The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-19
PREHISTORIC AMERICANS.

PREHISTORIC AMERICANS.
Prof. Putnam's Wonderful Exhibition to
Be Made Mt the Fair.
Chicago, June 1S.-Al possible phases Of
prehistoric men in America and the life of
the aborigines at the time of the landing OF
Columbus will be illustrated at the Worlds
Columbian exposition by the department OF
archaeology and %ethnology. Prof. +. w.
Putnam, of Harvard university, is the chief
of this department, and is pronounced the
most competent man i'll America for the
position. He has been granted $4,000 for
immediate work in his department., and has
already begun with great enthusiasm the
task Of collecting and preparing q most ex-
tensivs exhibit. He has arranged with the
Perry expedition to Greenland to get models
OF Eskimos and their huts and equipments.
A similar collection will be made from a
tribe OF Aleuts. He has planned to repro
duce portions of the celebrated stone
ruins in Yucatan. For several weeks,
tions awe been progressing in the vicinity
of Fort Ancient, o., the greatest known
earthworks Of the mound bullkers. "A
large number of skeletons, some OF them In
q good state of preservation, has beon ex-
humed. and numerous stone utensils ana
| VARIOUS OTQuIu6UtS OuANs kAoNOo ILL
skeletons within them will be shown at the
exposition in exactly the same state, except
for the earth covering them. in which they
nave existed for thousands of years. Prof.
Putnam recently outlined as follows his
iGeas of the exhibit which his department.
will make at the exposition:
1.-THE conditions under which man was
living whom his existence in America is
first traced, will be shown in diaRramatic
paintings representing the terminal por-
tions Of tho ice sheet, with the clay and
gravel deposits and boulders at the edge,
the fora and fauna of the time, and man
associated with animals since extinct.
This series is planned to contain the
skeletons of the mammoth and the
mastodon, with mounted specimens of
northern animals living at that early period
far south of their present abode. With
portions of skeletons of man will be OBJ
iects of handiwork and other representa-
connection with the inhabitants Of the Els
kimo. models Of men, women and children
will be shown, made from casts taken and
colored from life and dressed in native cos
tunes. These figures will be made in ex-
tended numbers to illustrrte all types of
mankind. The work in part is in papler
mache, with the figures draped in actual
garments.
Zone Of the most interesting and strik-
ing representations will illustrate the arohi-
lecture of Yucatun in casts taken from
some of the ruins. To make the moulds
will be not only a gigantic operation, but
will cost several thousand dollars. The Sc
lection of subjects is not determined with
absolute certainty, but the great por-
tai from the court at Labna is
one OF the subjects approved for the
series. Others are the Temple Of the Sun
at Chichen-ItZa, the House of the Nuns at
Uxmal, and an old house at Merida (1549),
with richly carved ornamentation. The
entirely collection of casts recently arrived
at the Peabody museum from Paris, which
were made from moulds taken by NJ. De
sire Charney during the Lorillard expedi-
ton to Yucatan and other southwestern
parts of the continent, will also be exhlb-
tied.
I'm another group will be shown the
origin and development of the primitive
arts, and the progress of nations during
the historic archaeological period will be
illustrated. This representation will con-
ancient vessels and models to illustrate an
cient buildings, particularly the various
habitations in the form of huts, ETC., built
in this country. A third group will be in
illustration of navigation and cartog-
raphy. A complete series of maps Of the
world will be collected, both of those
anterior to Columbus and of others
illustrating discoveries down to the present
time. In the case of the most rare maps
only reproductions will be presented, al
though the loan of many originals 10 ex-
pected. A fourth group will exhibit inven-
tions, arranged to illustrate progress, with
amelioration of life and labor. In this viii
be shown originals, copies and models OF
notable inventions, supplemented by q
collection of portraits of distinguished
inventors.
"Other collections of similar complete
ness will represent all the principal tribe:
of the northern part of the continent, tbs
Indian races of the interior, the inhabitant
of the West Indies and the eastern tribes Of
North America at the time of Columbus
the native tribes of the southwest, those o.
Mexico, Central America, and South Amer
lea, in all cases with their habitatioDs ant
costumes and arts and industries extensive
ly shown, with the addition of the pre-
viously mentioned models of the variec
types made from life.
The various material required for thes
exhibits will be largely secured by new ex
plorations, though much is expected from
private collections; and much, if need be
can be furnished from the Peabod,
museum. At present there is every indica
ton that the entire department will form
as complete an illustration as possible O
American life before the coming of tn
Spaniards, honorable to the exposition an
to American arc~heologists in general.