Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-09-19
THOUSANDS OF TOMBS.
PREHISTORIC DEPOSITS DISCOVERED
BY A NEW HAVEN SCIENTIST.


Belonging to New Haven Gentle
man-Now in Course of Arrangement t
in Central Park Museum. New York.
Mr. James Terry, of New Haven, Conn, ,
has been for many years one OF the most
indefatigable collectors of archaeological
specimens. Beyond doubt he has
travelled more miles on this continent
than any other living man. By all
methods of conveyance and on foot this
enthusiastic searcher after archaeological
objects has traversed almost every State
and Territory in the Union He has fol-
lowed every river of consequence in the
United States from its source to its
mouth and the soil of every State bears
evidence of his spade and trowel. More
than 16 years ago he traversed the Pa
citic coast from southern California to
Oregon. making wonderful discoveries.
He has wandered over Alaska repeatedly,
and some of his rarest specimens were
obtained from that land Mrs. Terry
has accompanied her husband on many
Of his expeditions. She was the first
lady tourist to visit Alaska.
Mr.. Terry has made careful researches
in the famous Columbia Valley. and has
spent weeks in gaining the good will and
confidence of and interviewing the In
dians of the Yakima, Warm Spring, and
Nez Perces regarding the origin of many
archaic specimens and sculptured pieces
found in the region, his object being to
connect the tribes with the sculptures.
He became convinced from these inqulr-
les that the specimens should be dissoci-
atrl from any relation with historic
tribes. Many are the theories regarding
the early civilizations in this country,
and their connections with the first in-
habitants or the later Indians.
This important and mooted subject
curly attracted the attention of Mr.. Terry,
and along the Columbia River he found
Evidence of the former existence of in
hIbitants much superior to the native III
Il ans, and of which no tradition remains.
) one carvings We're there found in abun-
i lmcc. In 1882 in the Columbia Valley
Mr.. Terry found specimen that is the
finest of its kind yet discovered, the only
other specimens that resemble it being
one owned by Professor o. G. Marsh and
one owned by Thomas Condon of Ore
goI. Mr.. Terry found his specimen near
the bank of the John Day River, tribu-
,ary of the Columbia. The carvings in
question are in dark, pumceous, basaltlc
10 X. an abundance of which is found in
the valley, and each strongly resembles
the face of an ape. As was before stated,
Mr.. Terry's specimen is the finest yet
discovered. The broad, fiat nose, with
supporting cheeks, and the contractions
Or corrugations of the forehead charac-
tcristics of the ape family, and the pecul-
Jar mouth and chin are all cleverly re-
produced in the sculpture.
One of the great questions which Mr..
Terry and other scientists are trying to de-
sidc is-Whence came these sculptures.
aud by whom We're they made! Mr.
Terry is positive that it can not be shown
that the Indians have any knowledge Of
'he - sculptures. When Mr.. Condor dis
,ov red his specimen he advanced the
The 'ry that it was a copy of some figure
lea of a derelict Malay prOa, but Mr..
ler.y upsets that idea by pointing out the
tact that three of these sculptures are
kno yn to exist, each with distinctive
eha acteristic. and all of them found east
oI the Cascade Mountains, distance OF
,uO miles from the coast, and with sev
raj intervening tribes who failed to pre-
servc any features of aproa or junk figure
among their carvings.
Mr. Terry is clearly of opinion that the
horigines came from Central America.
On the Pacific coast there have been
Zen 4 under Mr.. Terry's direction and
. prrvislun upward of 1000 tombs, and
ls h ,,in his collection the largest amount
# material known pertaining to the
at RACES between the Gulf of Cali
run and Puget Sound. \ large pro
.rrt.uu 1T the specimens were found it,
Htuu1dS and graves, associated with
iir.- of Stone and pottery in such ju>
..fs~iiiun ~ to have no Doubt of thci"
t-..uugiug to and bring made by -
.autr ts-rlle that fashioned the i'm
ulruts uf stnuc and vessels of clay.
Terry found the influence Of Polynesia
ifr. With It, customs and usages, exen,-
g1lii,vt by a similarity u stone impr-
usuts. whHrh reilocts much more than "a
a.ra inrblrut IN th. daily life Of a semi
...Iarm- rtrs. The mere mere ston,
u..,-at 90 she famous Maorie chiefs OF
..a I1lard made ~ the beautiful
.ffsfs. rrp-ents an cmblcm Of rank ol
"a 4sat slliu, nc degrrc, and is the mos:
p us ,ala'-i uf their pssss'-,siuns. Ex-