The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-21

Ieet- Inc largest skeletons unearthed in
Florida were recently found in Lake coun-
ty, and, curiously enough, too, I found
them in very small mound. They were
ranged near the base and there were
ABOUT twenty OF them. Some were full
six feet in hight and all were in a re-
markabie state OF preservation one OF
the eorpses seemed to have been subject
ed 10 a process OF mummefaction, for the
skin had shrivelled to parchment. and
stu held the bones together. The fingers
OF this skeleton were clasped about a
beads.
"A noticeable thing in regard to the
Jaws OF these skeletons is the remarkable
soundness of the teeth. Look at this
said the professor. and he thrust beneath
the eyes of the correspondent an aborigi-
nal skull. You will notice that There is
not single unsound tooth in it. The con-
dttion of the teeth in this skull is a type
OF those in all skulls. l have examined
thousands and in all the teeth are sound.
Once in a while you will find where a
tooth has been drawn-an evidence that
toothache was known to them as rare
disease. and that the offending molar
was promptly extracted.
Probably the most remarkable thing
IN connection with the skeletons Of the
Indians in Florida is their anatomical
difference from the structure of other
races. Their shin bones are invariably
nat, the result, perhaps, of their devotion
TO the chase and the consequent drawing
of the hard muscles against the bone.
Another curious thing is that in nearly
all these skeletons a perfOration is found
in the numerous near the elbow. When
that was announced the theorist said that
IL would be found only in the male skele-
tons, and that it was there because of the
constant use of the paddle, but II was
also found in the females. Then the
theorists said it was because the women
exercised their arms grinding corn; but
they have not yet explained why II is
found in the left arm as well as the right
in some skeletons and not at all in Others"
Rising from his place on the side Of the
mound, which was shelving away under
the assaults of the negroes with their
shovels, Prof. Moore led the way to the
steamer Alligator, which he has chartered
for his Florida trip, and proceeded to
show some Of the wonderful things he has
taken from the mounds of the state
THE pre-Columbians. were thrifty
people, said the professor. Look at
this" and he exhibited piece of pottery
with a hole in 1t. That is dead pottery.
The Indians of those days believed that
everything had a soul and they also be-
grafton of souls. They thought that after
death the soul of the man went from one
living thing to another. For that reason.
no living thing was ever placed with n
corpse lest the journey of the soul to the
Happy Hunting Grounds should be de-
layed by an unnecessary transmigration.
At first they were accustomed to place
broken pottery with the dead. but large
pottery was hard to make, and SO these
thrifty Indians began to make small fake
pottery especially for burial services, that
is pottery with hole in it. They put the
hole in il to let out the soul of the man
by whose side il was buried. My opinion
is that they called it 'Hand-me-down-
dead-pottery.'
But more remarkable than this fake
pottery" continued Prof. Moore, SIS this -
and he held up snake made of copper,
bent into graceful curves, which would
have challenged the admiration of Ho-
garth. Il have found three of these.
They all came from the mound in Lake
county, in which found the corpse that
had been subjected to the process of
mummefaction.
Probably this is the most wonderful
find,' said the archaeologist as he exhib-
tied copper breast-plate,. which was
taken from a mound at Mt. ROYAL. on
lake George. The breast plate was about
two feet square, and on IL were traced
concentric circles, seven on each side, In
the center of the breast plate in has relief
was a neatly executed bird; not a conven-
tional bird, such as would be drawn nova
days, but still no one could mistake
what 1t was intended for
But where did the copper come from,
"oh it is all product of North Amer
ivd. " men THESE copper trinkets were first
iouhu II was thought that the Indians had
naa trading connections with European
nations, but analysis of the copper has
exploded that theory. These copper trink-
ets nave been proven to be wrought of
Lake superior copper, and this leads to
the belief that the aborigines We're closely
united by trade. In proof of this / find COP
per breaSt-plates and beads in Florida
and IN Wisconsi in and Michigan / find sea
shells ard sharks teeth. 1t is evident that
the Indians had trade connections and
that the shells were given the Florida
tribes IN exchange for copper
The Florida Indians also knew some
thing of the manufacture of cloth and the
making Of thread. Look at these beads
You see that the string upon which they
hang is perfectly sound. Then over the
corpses you frequently find the remnant of
a mantle. / am confident that they knew
IN rude way. how to make cloth and
thread.
Put" said Prof. Moore. 'if this skulI
could talk we would soon know all about
II, and he tapped, somewhat lovingly the
CHASTITY, grinning head of one who had
lived years before the foot of Columbus
pressed the soil of the new world.
After all" concluded the deliver into
mounds, Il am inclined to believe tha I
the Florida negro of to-day interests M
more than the skeletons Of the pre-C,ol,,n
bans. The negro is always on the MAKE
and his efforts to secure an extra allow
ance are frequently amusing. In Lake
county had the same system of awards
] had here to spur them on to a more "a re-
full and energetic search. They brought mo
all sorts of truck and swore they had
found them in the mounds. One of these
articles was the remains of an anarosd
barometer and the other the remains Of
a Waterbury watch. These finds had the,,
been genuine. would have established tho
fact that the pre-Columb.ans were ma :
chinists. mathematiciens geographers
navigators. weather-prophets, and. IN fact
gifted with knowledge only acquired after
centuries Of search"
Just then came the refrain from the
mound
Jonas got somthn'," and Prof. Moore
arose to go and see what the shovel on the
black deliver had turned up 20 the iipht
OF day and science.