Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-27

America as the New World, says the
London Spectator, that the assertion
CT Il recent writer that America is al
old world, and compares well with
other countries in this respect" comes
upon the reader with something of a
shock. But when we find how layiShly
the remains of prehistoric races are
scattered over the length and breadth
of the North American continent, we
realize that ancient monuments are no
more numerous Oh this than Oh the
other side of the Atlantic. And when
we consider the works left by the lost
races we are constrained to admit
that the prehistoric relics of America
are as interesting as any yet discover
ed within our own borders. The
American archeologist is, it is true,
confronted with a great and peculiar
builders. Their relics abound with
with remains of prehistoric races: but
historic time for him begins at least
no earlier than the landing of Column
bus, and the mystery which must al
ways envelope people who have so
commences for him but four centuries
ago On the other hand we have clear
evidence that some of the early inhab-
itants were contemporary with the
mammoth and the mastOdOn; and in
South America, at any rate, remains
of cliff-dWelling races are associated
with the bones of no fewer than Al
animals now entirely extinct.
Many interesting notices, more or
less fragmentary, have from time to
time appeared relative to the wonder
full architectural relics of the cliff
jewellers of Colorado, and to the no
less wonderful pyramids and earth
works of the mound-builders of the
Mississippi. But the 400th anniversary
of the discovery of America has been
marked, among other things, by the
publication of one volume Of all that
has yet been made known of the
mound builders-a volume of which it
Is not too much to say that it is one
of the most interesting of all archie
illogical records When the relics of
this vanquiShed race first began to at
tract attention some 40 years ago, it
was thought that the silver sword
ScabbardS, iron knives, and Hebrew
inscriptions then brought to light were
traces of a highly civilized people who
had migrated from some historic
country" Latterly the current of
opinion has been tending quite the
other way, and some authorities ap-
pear to think that the real mound
builders, who had nothing to do with
the modern implements which had
been "intruded' among their remains,
were, after all, mere savages. But it
is the view of many eminent Ameri-
can antiquarians that these early races,
mOund-builders, cliff jewellers, and 9th
erS cocval with them-'cOnStituted 4
cultus which differed essentially from
any other now known to history
The works of the mound-builders
are most abundant in the Mississippi
valley. They are found, it is true, in
other parts of the continent, but no,
where else do they occur in such pro-
fusion or such magnitude. From the
ghenieS to the Rocky mountains, the
whole ground is strewn with their
remains In Ohio alone there are
10000 mounds for burial or for the
foundations of dwellings, and more
than 1900 Enclosures surrounded with
earthWOrks Some of the mounds are
acres in eXtent-NIOnkS mound, the
Gal, IL,
Louis. rises by four platforms to a
height of 100 feet, and covers is acres
of ground. Some tribes, evidently
hunters by occupation, using tools and
weapons made of unsmelted copper
and meteoric iron. have left. in addi-
ton to the ordinary conical mounds,
huge earthen effigieS not only of beasts
of the chase-elk and moose wolf and
panther. goose and wild ducl1-but OF
hawks and swallows of lizards,
snakes and tad-p0les. One such figure
of n serpent is nearly 500 yards long.
Other tribes, apparently more war
like. have left earthen walls, some of
which are still so feet high, and in
close as much as 400 acres of ground
The actual mounds which are SO
numerous served in many cases for
burial, and We're so used by successive
races In some instances it is clear
that intermentS continued even into
historic times. Of two mounds i'm the
same group, one contained the skeleton
of a medicine-man with a modern
looking glass, perhaps not so years old
in its hand. Another mound in the
group contained the skeleton of q child
with a string of beads on its wrist
and pot of sweetmeatS at its head
while trees of at least three centurie:
growth were growing in the ground
above. That these structures have
been used by successive races is vel
Illustrated by a mound in Illinois. il
which. lying underneath recent Indian
interments. was the skeleton Of some
iong-forgotten Jesuit pioneer. with
rosary of Venetian beads about it
waist. and a silver crucifix still in it
bony hand.
There must have been several entire
1v different races and mound builders
to judge from the wide differences Il
the style and materials of their works
In the upper part of the Mississinn
valley the mounds are mainly burial
PAGES. In Wisconsin many are in th
shapes of animals. In other district
the mounds contain chambers roofe
with logs. The Gulf states are re
markable for their earthen pyramid,
At one point on the Lower Nfississinr
is q grOun of eight one of which nornr