The Cook County herald., 1897-12-11
TREE ABSORBS 4 BRAIN. 4
Singular Freak Of Nature Discovered in
Es. California.

Z
q. California.
There lis a tree over on Bay Farm
island that little addition to Alameda,
into which a man has grown, says the
San Francisco Call. The tree appar-
emily has absorbed the brain Of a man
into its sap veins, and the man who
made the discovery now regards the
tree with a superstitious awe, as if it
were partly human. The tree is an
ordinary fir tree that has been grow
ing for at least half century. Some
time ago Frank Silva, who lives upon
the island, was digging at the foot of
the tree, completing a trench which
ran just at the base Of the fir. AS he
was working away among the roots
that impeded his work he turned up
some human bones. The unearthing
Of a skeleton is always interesting and
Mr.. Silva directed his search for the
rest of the bones. These he located
after little work, and he found a
complete skeleton. The bones mad
been buried for a long while, for they
were denuded of every vestige OF flesh
the position in which the bones were
found it was very evident that the
body had been tumbled into the grave
without much ceremony, for it was
found face down and in a. croJching
position, as if the body had been hur-
rledly thrown into it's last resting
place. Upon the exposure to- the air
the bones fell one from another,
though they did not crumble> into dust.
They were all carefully removed from
the hole save the skull, and Mr.. Silva
made an effort to remove that. But
he found it impossible to bring it from
the position in which it lay, because
one of the roots of the fir tree, at the
base of which it lay, had grown en-
tirely through the skull. 1t was found
necessary to chop the root away en-
tirely before the skull could be re-
moved. The root had penetrated a.
crack. in the skull and had forced its
way through the head and out at the
opposite side. When it dawned upon
Frank Silva that the tree had grown
through the skull and had actually
abosorbed the brain of a man into it's
wooden trunk he regarded the tree
with awe. He has since refused to all
low the tree to be cut in any way:
Deputy Coroner Smiley of Alameda
took charge Of the remains, though no
inquest was ever held.
1.-THE skeleton was undoubtedly that
of an Indian" said Mr.. Smiley. "The
bones were found on the south shore
of the island. about fifteen feet from
the bank, beneath a fir tree that has
been landmark on the island before
the first settler planted his asparagus
bed. The skeleton was in a crouching
position and covered by the roots OF
the tree, while clear through the skull
root almost as thick as my arm had
grown. It was necessary: to use a
hatchet to remove the skull. 1t is
my opinion that the fir tree has been
growing on the island nearly half a
century. The bones had probably
rested beneath the tree forty years. It
may be that one of the Indians who
were the original Inhabitants Of the
island was murdered and buried near
the young tree. I cannot understand
how the root could have penetrated
and grown through the skull unless
there was hole in it, The skull was
perfect specimen when I secured it,
except that it had been perforated by
the root. I am not sufficient of: a.
scientist to express any opinion. as to,
how much of the man, if any, grew
into that tree through the root You:
have got to ask some of these scientific
fellows about tha+ but it is certain
that the tree must have obtained some.
nutriment from the brain of that man.
1t may have changed it's forin in the.
tree, but I think that the brain. Was
absorbed by the root"