St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-05-25
AMERICAN MOSAlCs.'
CAllf0rnians Three Thousand Years Age
Were skilled In = Beautiful Art.

i CAllf0rniaMs Three Thousand Years Age
i Were skilled In = Beautiful Art.
An interesting feature of California.
especially in the southern portion, are
the evidences of vast ancient popula-
ton that once throDged its shores, bays
and inlets. These people were found
by Cabiello in 1912, and by Viscaino
sixty years later; possibly Coronado
may have seen some of them. In any
event, three hundred and fifty years
native population as it has Americans
ut present, and the land was held by
scores Of tribes from the extreme south
to the north, different dialect being
me. with every few miles, while the
offshore islands also supported large
and vigorous population.
These people were supposed to be
savages, and compare favorably with
tho people who are identified in Eu-
| rope with the so-called stone age; in
other words. all their articles of use
were Of bone, stone or wood. The
writer has during the last few years
visited many localities formerly oc-
cupied by these ancient people, and it
is evident from what has been discov-
cred that they were not the savages
generally supposed, but were possessed
to limited degree of aesthetic tastes.
When southern California first at
tracted the attention of archBolOgists,
| almost every excavation resulted in the
| discovery of vessels rof q gray or
grcenish stone, known as steatite. The
writer has found small pieces of it at
Santa Monica, the broken parts Of
mortars, curious shaped objects at
Murietta, San Diego county, and small
slabs in the adjacent Santa Rosa
mountains. deep in the canyons
were unearthcd At Upper Pasadena
and ut various localities along the deep
canyon of the Arroyo Seco that bor
ders the town. On the coast, at Santa
Barbara, the old graves produced
quantities of the stone, which had
been cut and carved into implements
of various kinds. Here were found
great bowls, carved out Of the solid
rock, that would hold gallon or more
Of water, the shape being symmetrical,
yet evidently worked by hand without
any mechanical contrivances.
One of the finest shapes was found in
a canyon near the Indian reservatio
Of Pachanga, San Diego county. The
vessel was about two feet in height
and perfectly modelled. 1t weighed
nearly fifteen pounds All other OBJ
jects found on the adjacent town sites
and in the graves were made from con-
veniently-shapcd stones taken from
the vicinity, but in no case could
steatite ledge be found. There was
nothing of the kind in California,
and for years it was puzzle that the
keenest collectors could not solve.
1t was noticed that in the excavation
along shore more steatite was found
than inland. and finally steatite OBJ
jccts were found in great numbers on
the island of Santa Catalina, that lies
thirty miles off the coast, and it was
not long before the mother ledge of
all this steatite was discovered on the
north side of the island, half way up
broad valley, known as Potts. Here
was not only the ledge, but one of the
most interesting workshops of ancient
man ever discovered, and it has been
shown that this isle of summer, that is
now fashionable health and pleasure
resort, was once the site of q great
mandatory that must have given its
people high rank as q commercial
race. Here the vessels were made, be- |
ing carried to the mainland settle |
mcnts along shore and exchanged for
skins, seeds, and various articles that
the island did not possess.
The old ledge still shows the marks !
of the tools, which were knives and
gouges of flint and slate, and among
the debris are seen the flakes, broken |
tools, and half-finished vessels, while |
perfect ones have been found among |
the rocks in the vicinity that had ap- |
parently been hidden. The appear. |
ance of this old workshop suggests |
driven away suddenly. dropping their
tools and never returning. On one
ledge, for there are several. are num-
bers of ring marks, showing the Ia
borious process by which the natives
cut the ollas or pots. The size was
first marked, and the stone slowly |
cut away until what resembled can
non ball was left. This was finally
broken out, leaving . deep hole. Ihe
ball of steatitc was the future ola,
and was followed out by the
scraping process and rounded SO deft-
ly that it seems hardly possible
and without skilled tools. In this out
of-door workshop. under the warm sun
and blue-skies of California, all the
curious stcatite implements found over
southern California were made, and
the locality stands to-day. with its
shining heaps of rock. visible for
long distance, one of the most inter
esting IN the west.
These olla-makers had ideas far in
Of to-day. Some of the mortars Of hard
stone were of artistic shape; but the
most aesthetic feature is the mosaic
work observed in their decoration.
Some had the edges thus ornamented-
very crude in its way, but . real mo-
sale. The worker first attached pieces
Of asphaltum, obtained from the main
land; then bits of the pearly ballots, or
abalone shell, which is very common
here, were set into the asphalt
tum until it was covered, the
effect being brilliant and strik-
ing. The handles Of the rude swords
Of the natives were often ornamented
in the same way. These mosaic work
ers were fond Of music, as from their
graves the writer has taken curious
flutes or whistles, that were usually
made from the bone of deer, one end
being closed by asphaltum. that was
with pieces Of pearl.
Mosaic work was undoubtedly used
In ornamentation Of various objects.
A diskshaped stone was discovered 1t
one of the village sites made of in
fusorial earth, one side Of which was
with asphaltum; that in turn,
held bits OF red. blue and green
lbalone mosaic. Such an object
worn upon the head or breast, would
in the sunlight make . DAZZLING
ornament. The abalone. the rich