The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-09-10

out like gold in the California mines or
in the Bruchcreek bills.
This is by reason of the superior educa-
tional advantages for which our place is
noted. Bostonis is nowhere" Geology,
cosmogony, psychology,
esoteric, Buddhism and such
like matters form the subjects of dinner
table discourses and store box discuss
ions. The strongest point of our people,
is archaeology. This also arises,
no doubt, from local cause, as we are
situated in one of the most interesting |
portions of the country formerly densely |
settled by that mysterious people who |
swarmed over the Mississippi valley un-
numbered ages ago and long since de-
none can tell or guess
but whose clumsy household relics and
battle-weapons lie in our soil to give us
a meagre history of how they lived,
fought and hunted, died and were
buried.
No wonder then that our community
was intensely excited on Friday last by
the discovery, near the Poor House, of
the most remarkable "relic" of this lost
race ever unearthed, and of which will
attempt to give brief description.
1t consists of rather thick, fatted
slab of dolomite about the size of a mans
two hands and belonging to the mag
nesian limestone formations of this
vicinity. 1t is further shown to be OF
our local rocks by small "orthis" fossil
on its face. 1t has evidently been long
detached from it's bed and become
portion of the "drift" as it is rounded
and water. worn to quite an extent.
On the flattened surface are sculptured
number of figures in high relief and
with a prospective and anatomical accu-
racy far excelling that of any previously
discovered remains of the Mound Build.
ers, lake dwellers or troglodytes of this
or any other country. Some of our
savants believe the stone to be Egyptian,
others pronounce it to be of Hindostanic
origin, whilst others said emphatically
that it was Jewish and, no doubt, the
work of the ten lost tribes of Israel,
whom many have long held to have
wandered off to America from Palestine.
The figures are evidently oriental as is
the entire scene.
After careful study of this wonderful
relic of lost race will first attempt q
description of it and then respectfully
submit my conclusions in regard to it.
The sculpture represents an oriental
marriage ceremony or nuptial rite. The
priest, an Egyptian, as is shown by the
cut of his back hair, stands ready to
oficiate. The bride awaits the groom
under a group of palm trees; only her
face and shoulders appear, the rest hav-
ing been worn off by the glacial action ;
the prospective father-in-law, with a
rope around the neck of his to be son-in-
law beams back (in "pose" most ad-
mirably represented, and with muscles
of legs and arms almost quivering be-
meath ones eve as he looks, SO we'll are
they executed) hauling the reluctant
victim towards the palms, whilst the
mother.in-law, holding high in the air
an oriental broomstick, drives her hoped
for kinsman to the altar. The bride
groom is very appropriately represented
as a jackass for having ever allowed him
self to get into such fix. 1t is inter-
esting to note the mingled expressions
on the brides face as she looks from un.
der the palms at the procession and
beams upon her lover. Two sensations
are prominently depicted-hope and
fear-hope that they will pull him in,
fear lest the rope should break. 1t is q
touching sermon on stone and one
worth pondering well and long. 1t
shows that zone touch of nature makes
the whole world kin" whether it be the
world of to-day or that of those who
roamed our hills and valleys centuries
ago. Whence the artist derived his
ideas of oriental life, physiognomy and
science I cannot tell, probably however
from an old family Bible.
Much discussion has been held as to
whether this stone is genuine. 1 for
one am satisfied that it is, !. e., that the
stone is genuine; as to the work on tho
stone I am also satisfied that is the
genuine work of a certain Mound Build.
er, now an inmate of that prehistoric
structure, our County In6rmary, and
'sculped" from picture in old copies
of the celebrated book mentioned above.
Hoping that l may have been the
means of advancing interest in antiquar.
ian subjects among our citizens by this
investigation and communication re-
main, Yours Very Truly, H. 8. F.
Hillsboro, September 9th, 1891.
Unclaimed Letters.
List Of unclaimed letters remaining in the