The Portland daily press., 1894-02-24

enjoys great prestige for her summer re-
| sorts. Strangers from every part of the
country come here to be delighted with
| our coast, streams and rivers But the
| hunters and fishermen of today are not
the only ones to whom the natural
| beauties of Maine have been sources of
| delight. BY every river and stream, and
at many points along the coast, are at
places signs which show that the pre-
/ historic savages resorted for hunting and
| fishing during portions of the year.
Shellheaps are the most frequent signs
OF such transitory habitation.
| A study of prehistoric races in other
countries has shown three stages of de-
velopment. the stone. copper and bronze
ages To the first age belong the
| aborigines of Maine. The relics of them
consist of shell heaps. made up OF shells
of CLAIMS, snails, mussels, etc. and some
times oysters, intermingled with bones
| of fish and animals.
| Two of the most notable Oh these
| deposits are situated on the shores OF
| Casco bay. "Those which examined
several wears ago. says Mr.. wilson, were
| typical of their kind nd answered a., 10
these details in every particular. Ihey
are situated in Casco bay, one upon ene
m ainland at Princes Point. just beyond
Broad Cove. the others along the outer
edoe of CARDBOARD Island. The one upon
Princes Point is at the extreme end,
some ten feet above high water mark
1t extends along tine edge OF The low
bluff browning the point for hundred
feet and inland about third of that
distance. 1t is nowhere more than fifteen
inches in thickness, while the average
depth is about nine inches. 1t forms the
surface layer of the bluff, there being
not more than two or three inches of
vegetable mould above it. The frost of
spring and the rains OF summer are con-
= a oh
down talus that reaches the waters
eye, so that cursory examination would
declare that the whole bluff was solid
shell heap ten feet in depth, but such is
far from being the case.
1.-The other heaps, which occur along
the outer edge OF Clapboard Island are
ten or fifteen in number. Most of them
are quite small, but three are of consid-
cradle size Of these the largest is fifty
feet long, four feet deep and extends in
land indefinitely"
The upper layer of both heaps, as
described by Mr.. Wilson is composed of
broken clay shells The middle stratum
is much more decomposed. showing
evidences of fire, while in the lower layer
the shells are less broken and often en-
tirely perfect. The common clam. sea
snail and quohog clam, are the shells
commonly found. and with them are
bones of ANIMALS, fishes and birds At
Princes Point Mr.. Wilson found portions
of bones of caribou, beaver, three species
of duck, cod, Gunner, founder. On Clap
board island he found deer, rabbit, wolf
and possibly bear bones.
With the bones and shells were found
fragments of pottery, some being orna-
mented quite deliberately, having been
marked before firing. One specimen was
the dish had been formed by winding
rope of clay, around and around and
pressing together.
An awl made from clam shell and an
other from a rib bone, were also found.
Two cutting implements were found,
made from the she'll of the quohog.
single flint arrow head was also found.
These shell heaps were evidently begun
many centuries ago, undoubtedly long
before the white man came here. The
unbroken character to the lower strata
shows that at first the clans were eaten
raw, while the middle strata with its
ma ks of fire and the broken pottery,
show that later the food was cooked.
Professor Wilson was inclined to be-
lieve that these particular heaps were
permanent places of residece, there being
no deposits of earth between the differ
emit strata,
The fact that the shells of the quohog
and some oyster smells are found Indicate
that those kinds of she'll fish were once
more numerous in these waters, and that
they have since proceeded southwark.
Mr. Wilson commented upon the pro-
gress of savage life shown by the strata
of these heaps. The first layers were OF
shells almost entirely. In the next a few
more fish bones were found, then pottery
and more fish bones, and finally bones OF
birds and animals.
After Prof Wilson had concluded Mr..
Talbot said he thought some religious
ceremonial must have induced the
savages to seek these particular spots on
the coast.
in Falmouth (about 1742) prepared by
Mr.. Freeman of CherryfeId, was read by
DR.. Burrage.
Mr.. Talbot called attention to the death
of DR.. Lapham, whom he eulogized as a
most faithful and efficient worker in the
field of historical research. Hon. George
r. Emery, DR.. H S. Burrage and Secretary
II. W. Bryant were appointed a commit
tee to present appropriate resolutions.
In the evening
Hon. John j. Perry.
read very interesting paper on Maine
Politics prior to 1860 Portions of this
paper will be published later by the
PRESS.
MIR. Talbot spoke words of highest
praise of Mr.. Perry's paper. Hon. Josiah
H Drummond also spoke of them in the
same vein.
Hon. George f. Emery also made re-
marks, dwelling particularly upon the
last years of Buchanan's presidency. He
did not believe that Buchanan was e.
sonally traitor.
= Mr.. Drummond commended Gen.
Perry's praise of Stephen A. Douglass for
the latter's efforts on the eve of the
Rebellion to turn his party to the sup.
port of the government. In Mr.. Drum
mond's opinion those efforts of Douglass
had not had proper recognition.
Mr.. Talbot thought President Buchanan
had right intentions. but was hardly of
the Jacksonville temper needed for the
situation.