Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22

years teacher in the Washington High School.
but who has for the last two years been chief
chemist for large sugar making firm in Don
JACKSONVILLE, La, - in the city to attsnd the
meeting Of the A A A. 8.
THE METEOROLOGICAL SECTION.
Several Very Instructive Papers Read 1t
the Session Today.
A row Of the oldest, most grotesque portraits
In colored crayons hung around the
room in which the anthropological SEQ
ton met yesterday. They represented Zuni
chiefs with their heads and faces covered with
clay masks, after the fashion Of these wonderful
people in some OF their weird dances. The
drawings were used by Frank Cushing, the
famous anthropologist, who lived for years
among the Zunis. His paper was entitled
"Outlines Of Zuni Creation and Migration
Myths Considered in Their Relation to the
ka-ka and Other Dramas or So-caled Dances. v
The paper detailed the essentially dramatic
and religio-sociologic character OF primitive
dances, the relation of the Zuni dances in their
makeup or personnel to the Gentes, and
In their ordering or organization to the
clusters or septs of Gentes or kinties the rea.
ton Of the paraphernalia, costumings, action,
| songs and rituals of them TO myths Of creation.
&c, and the character of primitive drama or
drsmaturgy as contrasted with civilized
df aaS dr comparing r ahem with 6r. the civ
always reproductive and dramaturgic,
shown by the supposed necessity Of dramatic
fidelity in unseen preparations for, no less than
In public enactment of, dramas. An example
was the repetition, In pantomime or otherwise,
of all portions of creation myths up TO begin
ming of specially dramatized legend or myth.
He also gave readings from outline my tins OF
creation and migration and commented on re-
lations Of these to ceremonisls of the priest
hood Of the Bowdrama of the origin Of corn,
describing the latter.
THE LENGTH OF GENERATION.
Prof c. NJ. Woodward, in his paper, THE
Length of a Generation" said that there were
three periods connected with vital statistics
likely to be confused, namely, the average
length Of human life, the average age of per-
sons now living and the average difference in
age between father and son. The last period,
he said constituted the length of a generation,
and has little TO do with the length Of life.
The Burial Customs of the Hurons" were
described by Chas. A. Hirschfelder of Toronto,
Canada, and then The Messiah Religion and
the Ghost Dance was discussed by Jas Mooney
OF the bureau Of ethnology, who spent last win
ter and spring with the wild tribes in the south
west investigating this subject under the au-
spices Of the Smithsonian. The idea of a Re-
deemer has been common to many savage
craze il by no means the first which has APP
peared among the Indians. although perhaps
the most widespread in extent. 1t originated
among the Piutes about twenty years ago, but
attracted no great attention until about two
years ago, when the prairie tribes sent q
large delegation to the Piute prophet to
learn the doctriae and the ceremonial songs
After crossing the mountains the new religion
spread rapidly among nearly all the tribes from
the British border to New Mexico. In its lead
ing idea it is an adoption of the white mani
doctrine Of a Redeemer for the confound
ing Of the white man himself. Civilization
and the stranger will be swept away
and the old Indian life will be re
stored. The movement 10 not warlike in any
sense. The frantic ghost dance under the
moonlight, with all the weird accompaniment
was described, together with the mesmeric per.
formances and the plaintive musical songs in
which the Indians recall the old happy life
that is gone from them. Mr.. Mooney is nov
preparing an elaborate work upon the subject
to be published by the bureau Of ethnology a
no distant day.
STUDY OF DWARF.
''Study Of . Dwarf" by Frank Baker, fol
lowed.
This was an interesting paper, giving anthro
pometric and vital statistics with reference t.
an abnormally small man here in Washington
who has been watched and studied for years BY
DIR. Baker. His observations OF the little mar
were compared with the observations of othel
students.
paper entitled Evidences Of the High
Antiquity Of Man in America" was presented
by Thomas Wilson. Mr.. Wilson believes thai
America contains evidences sufficient to found
an hypothesis of the extreme antiquity Of
man. He presented with his argument
fossil human skull Of iron from Sar
asota bay, Fla, and also human vertebra and
ribs incased in hard stratified sandstone from
IN Cnta hnxr 10 Il "a H., H..
examples, the calaverous skull, stone mortar
and pestles from under the basalt and amon(
the auriferous gravels OF California.
SOME ARCHAEOLOGICAL coNTRAvENTIoNs.
In q paper entitled 'Some Archaeological
Contraventions," by Gerard Fowke, it is state,
that since the first decade Of the present cen
| fury speculation has been active concernin,
the origin, identity and fate of the mounS
builders. Students have taken greatly di
| vergent views and have arrayed themselves il
| two opposing ranks, the one side advocat
ing the theory Of race POSSESSING
high degree Of culture and thu
were but Indians, whose state Of culture ha
been much overrated. A careful review Of tn,
| positions upon the numerous points in disput,
seems to indicate that the advantage is with
the advocates Of primitive condition for thes,
people.
Other papers presented, some only read BY
title, were; ION Bone, Copper and Slate.Imple
| ments Found in Vermont" by G. II. Perkins
ION the Distribution Of Stone Implements in
the Tde-water Province" by W. II. Holmes
Aboriginal Novsculite Quarries in Arkan-
sas," BY W. H. Holmes; Games Of Te.
ton Dakota Children" by James Owen Dorsey
Geographical Arrangement Of Prehistoric OBJ
jects in the US. National Museum" Thos.
| Wilson; "Curious Forms Of Clipped Stone I'm
plements Found in Italy, Honduras and the
United States" Thos. Wilson; ''Inventions OF
Antiquity" Thos. Wilson; ''Study of Auto
matte Motion" Joseph Jsstrow; "Rsce survi-
walls and Race Mixture in Great Britain" W. Il
Babcock."
THE COURTS.
PloBkTx CouIT-Chief Jusfios Biagham