The Yellowstone journal., 1893-05-15
DWARF AMERICANS.
THE REMAINS OF A RACE OF LILli-
PuT:ANS UNEARTHED.

:, In Eastern Tennessee Have Been Foun.
t Graves arh skeletons Of an Almost For
With the Mexican Az.ecs.
: The Smithsonian institution has un
dertaken peculiar work in this locality
! Those people of the world who have paid
, lengthy visits to that hillv country
known rs east Tennessee have ALWAYS
been impressed with the sublinity and
beauty of the mountains. the simplicity
and superstition of the inhabitants and
the general air of sleepy mysteriorsness
surrounding everything. Ask one of
these people where they would most ex-
pect to find race of dwarfs CT giants
and the reply will be, I'm east Tennes-
see" And recent developments seem to
bear them ont, for in the last few years
the remains Of people less than three
feet in height have been discovered in
this country.
On the eastern slope of one of the
peaks of the Great Smoky mountains.
where the first rays of the morning sun
strike. is an ancient burying ground, and
such another burying place could not be
round. though the world be searched, for
not one grave is more than three feet long.
The tombs are two feet beneath the sur
face and are formed of cement and fat
stones, and have defied the rayayes of
time to cause them to be DESTROYED.
Most Of those examined contained vase,
few beads and a human skeleton, which
was never more than 36 inches long and
was that of a full grown person.
The natives have a beautiful legend of
the place and say none were inferred
here except Indian children, while natu-
ralists claim the skulls to have reached
their full growth.
But the most interesting account is
that OF the red men who held that coun-
try when first settled by whites. They
claim that when they came to that sec
tlon OF country it was peopled by race
OF small, fierce men, with red hair; that
these dwarfs waged long and bloody |
war with the Indians. but were finally /
all killed; that this burying ground was
used long before they came into the conn-
try, and that those killed in the war
We're never buried.
In some parts Of the adjacent moun.
talns, high up on the cliffs, are to he seen
rude drawings of combats between fully
grown inen and a anumber of dwarfs. On
account OF the superstitions of the east
lennesseeans, it is difficult to reach this
plsiny cemetery. and almost as much as
llfels worth 10 attempt to dig into the
graves OF the .'leetle people
In the mountainous district of one of
the southern states, i'll bend Of one of
the great rivers. is situated "A natural
TORT, known TO the surrounding inhabit-
ants as Indian Fort Surrounded on
three sides by perpendicular cliffs. at
the bottom of which flows the river
VIDE ana deep. the only way of approach
IS by ascending a stiff declivitv from tbe
open side, near the summit of which are ,
still to be seen traces of an ancient em. ;
oankment. almost obliterated by time.
"lthn the space inc.osed by the river !
md embankment have been found a :
'reat many stone and flint implements ;
u lndlan warfare and few bronze !
lXes. There are also a number of tombs.
ormed of large fiat stones, containing
lothins but dust and dirt at the present
In the time of the early settlers the y
latlve Indians had a tradition of a great t.
'atlle having been fought at this place s.
ears previous to their own time, in Il
vihch an entire race was exterminated, 81
he legend is: The exterminated race. a
7ho were caiIed "Worshipers of the D
un,' had been gradually driven soutb- Il
ara from the far north by the Indians. "
'eiore reaching the Great river" (the OF
mo- they separated into two divisions, u
ne going to the southwest, the other 60 al
'g directly south. What became of the tt
rst part Is not told in the legend. is
AFTER lnnumerable battles the fleeing
zee made final stand at Indian Fort. a6
ad after siege OF many months, dur 81,
g winch time the besieged subsisted on "t
rovlslons previously gathered, they de
ere conquered. and every man, woman to
I'd child was killed. The legend saws ce
lese people came from the vicinity of of
70 great lakes, and the few bronze i'm ex
ements discovered seem to give some su
nth to that part of the story. &C
1t Is supposed that these people were NJ,
ancestors OF the Mexican Aztecs. and
at that portion which escaped when the
lbe divided wandered toward the soutb. =
EST and entered Mexico from the north, VII
the time OF the conquest of Mexico by 20
'rtez the Aztecs claimed that thew ste
me from the north, and sun worshin SUI
Is the national religion. IN
To investigate these relics of a depart. ou
race the Smithsonian officials sent po'
ofessor Snow and cor,,s ,f .ss;s. - ing
the scene.-Tennessee Cor. st. Louis u"
og,
of Words Ending In .ato- >, sci,
There never has been any general rule the
to nouns ending in ''ator." In Scot the
ID the mode differed from the Enol;sh the