The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-05
AN INDIAN MOUND.
Wonderful Discovery Made
in Washington.
THREE SKELETONS EXHUMED.
Relics From an Ancient Tomb to Be
Exhibited at the Worlds Fair
in Chicago.
THREE SKELETONS EXHUMED.
Correspondence of THE MORNING CALL.

Sixteen miles southwest of Colvlle, Ste
yens County, Wash, stands c0nical-s shaped
mound OF earth which has been seen by
many prospect0rs and other wayfarers, but
as the minds of most of them have been
fixed solely on their own urgent business af-
fairs they have passed and repassed it for
years without taking any interest whatever
In the curious pile. L saw it for the first
time ten days ago aud at once decided to
make an investigation.
The mound is situated In small and per-
fectly level plain between a series of low,
rolling hills. 1t rises TO height Of thirty
five feet and is turned at the top like the
small end Of an egg. 1t is seventy-six feet
In circumference at the base, and slopes
gradually inward TO the apex. The mate
rial of which it is constructed is a mixture
OF hard iron clay, adobe and shale. 1t seems
very strange to me that although its exist
ence has been known to scores of people for
many years no one has hitherto taken the
trouble to investigate its interior, 1t may
be that those who have seen 1t and passed
1t by have thought it to be mere freak OF
nature. turned into shape by the whiriing
eddy OF some bygOne flood, but to me II
showed plainly the handiwork of man, and
for this reason i determined TO violate the
sanctity Of its silence.
l obtained picks. shovels, a crowbar,
drills ana some cartridges from Douglas
Blount. prospector who lives in rough
log CABIN, about four miles from the mound.
l also secured the services Of two half
civilized Slwash bucks, and on the following
day we set 10 work on the east side OF the
pile. AT first the Indians were slightly az
Iected by supersttlous fear; but as the
work progressed they began to share my
enthusiasm and eagerness to reach the in-
terror.
After we had worked our way about four
feet into the mound, making an excavation
four feet by six ieet high. we found the wall
so hard that 1t was necessary to put In II
blast The charge was set. and three OF US
relreated TO a sale distance to watch the re-
suit Bang! went the blast, and fully one
third of the mounds wall was blown to
fragments.
The work of clearing away the debris
consumed several hours, but when 1t was
done was we'll repaid for my labor and
expense. The aperture disclosed circular
shaped chamber. the walls of which were
smooth as glass and decorated with curious
figures in vermillion red. Three human
skeletons. partially covered with mody
skins OF buffalo and bear, leaned in q squat
ting position against the wall on the west
side, their faces turned to the east. The
flesh that once covered these graySh- white
bones had been long since turned to dust,
and the skins were so badly decayed that
tUt sIEHttSI lOuCu CduStu liitm W Dltdh
into fragments. The skeleton in the center
was by far the largest OF the three, and by
close examination | came to the conclusion
that the trio must represent some great
Indian chief and his two squaws.
10 front of the central figure stood large
earthen urn, or rather a pot, which was
half filled with queer looking ornaments of
various c0lored stones and arrow-heads OF
bronze. There were also remains of three
long bows, leathern culver filled with
arrows and narrow bladed tomahawk OF
bronze.
When my two Indian assistants first be-
held the three skeletons they were stricken
with supers ttious terror and ran several
hundred yards from the mound. wildly
waving their hands above their heads as
they went and uttering unlntellgible h0wIS
of fear and lamentaton. | followed and
finally induced them to stop their mad
flight, but they would under no condition
return to the mound. At last l persuaded
them to remain where they were while | re-
turned to the mound for the relies which |
had determined to carry with me at any
cost | secured the earthen pot, the stone
, ornaments, arroY-heads and arrows, and
these are now on their way TO Chicago
where they can be seen in the Washington
exhibit at the Columbian Exposition.
On closer examination of the three
skeletons, with view to their preserva-
ton, found that the bones were so badly
decayed they would not stand the pro-
cess of linking together. They crumbled
TO dust ana ashes at my touch as IL they
had been cRcned. and for that reason |
left them where | found them. | have
informed several scientists who have made
these things a study Of my disco very. and
expect that through their investigation and
examination OF the mound, the skeletons
and the curious relics, some light will be
thrown on the antiquity and history Of this
place of sepulcher. AS for me, am not a
theorist; | can only state the facts as /
have seen them. j. A. FRIsBIE.