Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-29
TIE NoUHD BUILDERS
4 Few Reasons why Mounds Were Nst
Erected by the Indians.

higher civilization than the India
has ever attained to. unless. pei
chance-a thing remotely possible
he is the degenerate remnant OF
race at one time less savage, les
predatory and much more industrloi
than we know him to be.
These evidences of pre-histori
civilization are in the form of mound
or tumuli and walled Enclosures, con
structed in many instances, with ;
skill that has caused civil engineer
to wonder how works of such magni
tude could have been planned an'
reared without the aid of highly de
veloped mechanical instruments.
Within and about these ancien
monuments Of departed peopl,
gone from the earth forever hav'
been found sculptures, vessels OF pot
terry, stone and copper instruments
such as could only have been pro
duced by a race given to industra
pursuits, and that had made sOmt
advancement in the useful and dec
orative arts.
These earlhworks and Enclosures
are found as far east as Central New
York, as far north as the Grea'
Lakes; as far west as the Pacific
Ocean, and as far south as the Gull
OF Mexico. East OF the Allegheries
and south of New York, few, If any
are known to exist. Those evidenclng
the greatest age and the most skill
full construction are found in the val
l,ys Of the Ohio and Mississippi, while
those in the valley of the Alissour---oI
lesser magnitude and presumably
more recent origin-seem to mark a
migration, rather than a permanent
occupancy.
In the valleys of the Ohio and Mis-
s'sstEpi mounds in size as large as the
great pyramids Of Egypt. and walled
Enclosures surrounding hundreds OF
acres, have been found. The latter
are in the form of exact squares and
perfect circles and ellipses. The plan
ming of beth mounds and enclosures
called for a higher order OF inteli-
gence, and their construction for a
greater liking for labor than the NO
bic Red Man has at any time exhib.
tied or manifested, since the coming
of the white race to the New World.
II they are his handwork, he began
to degenerate, and, as a race, to dis
appear, long before Columbus sailed
forth from Palos on his voyage of dis.
covery.
That THE Indian belonged to a dis.
appearing rather than an increasing
race is evidenced by the fact that, &C
cording TO accepted estimates. the to.
tai Indian poprlation within the pres.
emit area of the United States at the
time of the advert of the whites was
less than one million souls, divided
into hundreds of tribes, each. accord.
NY 10 lrloa' re'at'ohs' claiming n
more or 'ess anclellt origin. These
.r'oes were ,sca'Iereo from the ATTAIN
uc 10 'he racine oceans and from
tne urea' Lakes TO the Gulf OF
MeSlco' the'r presence being lndica7ed
oy an occasional village IN the hear
OF the wilderness or IN the mfdst OF
'he pralrle' composed OF vents Wig
vans or rude NUTS betokenlng little
sKfi IN 'helr construction ana less OF
permanently 'h thelr archllec'ure'
around 'hese villages were 10 De
louhd a rev small nelus deVo'cd 10
tue cul.'Na''oh OF l,,u'aH corn OF
maze tne Iaoor OF tlllIng which, per-
formed IN lhe very rndest manner
iell 10 me lot OF the squaws. Ih'
l'lale I'l'lan was ABOVE ''a'l''al laoor
1' any klno' anu seems TO nave Deeh
excepted from the curse III the
swear OF my race snail Nhol eat
bread lie was warrior ANA a nun
'er' ANA 'he industry lhat strength
ems the muscles quIckens the energies,
summaries mental activity and origin
a'es oSelul inventions was a stranger
10 MN from the day OF his birth toI
the DAY 'hat ne died, leaving mo
monument bph'nd FOR good
Were the Indians an ancient ami
increasing race OF people, 'hey ought
TO nave numbered many millions, in
stead OF a seant million, when the
onward-mo0ng TIDE OF civilization
brsl touched the shores OF the West
ern continent Had the race origin
afed in a single pair. the natural in
crease would have given a population
OF 100000 in 700 years--a period
wi him which ~ is al nd mad h,tn