Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-05-19
ETHNOLOGY AT THE FAIR.
HIGH RESULTS OF TWO YEARS
WORK IN THE WESTERN WORLD
One Hundred Assist ants of Professor
Putnam Make Collections From
Greenland to TERRA del Fuego.

researches have been carried
on all over the western world
to collect material for the Chicago
Worlds Fair. The work has been re-
markably successful. 1t has been in
charge of Professor Putnam, of the Pea
body Museum, Cambridge, and about
100 assistants have carried out the nec-
essary researches in the field. In his re-
cent report on the Peabody Museum,
Professor Putnam gives a summary of
the results of the work that has covered
more extensive field of the anthropolog-
ical research than was ever covered be-
fore in two years.
Professor Putnam mentions first
among the results, the collections
brought back by Lieutenant Peary from
the little tribe of Eskimos in the Whale
Sound region of Greenland. A member
oil the party is about to go to Chicago
from this city for the purpose of arrang-
ing the collections which will represent
Lieutenant Peary's work at the big Fair.
The specimens include summer houses of
skins, Eskimo boats, sledges, weapons,
implements, utensils, ornaments, full
sets of their garments, carvings in ivory,
and also several hundred photographs
of individuals of the tribe and scenes il
lustrating their daily life. There will
also be complete census of the tribe,
several crania, and full set of anthropo.
logical measurements and observations.
The Worlds Fair is also to have tho
benefit of an Eskimo settlement. The
Skiles expedition to Labrador brought
back fifty-scven natives of that country,
who will occupy an Eskimo village on
the Fair grounds with all their belong
ings until the Fair is over.
Doctor Sheldon Jackson has been
making large chronological collections In
Alaska. and among the coast tribes of
Siberia, and Mr.. Cherry has made long
journey up the Yukon Valley to collect
specimens illustrating the life and handi-
work OF the Yukon tribes. Seven other
assistants have been forming collections
among the coast tribes between the
Columbia River and Alaska, aud par
ticularly in northern Vancouver and tho
Queen Charlotte Islands.
The interior tribes of Canada will all
have living representatives on the Fair
grounds by permission of the Canadian
Commissioner of Canadian Affairs. Tne
Canadian Fair Commission has exerted
itself to secure an excellent representa-
ton of the arcb@ ,logy of Canada.
Nearly all the Indian tribes of the United
States have been visited by students
from Harvard and other universities for
the purpose of collecting chronological
material and data relating to the physical
characteristics of the tribes. The Com
missioners of this State have assisted
Professor Putnam to secure large arch
geological collection anu a complete rep
resentation of the Iroquois tribes.
Families from these tribes will live on
the Expositson grounds in bark houses,
such as were in use when this powerful
Nation first came into contact with our
race.
A good many interesting things con-
nccted with the period of Cortez have
been found in Mexico and will be seen at
the Fair. The ancient ruins of Yucatan
have been specially explored by Consul
L. Ii. Thompson. He made about 1O, 600
square feet of moulds of portions OF the
ruined buildings, showing the facades,
parts of corners OF structuree, the door
ways and other features. He also
moulded both sides Of the famous portal
at Labna. Casts have been made from
these moulds, and there will be seen on
the Exposition grounds fac-similes of
these elaborately carved stone struc-
lures OF Yucatan, over and around which
will be the tropical plants native to the
region of the ruins.
An expedition was sent to Honduras
to study the ancient ruins OF Copan, and
though the work has not been COM
pleted, many interesting aud important
objects, illustrating wonderful carvings
in stone, fragments OF pottery, numerous
stone implements, aud so on, have been
secured. Further south G. A. Dorsey
made extensive explorations in Ecuador,
Peru aud Bolivia, where he collected a
large amount of this material. Lieuten-
ants Sagord aud Welles secured many
series Of garments, weapons and other
objects illustrating the tribes Of parts OF
the interior OF South America. Even
Patagonia aud TERRA del Fuego have
been drawn upon for collections.
la the United States the srche illogical
work OF the past two years will be fully
represented. Ancient village sites, burial
places, aud workshops or quarries have
been brought to light In the Delaware
Valley aud carefully studied. similar
fruitful researches have been made on
Cape Cod, in Connecticut, along the An.
droscoggin, aud In many other places.
Two singular burial places were found
In the Androscoggia Valley, Ia which
the graves were 50 old that the skeletons
had entirely disappeared. leaving In tho
graves only masses Of rei ochre aud i'm
plements aud other objects IT stone.
Doctor Franz Boas aud his assistants
have prepared presentation OF the physi.
cal characteristics Of tho native American
peoples. Measurements have also been
taken aud observations made OF more
than 80. 900 chlldrea Ia the public schools
OF the United States aud Canada, ~ we'll
rs In the Indian schools aad Of maaY
colored ehildrcn. Tho cooperation OF tho
authorities In Japanese aud Hawaiian
schools was also secured, sad no thus
have the measurements Of japanese aad
kanaka childrea for comparison.
There IL NO doubt that the ethnolo-
s.t..l fa.fsra. a4 th kt..el1ta E.ts ~ tlf L..