The Forrest City times., 1891-02-06
QUEER INDIAN RELICS.
SOME OF THEM FOUND DOWN
 GEORGIA.
Evidsrees also Found of q Race that Antedated the Indian Bimself-Qussr Utensils, Arms and Other Things They
 Played Gamcs-Pipes.

heart DelonGing to rival tribe, would be considered q fit county into which n missionary should be sent This TO- nance may be repeated for Nachoo- chee. with the addition that the hero inc, in stead Of being dashed to pieces was buried with honor in the valley below, and the exact spot is shown to i travellers.
 l This region was certainly the favor cd resort of very advanced tribe of l Indians, and Nacoochee valley was their home and burial ground. as Is evidenced hy the many curious and weil-carved relics found there. Capt Nicholls, whose home is in the centre Of the valley. has a large cabinet of them, all found around his house. which is. perhaps. the finest collection in Georgia, except the one in posses sion of Col Charles c. Jones of Augusta Some Of them were found by tho miners on Dukes Creek, while others were taken from Indian graves that surround the mound in front Of Capt. Nichoils's house. This aborigi- nal cemetery was accidentally discov- cred by Capt. Nichols, and every grave he opens adds to his store of relics IL seems that the ground around the mound was covered with rock piles and Capt Nichols set to work to remove them. Beneath each pile were found human bones. mixed with arrow heads. beads, battleaxes. pipes and other indestructibie articles Of sport. domestic use. md war. But the most interesting relics taken from these graves were conch shells. evil dently brought from the seashore, and a tomahawN beaten from pure copper in it's natural state. though the nearest point on the continent where such copper is found is Lake Superior Capt. Nichols argues that those ln- dians had communication and com mercial relations with the tribes in- habitlng both the northern and south ern borders
 Among the relies found in this val 5 it3 "AS ~ OAfi6L iIhue oi ichi it a rough state. There is tradition that the Indians here miued their own lead but the place where they procured it has never been found. even if 1t ex- ists. The only mineral discovered in the valIey is gold. and the richest mines in the South arc here On DusSe's creek was found q small death head formed Of hard black stone. with one eye made of an opal. beauti- fully worked. and the little trinket shows considerable artistic skill. This relic, together with others of similar character. must have been imported by some ono from Mexico
 Capt Nlcholls oxplai the use of numerous Indian relics. throwing u food of light on the subject. For in. stance. those round and saucer-shaped stones of various sizes were used to play game similar to quoits, at which the Indians gambled. Instead of pitching the stones they rolled them at pegs. The wedge shaped stones were employed to dress hides. while the small ones wero used to work sinews with. Their tomahawks wore ot n separate shape, and their axes, irstead of having the handle pass through them. were enclosed in a split stick, securely fastened with thongs. There was u separate malss of tomahawk, used by tho chiefs and worn Ut the belt for display. that was sharpened at both sides, and hole partially drilled in the center. This was valuable discovery. as it showed how the Indians worked this hard stone with only the rudest imple- ments.
 There arc several very fine speci- mons of pipes. including a piece of a pipe of peace. One pipe excavated on Dukes Creek. Is very valuable relic, and the United States govern ment had a cast made Of it, as Capt Nieholls would not part with his trea- sure It Is carved out of rock, and the bowl is made to represent the mouth of whip-poor- tho heak O. an eagle projecting over 1t. The ears o' fox and other iisuros are also chiselled on it. IL is as iine carving as ono would wish to see
 There arc mum Der Of graves around the mound not yet opened. Capt Nichols says the mound in front ot his house, which he has plautol with flowers and ornamentel with a sum mcr-house. is just as he found 1t whom hs bought tho place. It's surfaca is flat. and from it's summit fine yiow of the upper portion ot the valley can be had. No excavation has ever been made in this mound as it's shape and other evidences known to the ethnol- ogists show that 1t was built by race antedating tho Indians. who did not mako these mounds storage place for their treasures. The tumuli in which relics are found were reared by In. dians, and used as a trlb Il bnrying place. They would strip the nesh i from the bones Of their dead and burn | it. and whea sufficient number oi skeletons were collected. would deposit them. together with the property of toe skeleton. on sutable spot and arect one of the mounds oTee them. Small Joksrs.