The Bessemer indicator., 1893-12-30

There's an old graveyard right
over yonder, t'other side O. that
ridge" my companion said. indicating
the direction with nod OF his head.
IAN old graveyard" exclaimed.
al did not think there were enough
people here to make . graveyard
thrive"
We were travcrsing on horseback
one OF the sparscly settled rough
hill districts of Western Tennessee
and were, thought. several miles
from any human habitatton. What
purpose would graveyard serve,
especially an old onep
"'Tan't that" my companion
said, compassionately; liant no
common human graveyard, It's the
Leetle People. Becn there since tho
Lord knows whcn-they was all dead
an buried long afore white folks
come"
The Little People' Who hos not
heard the Tennessee mountaineers'
tradition of the pigmy race which
once inhabited their folds and woods?
And here we were within few stops
OF one of their burial grounds! 1t
would never do to 60 past in this
way, says writer in the New York
Herald.
wait" said, ~ want TO STOP"
and we turned our horses heads
away from tho rough road and
struck across tho ridge Of low hills
behind which lay the graves OF that
almost forgotten people.
Two small streams, one flowing
north and the other northwest mot
here among the hills. and right at
the confluence, in tho angle. lay the
cemetery.
There were, indeed, two rows OF
shallow graves, ono along either OF
the long walls of the inclosure. A.
together there must have been nearly
hundred of them. although only
few were uncovered.
The process of interment had evil
IDENTIFY been very simple. A hole had
been dug and the coffin of stone slabs
built within it and tho body let down.
with or without grave wrappings.
whole being then covered with earth.
These were apparently the graves OF
the common folk. for almost without
an exception tho narrow stone collins
contained nothing but the crumbling
skeletons. with an occasional stone
implement or weapon or piece OF
rude pottery. 1t was easy to see how
tho "pigmy" idea came about, for the
tombs were truly Of diminutive size,
the bodies. with knees doubled up to
the chin. only requiring space of
four feet or SO In length.
1t was when the work OF uncover.
ing the low mound was begun that
interest was really awakened, for
here l was plainly getting into tho
company OF the ma,nates OF the
"pigmy" society Hcro wero reQu-
la mummy cases, some made Of
skins and some OF woven hempen
fabric, and in some cases so we'll pre-
served us to suggest that that
strange people must have been pos
sessed OF tho secrets OF the en-
balmer's art.
The mound had been built up from
tho ground with one tier after an
other OF these graves until they
were four stories high. Tho begin
ming had been made by the construc.
tion OF what seemed to be a small
stone altar resting upon tho natural
surface Of tho ground. and around
this were built half dozen OF .he
cotfin-shaped receptacles for the
dead. these all lying with the feet
resting against the altar that no
space might be lost. Then when
this first tier OF tombs was filed
layer of earth was spread over it and
q second tier was constructed in the
same fashion. These were evil
IDENTIFY the resting places OF
the more important personages of
the race, as could be judged both
from tho mode OF burial and from the
greater wealth Of the materials
which had been inferred with the
bodies Perhaps the distinction was
one of social position or perhaps it
was only one of wealth. possibly it
was both. At any rate. these collins
in the mound contained an almost
Infinite variety OF implements and
utensils in stone. copper. earthen-
ware. and woven materials. and oven
through the earth of which tn.
mound was composed these relies
were frequently to bo discovered,
lying loose.
1t was ghastly work to uuwrap