The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-05-16
A BATTLEFIELD's CROPS.
Relics of n Giant Race Found on a Flor
ida Farm

q y
Imagine vast tract of many acres
planted with corn, cane, tomatoes
and many other vegetables, while
the ground round about is almost
completely covered with skulls,
bones and other debris that belongs
to a graveyard proper Such is the
farm;of Captain E ]. Watson, who
lives at Chatham Bay Key, Fla, in
the Tel island section In the fields
are seen big cornstalks and sugar
cane growing out through empty
skulls, while the ground underneath
the thickly matted tomato vines
seems nothing but surface of bones.
This key is one of the most pecul-
lar of the many odd islands in this
group. 1t is large island, contain
ing about so acres, most being ex-
tremely rich land. In the center is
a sort of raised highland, containing
about ten acres. On the edges of
this there are still to be seen remains
of what was formerly probably a
fortifcation of some kind, the CO.
quina walls showing about foot
high in some places, while in others
they have completely disappeared.
In the center are the ruins of what
was once a temple of some sort, the
fragments of wall foundations still
remaining being about 300 by 800
feet, in the form of an eight pointed
star. In the center of this island is
a square upright column made from
coquina 1t is now only about 10
inches square and not over - feet
high, but from its foundation and
other points it would seem to have
been at least 2 feet square and posi-
bly, 20 or more feet high. Queer In
dian figures can be yet made out
on it.
The Indians have a superstition
regarding this island, and it is i'm
possible to get any of them to visit
it at night Chief Iconadachee, one
of the Oldest Indians there, says that
years ago when the Spaniards in
Florida were prosecuting the Indians
a powerful race inhabited this south
ern section. They were large and
fierce and astonished the invaders
by their gigantic size and immense
strength. He says that this tribe
was driven south of the Chatham
river, beyond which lies an impene-
trable morass. They made this their
last fighting ground, and many tales
are told of the encounters that oc-
Cured there between the Spaniards
and these Indians. Finally they
were driven away from this refuge,
and what was left of the tribe, pos
sibly 200, moved TO this island. A
mighty battle was fought here aft
erward, and it is supposed that the
tribe was completely exterminated
An examination of the farm would
indicate that a massacre of some
kind had occurred, as the whole up
per part of the key is completely
covered with skulls and various
body bones of all sizes and condi-
tions One can scarcely walk with
out treading on something of the
kind. Hundreds and hundreds o1
the skulls are crushed in, as if the
owner had been killed by bludgeoI
wound or by a battleax-in fact
three-fourths of all the skulls picked
up show the marks of wounds OF
this character.
A large number of skeletons have
been put together, and the result
has been surprising. n majority o.
them are nearly feet in height
correspondingly broad in shoulders
and with a mighty arm reach tha
would astOnish even a Fitzsimmon.
or Corbett. All the other fran,
bones are correspOndingly large, be
ing much larger than the bones o
an ordinary human body. A grea
many scientists have visited thi:
section this winter, but none of then
could explain this strange find, eX
cept on the hypothesis of a complete
massacre and an extinction of thi!
tribe. Mr.. Watson's farm is notet
for its richness, decaying bones Civ
ing it an immense amount of ferti
hzing. From 80 acres planted in can,
and vegetables he has sold nearly
$40, 900 worth of stuff. This shows
the Incompatible richness of tn,
place-St. Louis sGlObe-Democrat
Her Hact.