Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-05
ALL MANKIND Is KIN
Prof Mason Talks of Similarities in Oul-
ture.
Annual Address Before the AnthrO-
pOIaSieal SOciety-PrOOf of the
Common Origin of Man.

The Washington Anthropological Society
met in the auditorium of Columbian UNI
versity last evening to hear the annual adj
dress of Prof. Otis Mason, the retiring
president of the society. The subject was
"Similarties in Culture; Their Origins,
Dispersions and Varieties" The address
dealt with the smilarities found in all
parts of the world among nations and
tribes widely separated in location and
conditions. These similarities appear in
customs, folk lore, products, industries,
beliefs and divinities. These similariles,
1t was shown. may exist because separated
peoples really are identical in origin, or
they may have manifested like character
istiCs and products because by teaching or
contact they have acquired the processes
which result in these simflarities. Travel
had peopled all parts of the earth, from
Egypt to Terra del Fuego, and thus 1t
may he that similaritieS in different peo-
pies were spread by trampS, voyagerS and
traders. Cocoanuts and Chinese coins are
found in Alaska, Eskimo fshboats in Ha-
wall and Venetian beads in all parts of
the earth. Identity and contact are the
first two the ories to account for similarity
of cultures.
A Common Humanity.
A third is the somewhat philosophical
view that like activities spring from
HuHituily
and stages of development. That is. that
all men are of one blood and under the in
fuence-of like climatic conditions and nat
ural environment the same wants, joys
and distresseS have developed similarly
from age to age. The various beliefs in
this direction have led to the formation of
three schools upon this subject-the eth
nc graphic, the accultural and the anthro-
biological Prof. Mason reduced the mat
ter to eight axioms: % Similarites in our
day are due to the same workmen. tool or
shop; (2) are produced through hereditary
and traditional teaching; (3) come by Dor
rowing. lending. slavery and conquest: ~
get about over the world by barter and
commerce; 90 arise through like psychical
and physical attributes of race or species:
30 spring from similar attributes of envi.
rorment 90 occur incidentally or by
chance. as the Greek word potamos (river)
and the name Potomac. and (S) spring
from opposite causes. where sulterra-
rean houses are constructed in one coun-
try to escape heat and in another to- get
out of the cold.
Different Grades of SimfInritfes.
OF course there are different grades of
simiarities. and the student of them must
be aware of the dssimilarities due to diff
ferent men or factors. even in the same
group or community. to the different
stocks or families of the same race to
different historic periods to different en-
vircnmentS or geographic areas. or sources
of supply. or to variations in the human
species in comparison with natural forces
or other living species. Thus he would
also note in one instance a merely casual
resemblance. then. perhaps, a similarity in
a single object or custom. or in a process
or activity, in language social structure.
beliefs or religion; or in another case he
might observe a similarity in practically
all respects. and even clear Identities he
tween two separate peoples. A definition
of similarity said the speaker. if re-
quired of the technogra pher. artist. lin
guist 5ociologist mythologist, would
lead to statement something follows:
% All materials used by different peoples
vary: co methods of producing vary: 60
tools means by which things are made
vary. The address considered the indie
pendent origin theory. the single species
theory, the areas of Characterization, and
race and stock resemblanceS.
BY rising vote the audience thanked
Prof Mason for his painstaking address.