Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-27


AMERICA.
ed the conquistadores the old cemeteries
are dug over in search of treasure.
Southern Mexico, the Isrhmus and the
Northern states of South America are the
rich fields in which gold is sought. Many
are the traditions of buried millions, con-
cealed by the oppressed natives from their
conquerors, and these stories form an addi-
tional incentive to the treasure hunters.
The result of this pillage is the destruction
of graves and monuments far more precious
than the metals that are looked for within
them, and mang a page of the unreveaIed
history of man in America is thus obliter-
ated.
The wealth of the Indians of tropical
America at the time of the conquest almost
surpassed conception. When the Indian vii
fage of Darien was captured by Balboa in
1910 he obtained plates of gold "such as
they hang on their breasts and other parts,
and other things" amounting to 10000 pesos
of fine gold. The same adventurers obtain
ed in Nicaragua the value of 112,524 pieces
of eight in low gold. Columbus himself
found the natives of Chiriqui and Veragua
so rich in gold that he named the district
Castillo del Orc. Thus, it is said, the stor-
les of an Ell Dorado arose, and thus, in
deed, Costa Rica. the rich coast" re-
ceiVed its name.
Spelling the Graves.
The custom of robbing the graves is said
to have been practiced at the time of the
conquest by the natives themselves, and
as far back as 1924 the Spaniards passed a
law claiming all the gold found in the
burial places of South America.
The scientific archaeologist prizes the
metal ornaments of prehistoric America
at many times their intrinsic value. While
the crucible and melting pot have received
the greater part of such treasures, a few
have been gathered in museums, where
they delight the eye with their barbaric
splendor and furnish in their intricate
workmanship, puzzle to the artists of
the present day.
The most wonderful collection of abo-
riginal gold ornaments ever exhibited up to
that time was at the Historic American
exposition at Madrid in 1929 To this ex-
position the government of Colombia con-
tributed a marvellous collection from the
National museum, collected and arranged
by the distinguished Colombian archaeolo-
gist, Senior Ernesto Restrepo. This famous
treasure of the Quimbayas comprised 60
human figures, masks, % figures of ami
mails, 10 instruments and So bones for orna-
ment, making in all 1856 articles of more or
less pure alloy. Its weight-and consequent
value-led to extraordinary precautions be-
ing taken for its safety, and at the close of
the exposition the entire collection of the
Colombian government was presented to
the queen of Spain for the Royal Archaeo-
logical museum In Madrid, given in kindly
recognition of the services of Spain in the
settlement of the long standing boundary
dispute with Venezuela.
In the same exposition We're to be seen
casts of golden treasures from America,
from the Royal museum in Berlin, where
-srrs,,, ,lrr
to be loaned even to grace that renowned
celebration. Only second to Colombia at
Madrid was the exhibit of the state OF
Costa Rica. The gold collection of Bishop
Thiel, q distinguished American scholar;
of Senior Don Julio de Arellano and of the
national museums of Costa Rica, whose
efficient director, Senior Don Anastasio
AIfaro, arranged the collections as a special
commissioner to the exposition. The speci-
mems were shown in part at Chicago, but
the beautiful display there made by Costa
Rica in the Anthropological building rep
resented but a 1.-THE of what was so ad-
mirably displayed in the halls of Costa Rica
in the great new palace in the Plaza de
Riccoletis.
Valuable Ornaments.
The gold ornaments from Costa Rica
closely resemble those from Chiriqui, on
the Isthmus of Darien, which were de-
y
William H. Holmes, of the Field Column
bian museum at Chicago. For number of
years small objects of gold from this coun-
try found their way to our cities, usually
to be at last consigned to the furnace
Some time after the war, when the high
premium on gold enhanced their money
value. a large collection was offered for
sale in Philadelphia.
One OF the specimens, a bell of curious
form, consisting of grotesque animal
surrounded by twisted hoop, was pur-
chased by the late DR.. Joseph Leidy. At
his death it became the property of Clar-
ence S. Bement, who presented it to the
museum of the University of Pennsylvania
where it is now deposited. The workman
ship of these ornaments has rendered them
an object of much speculation. Indeed it
is so intricate that It Is difficult TO ascer-
tain the precise method of manipulation.
The general effect is that of filigree in
which parts are produced by hammering
and united by soldering; yet. at the same
time, Mr.. Holmes has shown that there are
many indications of casting, although no
was extensively used in forming the de-
tails. Curiously enough. there are no evi-
dences of soldering, and Mr.. Holmes de-
clareG that il solder was used it was so
identical with the body of the object or
so small in quantity rs to escape detection
In fact, that authority concludes that the
objects were cast in their entirety.
The Shortest Line West.
To Denver Cheyenne Ogden Salt T.aLe