Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-04-22
GROWS RICH CROPS.
Relics of a Giant Face Found on n
Florida Farm.

Florida Farm.
A graveyard in farm is not an eN-
sraordinary thing, but farm in a grave
yard is something different. Imagine
vast tract of many acres, planted with
corn, cane, tomatoes and many other
vegetables, whilst the ground round
about is almost completely covered with
skulls. bones and other debris that be-
long to graveyard proper. Such is The
farm of Capt. L. j. Watson. who lives at
Chatham Bay Key. some 80 miles from
Fort Myers, Fla, in the Tel Island sec
tion- In the fields are seen big corn
stalks and sugar cane growing out
through empty skulls, while the ground
Underneath the thickly matted tomato
zine seems nothing but a surface of
bones.
This key is one of the most peculiar
IF the many odd islands in this group.
1t is a large island, containing about
so acres most being extremely rich land.
In the center is sort of raised highland,
containing about ten acres. On the
edge of this there are still to be seen re-
mains of what was formerly probably
4 fortification of some kind, the coQuina
walls showing about a foot high in some
places, while in others they have COM
pletely 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
200 by 800 feet, in the form of an eight
pointed star. In the center of this is
land is square upright column made
| from coquina. 1t is over IL feet high.
! but from its foundation and other
points it would seem to have been at
| least two feet square, and possibly 20 or
more feet high. Queer Indian figures
| can be made out on it.
The Indians hereabouts have a SUI
perstition regarding this island, and it
is impossible to get any of them to visit
| it at night. Chief Iconadachee, one of
the oldest Indians here, says that years
| ago when the Spaniards in Florida were
prosecuting the Indians powerful
race inhabited this southern section.
They were large and fierce, and aston
ished 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
impenetrable morass. They made this
their last fighting ground. and many
tales are told of the encounters that oc-
| tHcTC DSSWCCiI thC ON anu
these Indians. Finally they were lriv-
en- away from this refuge and what was
left of the tribe, possibly 1000, moved
to this island. A mighty battle was
fought here afterward, and it is sup
posed that the tribe was completely ex-
terminated. An examination of the
farm would indicate that massacre of
some kind had occurred. as the whole
Lotto lx-
covered with skulls and various body
bones of all sizes and conditions. One
can scarcely walk without treading on
something of the kind. Hundreds and
hundreds of the skulls are crushed in.
as if the owner had been killed by a
bludgeon wound, or by battle-aN: in
fact, three-fourths of 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; a majority of them
are nearly eight feet in height. cores
pondingly broad in shoulders and with
a mighty arm-reach. All the other
frame bones are correspondingly large
being much larger than the bones of an
ordinary human body. a good many
scientists have visited this section this
winter, but none of them could explain
the strange find. except on the hypoth
esis of complete massacre and ar
extinction of this tribe. Mr.. Watson's
farm is noted for its richness, decayins
bones giving it an immense amount OF
fertilizing. From 30 acres planted III
cane and vegetables he has sold nearly
$4,000 worth of stuff. This shows the
incompatible richness of the place.-St
| T.oiliS GlObe-DemOcrat