Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25

The edge describes perfect circle. Pestles
and mortars taken from mounds in the
West show fine workmanship. The NOR
tars are perfectly symmetrical bowls and
the pestles are made from the hardest stone,
some of the latter being highly polished.
Those unpublished are worn smooth, just
where the hand clasped them while pre-
pairing food. 1t gave one an uncomfortable
nearness to those dead women OF centuries
ago, to handle these implements worn by
their touch, that was suggestive OF spirits.
Celts or chisels of varied size are many,
clumsy, as they would of necessity be
when made of stone, but all having very
sharp edges; also, scrapers used in remov-
ing the skins of animals.
Pipes of All Sizes and Shapes.
There are pipes of all possible sizes and
shapes taken from graves, and some OF these
are beautiful One, grotesque and black
ened with use, is the image in miniature OF
a grizzly bear with staring eyes and grim
ming teeth. Another of odd shape has a
face rudely sketched on it. The most
artistic in shape and decoration is OF the
red catlenite. This pipe is polished and
handsomely inlaid with some metallic sub
stance resembling lead.
'It must not be understood" said Mr..
Harper, "that smoking was a daily habit
among this people. Their prophets and
wise men smoked to propitiate the spirits
before entering on any new undertaking.
Civilized man has made habit out Of that
which was the religious ceremony Of a saw
age"
Specially noticeable among numerous
relics not to be included in tine general
classifcations is a long string of Indian
wampum and beads, made from shells and
grown like chalk with age, the last named
taken from grave.
They Made Good Pottery.
Marking the advancement of this people
toward civilization is their pottery, of
which varied assortment was seen. A
large Tound-bottomed pot of modern shape,
used for cooking, is from a mound in Ar
kansas A vase might have come from
Pompeii, so far as shape is concerned. A
unique water bottle is surmounted with a
bonneted head, with a place for thong
around the neck. Another has rim around
the bottom exactly similar to that on mod
ern ware, while one is very like the kettles
we hang in front of gas fires. These two
last are known to be at least 700 years old,
by the trees that grew on the mounds in
which they were found. From the pre-
historic Zuni, in New Mexico, is large
cream -colored basin, ornamented with regu-
lar patterns in black and red pigment
A number of curious pieces are from
Chiriqui, Central America. So long had
they been buried that the bones had re-
turned to dust, but, owing to the stone
covering each grave and the dry condition
of the earth in that region, the pottery is
we'll preserved. Most of the vases and
vessels are conical, as if intended to be set
in the soft earth, and all are covered with
red pigment. On one is the figure of the
hooded viper, q decoration found on much
of the Chiriqui pottery.
Buried Many Centuries Ago.
Of great interest were some curious look
ing copper implements found under huge
stump in Michigan, together with bones and
stone implements. This grave had been
made before the tree, which was centuries
old, had taken root All were beaten out
of the copper, as the art of smelling was un-
known. A knife is fiat on one side, the
edge beveled on the other, and was intend
ed to be fitted into a wooden handle. 1t re-
sembles the modern carving knife in shape.
A celt, instead OF being rounded like the
stone celt, is rude approach to the modern |
,hiseL An arrowhead is thinner than the |
flint arrowhead. Another, supposed by |
Mr.. Harper to be an arrowhead for shooting |
ish, has a stem and cross piece at the top, |
similar to that on an anchor. which would |
prevent it from passing into the victim.
A fiat piece of copper. having place for |
handle on one end and a slit through |
which to pass thong near the other, Is ac-
ually a needle. The change from it to the
leedle of to-day represents centuries of
progress; but primitive though it be, no
Ioubt it made easier the labors of someone
n that tara way time.
LAURA WITHROw MCILROY