The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-30
INDIAN RELICS.
HOW. WHEN AND WHERE TO FIND
THEM.
Many Good Fields FOR Exploration
Iomabawk,, Battle axes. spear
Heads. arrow Points ana PONIES
ne Utensils Easily Found.
written for The Times

Written for the Times.
Considering the vast sums OF money
spent by foreign governments and often
by private enterprise in searching for
the sites Of ancient cities and other an
tiquitics Of Europe and Asia, 1t Is
strange that so little interest Is mani
tested by Americans in the antiquities
of their own country. which is so Iich
in the remains of the prehistoric people
who once inhabited this country.
Leaving out OF the question the ethno-
logical and anthropological bearing Of
these remains Of the lost tribes, 1t would
appear that the natural curiosity, TO
say nothing Of the pleasurab'e exercise
10 both the body and mind that 1t would
afford. would induce the formation OF
an Indian Relic Club az part or an adj
iunct TO the Society for the preserva-
tion of Virginia Antiquities that Is
DOW attempted TO be formed. whose
duties it should be 10 explore the
beautiful fields that environ this city
on all sides. and every acre OF when
contains some memento of that interest
ing race. the American Indian, either
IN craven image. pipe, tOmahawk or
spear-head. which are the only monu-
ments of that mysterious race to he
found. and by which. if ever. their bis
tory is 10 be written. Relics of the
stone age in this vicinity are so plen-
.eous that ono is constantly reminded
of the truth of the poet Bryant in his
incompatible Thanatopsis that the
dead are everywhere, and that
"Ai that tread
The alono are Tut handful to the Tribes
That slunbcr i'm IFS bosom
And millions in these sOlitudes since INST
The nignts OF years began, have laid them
IN their last sleep"
To people Of q Retrospective aud eth
nologic bent of mind the
STUDY OF THE AMERICAN SAVAGE
opens a rich and unexpected mine.
which can be found and studied
nowhere else Oh The American Cont
uent. t0botter advantage than right al
our door. where SO many evidences OF
tine prehistoric map still remain
from which alone we can CLEAN inior-
nation of his mysterious presence and
habiiatiOn here.
Within AN hours walk of the capitol
building are TO be found many evlden-
eos Of the red men of the stone age. en-
bracing such flint implements as spear
heads. tomahawks, sinkers. scrapers'
etc. Delicate white quartz arrow points
ranging from the size of a ten cent sill
yer coin 10 one as large a the hand
may DE found. They are Of every type
hape and make 10 be found IN the
United States. aud i'm many cases
are Identical in material and form to
those found on the continent
II Europe. Alongside Of ponderouS
battle-axes and spear-heads as large as
Che hand. are 20 be found specimens OF
the domestic arts also. such asstOne yes
sells. m0rtars and oarthen pottery, fish
hooks and stone implements used for
scrapug hides, aud personal ornaments
AID triukets. notably stone and shell
beads. perhaps the self same ornaments
worn bv the Princess POcahOntas. And
Dv the way. there Is no richer and bet
Ter field i'm which TO find prehistoric
remains than the very seat of POwha-
tan himself. which is scarcely outside
of the corporation Of Richmond. This
SPOT is AN Inexhaustible mine.
TO the unnitiated in the art OF hunt
inc and finding these relics OF a pas
race. aud who are DESTROYS of forming q
collection. We would say that the sea
son for hunting them is in the late fal
or early spring time when the earth II
bare of grass and other vegetation
When these and such tangled masses
have disappeared, old cornfelds and
fields of wheat recently s0wn. upor
which has fallen several beating rains
which tend TO uncover the lmpie
ments and thus expose them to view
are excellent places upon which 10 hunt
/ II is quite useless TO explore fields tina
have vegetation on them. or that hsv'
been long plOwcd. Recently fallowec
fields upon which the clods of freshly
turned earth have not been dissolved bN
fans are poor fields. and are not ~ortl
"a walk over The same may be sai'
Of stiff cay lands. as implements ar
rarely found in them.