St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-14
A Wonderful Arena at Medi-
cine Butte, on the Sioux
Reservation.
Peculiar Excavations in the
Mountain Sides and Many
Queer Formations.
Evidence That the Ancestors
Of the Chinese Abided
Among These Hills.
Bloody Fights Between Mann
moths Witnessed From the
Mountain Windows.
Special Letter to the Globe.

Special LetlcT ID Tie OlOUc.
CHAMBERLAIN, Oak. Jan. 12.-Ameri-
cas- wonderland is not confined to the
Yellowstone park, nor the famous YOSe-
mite valley. While they are existing
of to-day, and their beauties
are unsurpassed, they awake no emo
tons of the mysterious past and do not
recall to the imagination the strange
events that have passed into oblivion,
and which are discovered and brought
to light by the merest accident. Medi-
cine Butte, sixty miles west of here on
the Sioux reservation, has history
that is as legible as though it was writ
ten in the purest language and stamped
with the name of the most truthful and
enlightened historian. Its history is
written in the wonderful excavations
and great arena, which, taken together.
mark it as the coliseum of a mighty
past. 1t is silent now, and the shouts
of the multitude, which centuries ago
was waited on the wings of the winds,
has died away, while only the bones of
the different animals which were sacri-
feed to make an enjoyable holiday, and
which are now lying about the arena,
mark out the spot where the sports of
other days were witnessed. On the east
side of this elevation is an open valley,
about 100 feet wide, which. after run
ming westward about 500 feet, termi-
mates in large arena about 1000 feet
in circumference. The walls which
surround this arena are perpendicular
in height for about forty feet, when they
gradually slope to the summit. 1t was
not carved out by the hands of man, but
is the work of Nature. In fact, it would
seem that Medicine Butte
is AN EXTINCT VOLCANO,
and many peculiar formations in its
vicinity would tend to establish that
belief. Be that as it may, the fact re-
mains that it was used by people who
have long since passed away, as an am
phitheater where they cOngregated to
witness the bloody battles of the man.
moths which inhabited this country at
that remote period. All around the
arena and situated one above the other,
like SO many windows, are little caves
which are entered from the rear. In
those safe retreats would the spectators
await with Impotence the saw
age onslaught in the arena below.
1t is presumed, from the size and con-
figuratiOn of the bones which have sur
vived the erOding processes OF time,
that the animals engaged in those ferO-
ciOuS and mortal cOmbatS belonged to
species of which the lion and tiger are
now the representatives, only they were
much larger. Mixed with these bones
are others which belonged to some
species of ruminant, and it was custom
airy, no doubt, to furnish the victor with
a dainty feast after his prolonged con-
test with mightier opponent:
IN ri
spring upon his trembling
victim and rend him to pieces, satiating
his ravenOus appetite with his warm
blood. Rome, in her palmy days, when
the Coliseum was her great center of at
traction, might have boosted of
a Weather and more enlightened gath
ering than that which gathered to wit
ness the conflicts in this arena, but GER
tainly not more enthusiastic one, and
one which has left no legible history of
its existence. But we will not despair, for
the early future may unraval the history
of those times, and bring to light the
origin, methods of life and possibly the
literature of that forgotten people. AL
ready there has been found certain
smooth fiat stones which are covered
with inscriptions, and lately cipher,
which is supposed to be key to the
-.
and which, it is believed, will unfold
mysteries that will surpass the
Widest FLIGHTS OF IMAGINATION.
This is the old world. and long before
the pyramids were built, long before
Memoirs statue had been erected. and
had burst into melody under the .infiu-
ence of the rays of the morning sun,
this portion of creation had grown old
and was rapidly passing into decay. To
the students of antiquity, what a field
for research this opens up, while to the
imaginative mine, capable of weaving
romance, what a fountain to draw
from. There are little things con-
nected with this discovery which
may open to sight the origin of the In
dian tribes, and possibly settle the Ques-
ton concerning the relation of this
country and the coast of Asia, now sep
arated by Behring's strait. There is
one thing that raises the possibility that
those ancient people who lived in the
vicinity of Medicine Butte in remote
ages were either of Chinese origin, or that
the present inhabitants of the Chinese
empire are descended from them. Here
is the little fragile link, which, it is
believed, will complete the chain of
evidence, and prove beyond doubt the
statements which have just been sub
mitted. In each one of those little
caves which surround the arena are
elevations resembling diminutive fur
naces. There is an opening connected
with them so that the smoke could
escape upward, and they, no doubt.
were the chimneys. Many of
those furnaces still contain
ashes and after being submitted
to careful analysis by competent
OF hn @l,o &
which they are the remnants is not in
existence now, and he has examined
everything now known on the subject,
but without being able to gain any in
formation relative to it. To complete
this evidence, small vessels of peculiar
design and elegant workmanship have
been found, which fit exactly the OPEN
ings in those furnaces, and are believed
to have
BEEN USED FOR BOILING WATER.
Most wonderful of all, though, are the
little cups resembling chinaware and
bearing figures which resemble in their
general outline the designs used by the
Chinese at the present time.
The following conclusion must be the
true one, and offers solution as to what
these vessels were used for. In the
first place, it must be admitted that
this ancient coliseum was opened for
holiday sports and great Occa-
sions; that frequently the spectators
would become thirsty. or wanted
to stay for the night entertainment. In
either case, they could start fire in the
furnace, and having provided them
selves with water beforehand, they
could make cup of hot tea, assuage
their nirst and enjoy kind Of q mild