Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-10-03
ORIGINAL KEHHEBE cKEas.
4 Large ard Pine Collection Ct Thar
Primitive rmpismsGts Found at
Moosahezd.

!
Moosshezd
| Capt- Chas. r. Nash and Mr.. S.sphen
A. Russell returned. this week, from
Aoosehesd Lake. where they parsed sever
al weeks near the ''outies-" During their
stay there. they collected abog. four hun-
dsed specimens Of the primitive Indian
implements.
As 10 well krosu. Capt Mash has for
years devoted his leisure from the cares Of
. large publishing business. in collecting
specimens Of implements WHICH the orig
aAI tribe Of the X nsshees let; behind
them, en- and sbsH. the sites Of their
aneisns camping places siong the Kenne-
bee, from what il Eow Fort Poph.m 10
years, bis collection had become sufficiently
somIls.s TO attract the attention Of those
interested in saeh ms,,efs ,aad considerable
has been written concerning it. With this
new acquisition, ~hich Mr.. Nash brought
back with him fran " 1ossheaa. his entire
collection IS nov the largest gni most COM |
piste private collection in this State. asd
80 public collection can show any such
relies of ila. ancient tribe Ut red uea on
whose lands The people along the Kennebee |
nov d~en
All, or nine-ienti-. Of the stone lmpl.- |
msats made BY this tribe were fashioned |
from the VT. kineo flint, which il dark |
slmos. siate eolored. The indian artiacer |
brought this from kine1 A. far south as
Fort Pophim and several arrow head, have
been found there almost a. dark eolored as
the original. The greater part Of the stone |
relics, hoSeyer. have been bleached By sun |
and water or have the shade Of the earth in |
which they have been so long buried. All |
things Indicate tina, this tribe Of Indians
found their great quarry a, Mt. Kireo.
While very few really handsome spsci- |
msas ~ers found By Msssrs. Nash and /
Russell, the collection is none the less val
liable. a. all bear the marks Of great age
hasiag doubtless been fashioned before the |
advent of the white man. Had these relics
been of iron or bronze they would NOT have
been found at this late day ia such parfec,
ooadili)n as Are these stone fragments.
Mr. Na,h says that he found excellent
specimens even IN peoples door yards.
where for years they had been kicked
about a. mere pieces Of stone. Two or
three perfect specimens of spear heads
were found that 1t i, believed were buried
with some noted copper colored warrior.
The greater part, however, were unfinished,
either because broken in the process of
construction. or left behind
The 'osehesd Lake region is compsra-
lively unsesrehed for trace, OF the aboris-
ines. and hence this collection by Mr..
Nash is the largest he ever made. He
located the sites Of seven different camps
while Oh this trip, within 4 radius OF three
miles. Here and there fragments Of Jas
per implements were found, but these were
brought from out of the State Some es-
cellent fosslliferous rocks were found
among other things.
How the mag aation will afret a person
Who contepplates such collection, Here
been thrown away. Too much time and
skill were employed in fasliioning it..
Reasonable then is it not, to suppose Il e
grave Of some chieftsin to have given up,
not the lordly Sycamore buried there but
the perfect specimen of a genius that
wrought better than he knew. Here Is
another frSgmentary half Of spear head
VIII eli evidently had been fashioned and
used. What shall we suppose tha. ur-
civilized barbarian said when he broke his
costly weapon. We can imagine what
under the circumstances. Picture the old
Indian artiticer, he who wrought with
infinite tact and patience on these pieces of
ilnty rock. Some think he was a slave.
but opinions differ. Like all his people It
is safe to presume tina: he didn't take ad-
vantage of dull times in which to repleaisb
his stock for use in case of a war or hunt
ing exepe dition. but awaited the spur Of
necessity. When he had chosen hs piece
of flint he began wiki the fine work first.
fsshioning the point and sharp edges, chip
ping oil tiny pieces At a time with skill
that No white man could fol'"~. Pres
nrntly is found stone from which poin,
and edge have been wrought out. ald then
in reducing tie body % proper shape
treacheruus rift IN the rock. heretofore I'M
suspec ed is struck, the half made wea.
pom breaks. and labor has been vain.
No doubt tiis old arrow maker had q fame
among his people, 4. any rate be had an in
dividuality that may lc detected from the
fashion of his products. Tie expert can
readily see that the arrow heads found in
sidney, for instance. were made by diff
ferent hani than that VIII eh shaped these
Noosohsal specimens Among the latter
/, stcne weighing two ounces through the
center Of which hole has been neatly
drilled What for? Doubtless to afford
some Maine Pocihontas an ear or nose
pendant.
This fine collection which Mr.. Nash las
with much zeal gathered together will
probably be given to some museum.