The Yellowstone journal., 1893-05-19
DWARF AMERICANS.
TIE REMAINS OF 4 RACE OF lLl,-
PUT.ANS UNEARThED.

Graves ard Skeletons Of an Almost For
gotten People-A Legend That Deal
With the Mexican Aztecs.
The Smithsonian institution has nm
dertaken peculiar work in this locality
Those people of the world who have paid
lengthy visits to that hilly country
known as east Tennessee have ALWAYS
been impressed with the sublinlity and
beauty o. 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 a race of dwarfs or giants
and the reply will be. In east Tennes-
see." And recent developments seem to
bear them out. 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
found, 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 fiat
stones. and have defed the ravages 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 30 inches long and
was that of a full grown person.
The natives have 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 wased IA 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 noun
ANS, high up on the cliffs, are to he seen
'ude drawings of coinbats between fully
crown men and anumber Of dwarfs. On
lccount OF the superstitions of the east
[ennesseeans. it is difficult to reach this
,lglny cemetery. and almost as much as
lie Is worth to attempt to dig into the
'raves of the ''leetle people,
In the mountainous district of one of
he southern states. i'll bend of one of
he great rivers, is situated a natural
orf, known to the surrounding inhabit
ntS as Indian Fort" Surrounded on
Iree sides by perpendicular cliffs. at
ne bottom Of which flows the river
'lae end deep. the only way of approach
hy ascending stiff declivity from the
pen side, near the summit of which are
Ill TO be seen traces of an ancient en-.
almost obiiterated by time, ;
lthln the space inc.osed by the rive,
nd embank,nent have been found a
reat many stone and flint implements
indian warfare and few bronze ,
Ses. There are also u number of tombs. ,
'flned OF large fat stones, containing ,
othlns but dust and dirt at the present ,
In the time of the early settlers the +
ttive Indians had tradition of a great
title having been fought at this place ,
,ars previous to their own time, in '
Inch an entire race was exterminated,
ne legend is: The exterminated race.
no were called ''Worshipers of the y
IN, had Zen gradually driven south .
ard from the far north by the Indians, y
lore reaching the Great river" ftle h
no. they separated into two divisions. Fl
e gong to the southwest, the other go I,
directly south. What became of the n
st part is not told in the legend. II
After innumerable battles the f]eeino
ce made final stand at Indian Fort. p
d after a siege of many months. dur h
which time the besieged subsisted on a
DIVISIONS previously gathered, they m
re conquered, and every man, woman r
d child was killed. The legend saws
sse people came from the vicinity of
great lakes, and the few bronze i'm.
ments discovered seem to give some m
lfh to that part of the story.
I Is supposed that these people were 81
ancestors Of the Mexican Aztecs. and be
It that portion which escaped when the an
be divided wandered toward the south. kr
stand entered Mexico from the north. ha
the time Of the conquest of Mexico by of
'tez the Aztecs claimed that they oe
ne from the north. and sun worship ",
5 the national religion. So
o investigate these relics of depart he
race the Smithsonian officials sent cb
'fessor Snow and corps of assistants ha
he scene.-Tennessee Cor. st. Louis
.;d
,,- de-
-, ""s An Atof. WI