Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-23

There have been collected from this one
small spot fully 900 turtle backs Of the two
forms, greater number than has been found
heretofore in the whole Potomac province and
why? There can be, Mr.. Holmes says. but one
answer: This spot is the great workshop and
these things are the failures. Out Of l 400
specimens that have been examined carefully
there were only twelve that approached any
where near perfection. The conclusion to be
derived from consideration of these figures is
that all perfect specimens, and they alone, have
been carried away as being the entire product
of the shop. The heaps remaining are COM
posed of the rejected and defective materials.
The rough fashioning Of the boulders at the
quarry was only the first part of the work
mans task. 1t is more than likely that those
specimens that seemed suitable for further
working were taken back to their villages and
homes to be completed at their leisure.
THE AGE AND THE RACE
When asked by the reporter as to the age
and race to which these workmen belonged,
Mr.. Holmes said that if the evidence is not
decidedly in favor of great age, the natural
conclusion is that the race concerned il the
Red Indian, for he is well known to US as an
actual occupant of the region, while his time.
though coming down to ours and therefore
recent, is not at all well defined upon the other
limit. II, on the contrary. the evidence fayors
occupation is still remote from the present and
apparently behind that of which we have
knowledge through history-we shall be war
ranted In advocating the existence Of people
distinct from the Indian and belonging to
another and earlier stage of culture.
An examination Of the quarry shop refuse
makes it apparent that the period Of occupa-
ton was very long. The Accommodations of
worked material are Of enormous extent and
remarkable thickness; their great degree of
compactness Is also notable feature. At the
same time it can hardly be claimed that these
facts can help materially in settling the ques-
ton OF their age. The same may be said OF the
growth of forest trees upon the site. A fine
chestnut fully a century old stands upon the
surface of bed Of refuse which is filled with
artificial remains, and that to q depth not even
penetrated by the strongest roots, but the age
OF tree or Of many generations of trees will
not carry us back beyond the age Of the Indian
Mr. Holmes thought there was no geological
evidence to carry the history of man in this
place back beyond the age OF the Indian, and a
number OF things conspire to contne it to that
period.
There is no evidence Of q cultural kind
that points significantly toward another race
Mining and quarrying arc well-known accom-
plishments OF the red man and We have here
on Rock creek and near at hand soapstone
quarries that no one wo1ld think of attributing
to any other people. The mounds and shell
heaps bear equal or greater evidence of an
tlqulty than do the remains upon this site,
The Indian known to us dwelt in very con-
siderable numbers in this region and his vii
lagos were scattered throughout all these
charming valleys He quarried stone and
worked stone by taking and he used all forms
Of tools found both within and without this
quarry site. Considering these facts Mr..
Holmes believes it would be unwise to seek in
haste TO Suppressed de him by any unidentified or
unknown race.