The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-06-10
'[DWARF AMERICANS.
TVS REMAINS oFiA FACE OF LlLLl-
PUTlANs UNEARUHeo.

PUTlANs UNEARUHeo.
I'D Eastern Tennessee Have Been Found
Graves and Skeletons Of an Almost For
fEotten People-A Legend That Deals
swim the Mexican Azteos.
The Smithsonian institution has IN
dentaken peculiar work in this locality
Those people Of the world who have paid
lengthy visits to that hilly country
known as east Tennessee have elvavs
been impressed with the subli,nity and
beauty Of the mountains the simplicity
and superstition Of the inhabitants and
the general an Of sleepy mysteriousness
surrounding everything. Ask one of
these people whore 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 buryng ground, and
such another burying place could not he
found, though the world be searched for
not one graveis more than three feet long.
The tombs are two feet beneath the sur
face and are formed Of cement and fat
stones, and have defed the ravages of
time to cause them TO be DESTROYED.
Most of those examined contained a vase.
a few beads and a human skeleton, win y
was never more than 80 inches long and
was that Of a full grown parson.
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
ton Of country it was peopled by race
Of small, force men, with red hair: that
these dwarfs wuged long and bloody
war with the Indians, but were finally
all killed; that this burying ground was
used long before they came into the coun-
| try, and that those killed in the war
were never buried.
In some parts of the adjacent noun
tains, high up on the cliffs, are to be seen
rude drawings of combats between fully
grown men and Number of dwarfs. On
account Of the superstitions Of the east
Tennesseeans, it is difficult to reach this
/ pigmy cemetery, and almost as much as
life is worth to attempt to dig into the
graves Of the "leetle people"
In the mountainous district Of one of
the southern states, in bend of one of
the great rivers, is situated natural
fort, known to the surrounding inhabit-
ants as "Indian Fort" Surrounded on
three sides by perpendicular cliffs, al
the bottom Of which flows the river
wide and deep, the only way Of approach
is by ascenSing u stiff declivity from the
open side, near the summit Of which are
still to be seen traces Of an ancient EN-
bankment, almost obliterated by time
Within the space inclosed by the rivei
and embaullment hnve been found
great many stone and flint implementi
Of Indian warfare and-a few bronzi
axes, There are also number of toInbs
formed of large fiat stones. containing
nothing but dust and dirt at the present
In the time of the early settlers tn
native Indians had tradition of a grea
battle having been fought at this plac
years previous to their own time, il
which an entire race was extefminated
The legend is: The exterminated race
q
Sum-" had been gradually driven south
ward from the far north by the Indians
Before reaching the Great river" 9TH
Ohio they separated into two divisions
= one going to the southwest, the other gC
ing directly south. What became Of tn
first part is not told in the legend.
p After innumerable battles the feein
race made final stand at Indian For
and after a siege of many months, dul
ing which time the besieged subsisted 0
provisions previously gathered, the
were conquered, and every man, woma
! and child was killed. The legend say
= these people came from the vicinity
the great lakes, and the few bronze in
= plements discovered seem to give son
: truth TO that part Of the story.
1t is supposed that these people wei
4 the ancestors Of the Mexican Aztecs, an
4 that that portion which escaped when u
4 tribe divided wandered toward the soutl
. west and entered Mexico from the mort
. At the time of the conquest Of Mexico |
. Cortez the Aztecs claimed that tn,
!, came from the north, and sun worsh
= was the national religion.
To investigate these relics Of a depar
II ed race the Smithsonian officials sei
- Professor Snow and corps Of sssistan
= TO the scene.-Tennessee Cor. ST. Lou
,s Globe-Democrat.