The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-01-11

cave; the fiickerlng ire; a group
of fierce, lawless men, gathered
around a sick or wounded broth
er, waiting for the life to leave
the body, that they might feast.
Their weapons were the bow
and arrow; spear, and a peculiar
weapon like a slung- shot; made
by attaching a strong strip of
hide to stone of pound or a
pound and half in weight. This
when swung time or two around
the head war thrown, or used
club-l like as the occasion requir-
ed. This weapon was the most
destructive of all weapons used
by prehistoric man, and was
used by several tribes further
west-this circumstance, and
ocean shells | found in these
caves, lead me to believe that
this people came from the sea
coast, for it is only in the first
layers of deposit, THAT is, the
lowest DOWN that these ocean
shell shells can be found, which
shows tnat they did not get these
shells from neighboring tribes
or they would be all through the
refuse from first to last. | never
had the opportunity to study
this people very extensively, and
am not able to make many posi-
tive assertions as to their habits
and customs. They disappeared
about the same time that the
Geosacerii passed away.
There is a great deal OF thero-
izing among Psychologists as to
the probable cause of their dis
appearance OF the various tribes
that inhabited this country at
that epoch. They, it seems, all
went together. and none were
1 left. Some think that it was
caused by a universal epidemic
of some malignant nature like
smallpox or plague. Again it
is attributed to physical changes
/ IN tlluGtc da4 ASfAAti y
These people existed in the
Age known 10 geologists as the
Late Quarternary. which was
the breaking up of the Glacial
epoch. All the country was in a
flooded condition. caused by the
melting ice, and may have
drowned them out. [ would
rather believe this latter theory
was the fact than the former, fol
lif an epidemic was the cause
then their bones would give us
the long songht for evidence, foI
they would be found in piles and
would be proof conclusive, while
this is not the case at all, it look:
like they had packed then
blankets and gone" A sudden
rise in the river, like the grea'
catelepsy that occurred in China
three or four years ago, would
do it. 1t would drown the in
habitants of the entire distric
and wash the bodies far dowI
the river, possibly into the ocean
Then, again. there was, jus
, after the Glacial epoch had ceas
ed. a local lava flow. 1t crossed
the country from south to north
, and caused, while it lasted. |
drouth in all that low country
This is plainly visible in the riv
er silt, of all the streams of tina
, district and especially so. in the
, deposit of Snake river. Th
: people may have followed up tn
{ rivers as the water receded, un
til they at last came to the Sourc
? es, then crossing the submits Q
! the mountains where they ha
: arrived they made their home
3 in the country they had found
never thinking but what thei
I former homes were a dry an,
inhospitable desert. The peopl
! wect of the lava flow. excepting
' those depending on Snake rive
E for their water supply, were nc
S seriously effected by the stoI
e page of the water. Now thin
: this the real cause of the desel
a ton of the country by its inhab
g tants. for it is known that I'll
). animals left as well as man, al
n the animals came back long b
9 fore man, and literally overru
: the land. But have spoken {
4 that before. CALHOUN.
e CHALLIS, ID. Jan. 5, 1898.
. Notice OF Forfeiture
Y To Adolph Rollett. his heirs aud assigns
You are hereby notified thai in 2ccor1Sr
,, with the provisions OF Section I'M OF the rev
" al Sfntrltss OF tlt. I-nited StateS. We. Your