The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-02-27
ARE We BECOMING INolANs7
Increasing Resemblance In Faces to the
Aboriginal American Type.

IL IS an extraordinary question I'D
anthropological science which has been
propounded popularity of late. The in.
fuence of environment upon the race
resident in the United States must in
the course of four centuries produce
certain marked and undeniable physic
al results. 1t is not generally acknowl-
edged by American anthropologists
that there is tendency of reversion
to the type indigenous to the soil. But
foreign students of race. with more
perspective, have offered interesting
food for reflection. A writer in the
Chicago Times-Herald, commenting on
the assertion of the French authors
that on this continent the American
white man has varied toward the In
dian type offers supporting study
which is curiously fascinating-pos-
sibly vastly important.
First, the familiar faces of the carl
caturists' creation are called in as wit.
nesses. The Yankee and the Southrou
large and loose-limbed of these pic
lures are types, even as the stout, full
faced John Bull is type found in an
other environment. Both American
favorites of the cartoorist have high
cheek bones, and usually excellent
straight noses. These witnesses are
not, of course, scientifically admissible.
The faces given us by the caricature-
makers are impressions, not testimony
Scientific, however, is the study of.
fered of the Pennsylvania German
ahappy, thrifty, frugal people, who have
been subjected to American conditions
for nearly two centuries, with very lit.
tie intermingling with other races,
much less than the English people in
New England or in Virginia.
1t is true that the pervasive and be.
quilting Irish have intermarried some
what with these old Pennsylvania set.
tiers, but in the main it is very ex.
elusive, pure-blooded Palatinate stock
Data have been secured relative to 8.
large number of school children, anc
to adult males from rs to so years o,
age, and many copies of portraits Of
original settlers. 1t appears that stat
ure increases and that other important
generalizations may be made, tentative
ly, of course. The increase of fingc,
reach is marked and the head measures
are important.
THE anthropologist places consider
able value upon certain proportions OF
relations between measures" says the
student of the subject. thus the
length of the head and the breadth of
the head, when compared, give nu-
merical expression which is called the
cephalic index. To find it the length is
divided into the breadth and the result
multiplied by 100, A head one-half ne
wide as it is long would have an index
of so; one three-fourths as wide as
long would have an index of rs; one as
wide as it was long would have an index
of 100. There is no race whose head is
normally SO wide as to have an index
of 100, or so narrow as to have one of
so. The higher the index, of course,
the broader and sounder the head; the
lower the index, the longer and narrow.
Ell the head. Germans generally are
notably round-headed. Topinard gives
for some people of Lorraine the index
of s5.3. The average index of 100 Penn.
syivania Germans is SID, which is not
ably less and narrower. The heads of
our northern and eastern Indians are
still longer and narrower. We cannot
at present make further comparison
with profit. What we have already
cni
learn the actual Palatinate type. We
assume now that the PaIatinate Ger.
mans were of medium stature, ligh.
haired, blue or light eyed, round head
ed, with finger reach of 1,043. We
find that the Pennsylvania German
children are dark in hair and eyes; that
The men are probably of increased stat
ure; that heads appear to be length.
ening; that arm reach appears to be
Increasing. In all these respects the
German varies from the
Palatinate type and in the d.
rection of the Indian. If our assump-
ton proves valid we may claim that our
evidence shows change, which, If con
sinued, may form an Indian type from
the German"
All this, it must be noted, is absolute
y distinct from any of the reasons for
discussing the tendency of Americans
70 revert to original types from the in
filtration of the red Indian blood itself
n the veins of the white race. From
he days of the old French and Indian
wars, Preside tales of New England inter-
mixture of that sort have been common
nough. A recent novel has expressed |
'he country knowledge in New England |
hat there is an occasional ''streak"
rom ancestry that approached New |
England from the west as well as that |
which approached it from the east
lcross the Atlantic. In the western
states and territories the great num-
DeTs of half-5reeds whose descendants
ind their way into the life of cities |
rings to bear a curious and unreck. !