The herald., 1895-06-30
IS MATCHLESS and UNIQUE
Or. F. M. Palmer's Collection OF
Indian Relics
NONE so FINE ANYWHERE
Complete History in Stone, Bone, Wood
and Shell
OF thu Southern California Indians Who Lived
on the Islands and Coast
Counties


long that it extends almost the entire
length OF two good sized rooms, and so
wide as to quite fill the space of the
rooms. 1t is not q common, ordinary
table, but one built for the purpose for
which it is used ana it is only about
four Ereet high. 1t sis covered with spot
less white muslin cloth and lying on its
surface lis an edition, complete in ono
volume and with no missing chapters. of
the archaeological history in stone, bone.
wood and shell. of all the tribal races OF
Southern Californian Indians.
This curious table with its matchless
and invaluable contribution to modern
discovery and science is to be found by
the pri vileged visitor in the attractive
home OF DR.. F. NJ. Palmer on Forrest,
avenue, this city. DR.. Palmer is den.
tist by profession, a collector by instinct
and inclination. and scientific archae.
ologist and ethnologist by education.
than whom there are few if any more
competent along his line of thought anu
action. For almost every piece in bis
collection, which has not duplicate or
equal either in America or abroad, is the
result of personal research. ana those few
pieces be has not excavated himself are
authentic record. so that there is not one
illogical specimen in the collection.
As its stands, every line OF the prehis-
toric coast Indian of this section is com.
plete in all its details. every specimen is
flawless of its kind. and each one is the
rarest of its type-in fact. so intelligent.
Iy and scientifically has it been gatherei
together, so carefully aud with such
workmanlike precision and precaution
has it been kept free IRON extraneous Oh
unnecessary specimens. that the col
lection forms an absolutely perfect chain
OF evidence OF aboriginal life in its field.
From Catalina and Clemente, from San
Nicholas and Santa Rosa. from Santa
Cruz and San Miguel islands; and those
coast counties San Luis Obispo Santa
Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles. has
this unique collection been made slowly,
with the infinite patience and energy.
the untiring devotion and conscientious
zeal OF born collector. and the explora.
tions and invetigation' extended
over nineteen years.
DR.. Palmers birthplace was New York;
when boy he was interested in the In
dams OF Michigan, and after reaching
California about twenty years ago, he de.
cideo to make investigations that would
give him an insight into the religious.
political. social, domestic and industrial
habits and methods of both peaceful and
warlike tribes uf Southern California In
diaAs from prehistoric times up to the
early historic days.
He has interested himself exclusively
in those Indians of Southern California,
and finds that although made up of differ
ent tribes, yet were they one people. hav-
ing attained about the same culture, an
entirely different one from any 1f the In
dians by which they were surrounded on
the three land sides, north. east and
south. He Judges these primitive prede-
hov haa,, nffohOnts from, twill hoa
which once occupied the watershed of
the Columbia and Willamette rivers, Ore
gon, and to have reached the maturity of
their culture before the migration.
His collection is to him, what it ap-
pears to any student of archaeology and
seth nology who sees it, an open book
from which may be read the political and
social economics and ethics of this tri-
bal race; and so perfect and complete a
collection is it, of absolutely project and
complete specimens. that its peoples can
be traced through the entire range of
their vocations and avocations. their viii
age sites and home life, their hunting
and their shrines. their wars, their work
shops and their burials.
There are three other collections OF
aboriginal relics from Southern California
in America, that in the Metropolitan
museum. New York. in the Smithsonian
institution, Washington, D. c.. and the
y
one of the above named collections can
equal the Palmer collection here for COM
pleteness in covering the field, or in the
perfection and rarity of its specimens.
DR.. Paul Schumacher, the able scholar
and accom- plished gentleman who super
intended the explorations and gathering
together of the relics in the Smithsonian
and Peabody collections, was a personal
friend of DR.. Palmer's. and until DR..
Schumacher death, the two students
worked together mich of the time.
Each piece in the collection has its own
separate place on the big table in the
Forester avenue house, each one is care
fully marked. all are classified and ar
ranged with direct reference to their as
sociation with or relation to one another,
and DR.. Palmer handles them with Low.
ing pride. as we'll he may, and mis- eye
kindles as he tells not only what each
piece is, and why it is there, but in many
instances the circumstances underswhict
it was found; and the enthusiasm be
feels in this;subject communicates itsel
to the listener even though he never col
lected anything but postage stamps, OF
buttons. and doesn't know the differen ;,
between Southern California Indian
and Fiji islander.
Among the stone relics there are NOR.
tars large and small, of various shape,
and stages of development, and tneil
pestles. The instruments, too, for max.
ing them; metatts or meallng stones, fol
grinding meal; there are cooking
pots of different shapes for different uses
bowls, griddles cups, baking stones,
pipes, mace heads, borers. spatulas, ham.
mers. club heads, charm stones and fet-
ishes. polishing stones, sinkers. drills.
files, saws, medicine stones and spindle
wheels. Ornaments, coo, there are in
stone, of peads, pendants, charms and
rings, all beautifully wrought. some orDa
mented by incised lines, and most OF
them with fine polish.
In the bone section there are knives.
spears, barbs, daggers. avis, perforators.
fish hooks, harpoons, sword blades. gill
ling hooks. shuttles, buckles, paint pots,
whistles, hairpins, needles. vessels made
from the vertebrae OF fishes. and orna
ments of all kinds, all of which have been
subjected to a bath in thin. hot glue to
preserve them from decay, but which has
not in any way affected their appearance
In the shell department are beads. PEN
dants, charms, pins, rings and dress orna-
ments, many of them engraved and
ella boi ately ornamented, some with gold.
some with carving, some inlaid with
mosaic. There are also glass and enamel
beads on cards and strung in necklaces,
Just as they were worn hundreds OF wears
ago, and bottles of different colors and
shapes.
The Clipped stone instruments en-
brace arrowheads, spear heads, drills,
scrapers, saws and knives. Arrow heaus
of chalcedony, jasper, chert agate,
quartz and obsidian.
= OF wood there are hair brushes made of
l,rao ovl-~