Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-11

during The brief snd hurried intervals Of
an extensive and enctiny practice for
the psst twenty years. which has been on
Of high success h his profession, Dr.. W
Soon Hill Of this city has devoted muci
time to study Of die language, hissor
and antiquities Of the sbosi ginal tribes o
America. This study could have onl
been pursued With the satisfactory result,
which 1t has bu. for the most thorough sys
TEN 10 pursuing Ii, = system by which
odd monents Of time have been utilized
and their work 90 arranged as to admit o,
no duplication. The general resua OF
this study have been the collection Of
Considerable library CT books on Iadian
history and language. the formation Of
private cabinet Of Indian relies and ant!qa-
ities which is surpassed By but few pr vss.
collections Of Ike sasurs IN the State, and
. knovIedse Of the language Of the Abnati
Indians which gives to DR.. Hill the dis,inc-
ton Of being the bes: Indian scholar in
Msine-especially in knowledge Of geo.
graphical Dames--siace the late d.. Edsard
Ballard. It requires logged per...ercy
akin to genius to dig Away for hours a. the
uneouth. almost uninteilisabie and unpro-
noa1ceable names found in Rale's ,liction.
arr, bot when this kind Of mental recreation
becomes pleasure, one is Only surprised
At the fae:. But DIR. Hill eujoyes this cot,
OF digging next to that of digging for
soofiginal remains about the well known
hsaats of the Indisns Of Kennebec and
Androscosgin c3unties. Of which kinl OF
work ne has done great deal.
He is familiar with the old
camping grounds Of the Indian, sbou.
our rivers and lakes many Of which have
been personally examined and studied by
DR.. Hill much having been done by him
towards identifying and locating many of
these intesesting historic points. A, result
of the.e studies aud explorations DR.. Hill
has gathered a most Interesting prehistoric
cabinet containing many exceedingly rare
relics and remsias. Among these are sbou,
twenty gouges and pestles, large coliec-
ton of spear and arrow heads, strings of
wsmpum. kaives, specimens Of Indian cary
log upon rocks and q fine lot of Indiar
pottery. On one of his last expedi.
tons just previou, to the closing Of the
g. uud this fall DR.. Hill dug out an old
Indian fireplace at an Interesting point in
this county. rich in Indian history. This
was one of the most extensive fads thai
ever rewarded the persistent explorations
of the genial Doctor and he is Justly very
proud OF the results. This fad consisted
of about sky fragments Of Indian pottery,
the largest and most interesting lot from
one locality that we ever remember of hav-
there fragments exhibit fee traciugs of
Indian decorative art, and one of them is
fully six times as large as any other speci-
men we have seen in other collections in
this vicinity. A few of the places have
been restored and joined together Dy DIR
Hill as In their oris inal order before broken.
This rich collection is Justly an object OF
grea. pride with DR.. Hill. and frequen'
additions are being made to it. He is
member of the Maine II storical Societ,
and We hope before long to see his studies
of Maine Indian Geographical Names TAX
the form of paper for the Societies Pro-
ceedings.