Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-20
THE ANrHRoPoLoGisrs
Many Interesting Papers Read In section II
Today.

Many Interesting Papers Read In section II
Today.
Over hundred interested authropologists.
many of them ladies, gathered at the meeting
Of section Il and listened to several valuable and
interesting papers. The first paper was .
rather lengthy one on THE Essentials of Q
Good Education, With New Classification of
knowledge" by VIM. Il. Seaman. He pointed
out the relations of classical education to the
beginning OF our public school system Of edu-
cation and the influence of classical ideas on
the subjects selected for instruction. The rise
OF modern scientific ideas and their introduce
ton into schemes of instruction and the vari-
GUS systems Of the classification of knowledge
were described. new system, believed by the
speaker to set forth more clearly than others
the mutual relations of the different parts of
human knowledge in a manner adapted to show
what the necessary essentials OF good educa-
ton really are, was deliberately outlined. The
changes or notifications in our present sys-
TENS required to adapt them to modern ideas
were set forth. In conclusion Mr.. Seaman
spoke OF the influence scientific men may and
should exert on public opinion to secure i'm.
provement in the schemes Of public school in
structon.
The second paper was entitled s'The Custom
OF kava Drinking as Practiced by the Papuans
and Poiynesians" and was presented by Walter
Hough. He began by describing the plant
giving the chemical composition of the roo,
and telling in detail about the preparation Of q
narcotic beverage therefrom. The ceremonies
connected with the drinking Of kava formed an
interesting part of the subject. The apparatus
for kava preparation, serving and the effects OF
the drug were all described and a comparison
of kava with other beverages prepared by
chewing was made. The origin and propaga-
N n a,,l aE,
some remarks upon narcotics and stimulants
the paper closed with notices of the use OF fer
mented drinks among rude tribes, which served
to indicate how widespread such habits are.
MAI. PowELL's PAPER.
The following paper was IA Linguistic Map
of North America" by Maj. ]. W. Powell.
An immense map Of the continent, covered
with patches of all sorts of color, served az
the text of Maj. PoweIrs remarks. The color
lngsof the various sections indicated the areas
over which various languages were spoken,
just as states might be outlined in a map Of the
America of today.
The next paper was sentient of sunny Mexico,
its title being "Jade Implements from Mexico
and Central America" 1t was by Thomas
Wilson and was not very long. He began by
describing jade, the generic term for the hard,
proportion to size, used for iewelry and imple-
ments by many ages of man. He presented
those from Mexico and Central America in the
National Museum, showing the work done
thereon, and closed by describing the differ
ences among jades OF various countries and
various ages.
Mr.. Wilson then read another paper describ-
ing and giving the history, so tar as it is
known, OF a collection OF ancient gold orna-
ments from the United States of Colombia. He
exhibited the quaint, time-worn jewelry that
ages ago may have ornamented some tropical
MT
may have been.
''Siouan Onomatopes Interjections and Pho
netic Types" was the title OF the next paper,
which was presented by ]. Owen Dorsey. 1t
was the only paper presented to the section to-
day which dealt with anthropological language.
1t treated mainly of the onomatopes and sound
roots The interjections and the phonetic
types OF the Dhegiha, language spoken by the
Omaha and Ponka tribes of the SiOuan or Da-
kotan linguistic family, was his text. The
writer had collated, as far as possible, the
Dheglha examples given in his paper with their
equivalents III seven other Siouan languages.
While many roots now denote the effects of GER
tain acts, 1t is very probable that some of them
originally referred to the sounds made in pro-
ducing those effects. He referred to the
English writer who, in the last century, col
lected number of examples in his own Ian
sonants at the beginning of a word generally
designates the class Of ideas intended to be
conveyed by it.
STONE PIPES FROM VERMONT.
]. H. Perkins paper, ION Collection OF
Stone Pipes From Vermont" followed. This
paper consists of the exhibition Of collection
OF typical specimens Of stone pipes found in
Vermont, with remarks on their variety and q
general account Of such specimens as have been
found in the state. The rude pipes of roughly
cut stone were spread over President Jastrom's
table and were examined by many Of the spec.
tators. The whole subject of anthropological
Vermont as elucidated by these stone pipes
was discussed.
1.-THE Importance and Methods of the Science
Of Comparative Religion" was the title of a
rather lengthy paper presented by Mervin
Marie Smell. He pointed out that the phenom-
ena of religion are among the most impor tant
with which anthropological science has to deal
The early history OF all sciences and arts is
bound up with them and they have an I'M
portant bearing upon the problems connected
with the Psychological and photographic de-
veiopment of mankind.
There is, he said, growing recognition of
the Importance of the study of religions. 1t lie
pursued by individual scholars in all parts OF
the world; in Germany, Italy, England and the
United States there are institutions of learning
in which some attention is paid at least to the
great oriental religions. in connection with
and Belgium the study of comparative religion
is not only pursued with industry and ardor,
but there are number Of university chairs de-
voted to it, and at Paris it has several maya
zines and magnificent museum-the Musee
Guimet.
The field is vast and the ground has thus far
only begun to be broken. More analytic work
is especially needed. Every cult, however SEEM
ingly Insignificant. for instance, the ninsty-six
sects of Hinduism, must be carefully, thor
oughly and impartially examined before the
higher synthetic work can be satisfactorily
done, the broad lines Of development with GER
tainty laid down and the multitude Of phe-
nomena properly classified and accounted for.
1t is aii-important that every system and
every aspect of every system should be taken
into consideration. No one must exempt from
examination the religion which he himself pro-
fesses. Rash assumptions at this stage of the in
vestigation are to be avoided and generalizations
regarding the evolution of religion should be
based upon the known historical development
of those systems whose history can be traced
rather than upon . comparison Of coexisting
systems.
ANARCHISTS NOT RECOGNIZED.