps even antedated the
indian race, as these people could not
tell who erected these immense piles OF
earth. MIR. Morton says that after thai
freshet Indian relics could have been
gathered by the cart-load. He saw
several pieces of flint, shaped like a
saucer, but followed on both sides, OF
different colors, cut and polished as
smooth as glass. With the rude i'm.
PIGMENTS that the aborigines had, it is a
mystery to know how they fashioned
their vessels. The ground around these
mounds is now q pasture and covered
with Bermuda grass, and relics are moi
so easily found as heretofore. There is
4 small mound on Rose Creek that is
cultivated, and the pillow here often turns
up the queerest finds, that are DESTROYED
or thrown aside, as Indian relics are so
common in this section that they are
not appreciated. Not far from this
smaller mound are some rocks filled
with curious shaped holes, made by the
Indians. Some were evidently intended
as mortars, in which to pour their corn.
while Others seemed to be molds. in
winch to form spoons and other imple-
ments. These cavities in rocks are
numerous IN this section, and near them
are always found beads, pottery, stone
implements, and other articles. The
ground near one of these mortised rocks
was strew with human teeth. 1t must
have been the place of business of an
Indian tooth-carpenter At famous
wash-hole near old Scull Shoals are a
set of stone steps, about the length and
dimensions OF stairs and perfectly
smooth and regular, beginning on the
bank and leading down to the bottom
of the river. They are evidently the
work OF some extinct race of men. but
for what purpose they were fashioned
no one can surmise. We did not see
these steps, but several reliable gentle
men told us of their existence A hor-
rible massacre once occurred at Soul
Shoals, across the river in Greene
County, that is still fresh in the minds
of the old people around here, and the
site of the cabin occupied bv the un-
fortunate family is still pointed ont.
The Oconee was then the boundary line
between the white and Indian country,
and on the east bank there resided an
industrious family named Thrasher, re-
lated to the people still living in Oconee
County by the name. There was fire.
quent trouble between the whites and
indians, as both races were constantly
crossing the border and COMMITTING
depredations. Some lawless whites
once crossed into the Indian country
and committed several eold-blooded
murders that stirred up the savage
blood of these people. In retaliation a
band of them crossed the river at Scull
Shoals and fell upon and murdered and
scalped the Thrasher family, five in
number. and escaped across the river.
After the murder the Indians stopped at
large rock near the roadside, still
pointed out, and cleaned and loaded
anew their guns. Tho pursuers that
followed found the rags and pieces of
wadding they had used for this purpose
An Indian trail once led across the
shoals, for in those days the river could
be here crossed by stepping from rock
to rock without even wetting the feet.
Gen. Clark, when pursuing The Indians
that eliminated in the battle of Jacks
Greek, crossed with his troops here
athens (Gn.0 Runner