The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-11


variety of working materials used by
those old time people. Besides stones
and fints for weapons, they used shells
and wood with copper sheathing, and
clay for all sorts of vessels, including
a large and most Interesting collection
Of pipes which were then, as now, ap-
parently, objects of much care and affec-
ton. Wood was used with flcings of
copper and even bison horn, coral smooth
Shells silver, gold and many of the in
ferior jewels, such as jadite and cornell
ian, were used for ornamenta.ion, while
mica and polished coal were also con-
sdered beautiful by them.
1t Is probable that trading was exten-
slvely carried on from tribe to tribe, for
ornaments of mica, which Is found ex-
clusively in the CarolLnas, have been
found in the MississLp ppi valley. Sharks
teeth, that must have come from the
Pacific coast have been found this side
of the Rockies. Bits of obsydian, Of
kind found only In the Yellowstone park,
have been picked in the valleys of the
Tennessee and Arkansas rivers.
OF course, all this carved material i'm
plies tools In variety, though few are
found beyond stones which have been
rsed for craving or crushing purposes.
| Some of the corn mortars are in almost
| perfect preservation and betray the facts
that both beauty and utility were con-
| sidered IN their manufacture. In fact, the
| modern visitor to those relics of past and
supposedly rude ages, cannot fail to be
! impressed with the great love those peo-
| pie or peoples had for beauty. They had
an excellently well developed eye for
both form and color. Some Of the vasts
are of the most pleasing proportions,
shapely and graceful Many Of them are
decorated in two or more colors, the
painting generally of a geometric pat
tern, being done from colored earths by
means of feathers or flat sticks
Some large bowls, of curious "cross-
hatched' appearance called for an ex-
planation. Think of the patience re-
quired to construct large jar from
thin ropes of spun clay! Yet those peo-
pie did 1t, beginning at the base and
coiling strand after strand Of that brittle
cord until the vessel was shaped to suit
them. Then the inside was smoothed
and perhaps decorated in colors, and the
outside might be further ornamented by
cooled serpents or a couple of little
sprawling frogs or a group of birds.
Some jars were left with a cone-shaped
base, and to insure their safety, cushions
of straw were woven, shaped for all the
world like the Inflated rubber cushions
which are now used on plazas and al
ball games. The pointed clay base was
thrust through the opening in the straw
showing the ingenuity of the workers
Many of the ornaments and articles OF
dress found show that the men, no less
than the women, paid the greatest atten-
ton to personal adornment Great head
dresses and g.rdles of the gorgeous South
American plumage are common, straw
and bamboo weapons are woven in con-
trasting stripes, beads and shells were
used as embroidery material, and tn,
nose and lip r-nS show great diversity o1
individual taste.
Some of the most interesting portions
of the collection are those from Mexico
and Central and South America. The
burial customs of those countries are
most valuable in revealing their modes
of life and trend of thought. Large
jars and bowls of carefully prepared
material are found surrounding the mum
my cases. One large case, covered with
sort of coarse sack!ng, and securely
tied with ropes is left as 1t was found
to show exactly how it looked when first
dug up. Others are opened, showing
the curious way IN which the mummy
was packed with layer upon layer oi
soft cotton.
With the men are found weapons ant
bowls of corn and peanuts and succo.
tash. Buried with the women are founC
many work baskets containing. long knit
ting needles wound with cotton yarn
and little clay tubes holding pigments
to beautify their complexions and rolls
of something very Ike chewing gum
These balls were a most mysterious
quantity to the scientists until they were
found to be wads of cocoa leaves which
were put to the very use that spruce
gum Is todily.
l wonder If the small boys and girl:
of those times, like the little moderns
stuck them to the under side of schoo
desks and the dining table for safe keep
Ing when not in use.
Many hours could be profitably spsnt
in the various departments of this study
building of Harvard university The pub
lie is freely admitted, and many hundreds
of visitors take advantage of the Satur
day and Sunday openings. The m.nd-i!
quickened by the inrush of many new
ideas, and all n storical reading in re
gard to either the North or South Amer
icln continent is made more luminou!
by an afternoon of intellectual observa
tion in this fine collection.