Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-17

the ages of time and periods Of human
| change and progress which it covers, will
soon be crowded from early morning till
| late at night.
| The outdoor exhibit is quite as fascinat-
| ing as that within the building. 1t is a
| sort Of supplement TO the interior display
| Here are not only the tents, boats,
| weapons, clothing and utensils Of primi-
tive peoples, but the people themselves
On the shores of the pond near the Anthro-
| biological building are grouped representa-
| tiyes OF various tribes of Indians from
North America. They live in their primi-
| tive habitations, row their rude boats or
| canoes, and engage in their customary oc-
| cupations, such as weaving, pottery, chip
| ping flint, building canoes, dressing skins
and grinding corn. If one is interested in
| the American 1ndian-and who is mott
| he may pass many an interested and we'll
spent hour in the Indian school which will
| be in operation near by.
| New York contributes to this ethno-
| graphical display a council house and long
| bark lodge of the famous Iroquois, and a
| number of typical houses used by the va
rious tribes which formed the powerful
Iroquois confederation. The Indians are
here, too, living in the houses, reproducing
their ceremonies and padding about in
their canoes. Never before was such a
good opportunity afforded for the study of
the habits of the aboriginal dwellers in
our own land. II one wishes to see the
more modern Indian in his war paint, rid
ing his pony in battle or chase, he has but
to visit Buffalo Bits show without the ex-
position grounds.
One of the most picturesque displays
har.a isf that nj the rrripS of Nn.atn, h.,
structure which seems to show the queer
architecture and decorations of these an
eient people was skillfully built, and its
facades and carvings are made
from plaster casts taken by Consul
Thompson amid the ruins OF Labna
and Uxmal. The structures rep
resented are the Serpent house. the House
of Nuns, and the so-called Governors
house. There are also moulds, columns
and monolths from the prehistoric city of
Capan. Tropical plants from Central
America have been brought here and clev-
erly arranged over and about the ruins. All
that is needed TO complete the illusion is
the presence of few snakes basking in
the sun or running to hide themselves in
the grass.
a few rods from the Yucatan ruins are
the picturesque homes of the cliff Jewellers.
With consummate art the builders imi-
tated rocks with a framework covered DER
with sheet iron, tin and paper-mache, with
Just enough natural rock scattered about
to perfect the illusion. There are habita-
tions within the mass of rock and speci-
mems of the ancient Pueblos or Aztecs to
live in them. There are also mountain
sheep and the little burros used by the
cliff -dwellerS AS beasts of burden. From
the ruins of Yucatan and the clff-dwell
ings of Mexico and our own southwestern
borders to the ice e-bound habitations Of the
Esquimaux is a long way, but they are all
here on the shores of the pond. A sort of
half way house is afforded by the village
of Vancouver islanders, with their boats
made by following out logs with fire and
primitive tools, and their hideous wooden
idols or totem poles, standing thirty or
forty feet high on the banks of the lagoon.
Two hundred yards away, on the other
side Of the pond, are the headquarters of
the gondoliers: and the Fenetians in their
gay costumes of two or three centuries ago
add dashing bit of color to the strange
sctne
In this extraordinary commingling of
tribes and races historic and prehistoric
one may see Indians from British Guiana,
standing before their thatched huts,
Navajos weaving rugs, Tuscaroras and
Onondagas making baskets, Winnebagos
and Omahas coloring skins, few Flat
heads with the boards tied upon the crania
Vt the children, Esquimaux in their kyaks,
Laplanders with their reindeers; and in
the throng which moves about to see these
children of nature are Amazons from Da-
honey, japanese and Javanese, the mild
hammered native of Ceylon, actors from
China, Moors, Egyptians and Arabs, and
representatives Of all the nations of the
earth WALTER WELLMAN.