The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-03
STUDIES IN INDIAN ARcHEolooY.

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They have started what they call q "De-
partnent of Archaeology" i'm brooklyn,
and the Eagle thus reports the first meet
ing:
Professor Hopper closed his remarks with an
explanations of AN exceedingly fine east Of "a Ne
andeitl,a, skull which lay among the large num-
bier OF specimens ON exhibition. Then followed
the event Of the evening. which WAS IDr. Joseph
Hunts explanation and description Of his large
collection of archaeological specimens, which he
had kindly placed upon exhibition upon several
tables for the benefit Ut the department. Rev. J.
l.. Zabriskir then told of some finds which he
bany, I'm the shape Of flakes and p~estles. Ir. l..
Il. NJ. Mceker gave some information TO the ef-
feet that the Digger Indians still used flint and
Oi,sidian In the making of various articles. Dr
l.. a.. Jones gave interesting information with
regard tO palGolithic and neolithic stones.
1t strikes one that Brooklyn is rather an
out of the way place for such q society,
the facilities for gathering specimens i'm
her immediate vicinity being limited to
say the least. Still the can
spend their summer vacations at places
where they can find something of the
kind, and many "A winter evening may he
spent i'm profitable discussion of the same.
The writer remembers attending a similar
meeting i'm the cafe at Jackass Hill, Skad-
lien county. Texas, just over the indian
Territory 10 Iildary, i'm the fall OF -SS8, and
IA very entertaining and instructive session
il was. The gathering was of an informal
and impromptu character, hut when the
conversation driftcd to indian archaeology
nearly every gentleman present had
something OF interest to offer. Professor
Sandy Wallop, the proprietor Of the cafe,
and the leading business man of the
place, said he supposed he had assisted
i'm the archaeology of more Indians
He drew from under thc bar
u inctliurn-sized soap box containing u
choice collection of specimens, gathered
for the most part ~ himself. He called
especial attention To n remarkable fine
Chocktaw skull, which, he observed, was
one of his earliest efforts i'm this particu-
lar field. A premium of $3.50 had been
offered for this skull, and he had had con-
siderable difficulty in securing IL from its
former possessor, being Obliged to chase
him four miles before c~onsuinnlating the.
transfer. A portion of the occiput was
missing, having been lost i'm the excite
mcnt of the chase, but otherwise the skull
was i'm u fine state of preservation. Prof.
\ wallop next placed on exhibition another
skull, which Inc had obtained under sonie-
what similar circumstances. II vas con-
siderabiy battered and bruised, and the
professor explained that this defective
condition WAS due To linz fact that for
several months he had kept the skull fast
cncd to the top of IL long pole standing in
n perpendicular position i'm the front yard
Of the cafe. The skull prov
al a good drawing card,
for the travelling public would go miles
oNAt SI NlltIT way w eEliD way NltA
their rcvolvcrs. Experience showed, how
ever. that guests on leaving the cafe be
held IL multiplicity of poles and skulls in
all directions, an error OF vision which
was continually provocative OF strife and
turmoil among the population, to say
nothing of the destruction wrought upon
the windows of the cafe and very fire.
quently upon it's bartenders. Finally the
professor hauled down his flag.
A gentleman, whose name we do not al
| this s,snpas.pnt rqxpnl1. INIT who WAS OnR nj
the foremost citizens OF Skadden county,
and who by comma consent became the
owner of Jackass Hill whenever he paid
ii n visit, beGReh leave to differ with the
last speaker when he said that he had as
sisted i'm the archaeology of more Indians
Than any other gentleman present. He
himself was clearly entitled to that honor
He had ON his ranch the largest
fndian sR"S. in the country. and he
would be pleased to exhibit them tc
theR gentlemen ut any time. In 1879 he and
his neighbors through sheer Ignorance
and stupidity lost all their hogs by starva
ton. IL did not occur to them until IL was
too late that there WAS plenty of hog foot
only n few miles away, which could bt
had for the cost of hauling. The mex
winter they knew what to do. II was q
very cold day when they could not picl
Oft three or four Indians, and these chop
ped up and mixed with the kitchen REFUSE
made u swill upon which the pigs thrivet
wonderfully. Once they were in unusila
luck. The learned that all the males of
certain village had gone oil to fight will
another tribe, leaving their squaws ant
children behind. The speaker and his IN
s~ociates by n daring stroke of entire en-
terprise succeeded in capturing thes,
women and children. They were afraid
they killed them oil at once, thu
meat would spoil on their hands. :,
they packed them away i'm their cellar
alive. intending tn kill and feed them 4
the hogs as fast as occasion required
But after a week ar two am unforeseen diff
ficulty arose. The crop began tn withel
away on account of starvation, and tn
old danger of the stuff spelling on thei
hands was renewed. After dcliberation
n conclusion was reached, which altiougl
il involved some expense. was OH tn
whole very satisfactory. They killed
hog or two now and then and fed tn
SOU Avs and children enough to keep ther
i'm fairly good condition until il was tim
tn feed them tn the remaining hogs. Thi
plan neccssitcd the sacrifice of only fiv
hogs i'm all, and the other hogs increase,
i'm size enough to make up for those VIII
were killed ten times over. The spcake
hoped the gentlemen would call down q
his ranch and see his interesting pile &
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