The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-22
SKELETON N ARAOR
On a New England Island Is a.
Thrilling Find
BUT OF LESS IMPOR TANCE
TO Relics of Times Before
the Indians Advent.
BUT OF LESS IMPORTANCE

New York, Oct. H-The Herald says
A prehistoric race inhabiting the shore
Of Maine-a race antedating the Algon
quin Indians many years-is the import
ant announcement that Frank Hamilton
Gushing, the eminent ethnologist, of the
Smithsonian Institution, makes as thu
result OF his explora ton during the pas
summer on a small island on the eastern
coast.
a few weeks ago the public appetite fol
that which smacks of the unusual or the
romantic was whetted by news Of the
finding on one Of the Maine islands of a
skeleton in armor, buried with all the
evidences Of rank accorded by Indians
to their dead chiefs and side by side with
the skeleton Of an Indian chief. The
discovery directed public attention TO a
work which has been carried on quietly
for a few sumner months during each of
the past three years on the coast OF
Maine by well known ethnologists con-
nected with the Smithsonian Institution,
Washington.
In the minds Of these experts the dis
covery OF the skeleton in armor is not os
as much Importance to the chronological
world as other discoveries made within
the past few wteks in the same vicinity,
which not only throw new light on the
habits and customs of the Indians Of the
eastern coast Of New England, but go
back to a time still more remote, and M
dlcate that a far earlier and very diff
ferent people, perhaps the progenitors Of
the Esquimaux of the present, lived
here.
The scene of the researches is Camp
bells Island, in Eggemoggin Reach, near
the little town of Bro0klin, itself the site
of many an early Indian camp. The
spot is ideally beautiful and small won
der that the earliest inhabitants Of this
region sought it out as a site for a vii
lage, to he followed years later by the
Algonquin tribes, which in turn made
way for the whites who now, in their
turn, seem in danger Of being crowded
ont by that new product Of modtrn civil
ization-the summer aourist. For within
sight Of the island on which within the
last month have been found evidences Of
a prehistoric race, on the shores Of the
mainland and near by Deer Isle, which
raises men to sail cup defenders, cluster
the small cottages Of the summer visitor,
while a few miles to the eastward pile
up majestiealIy from the sea the bold
mountains of Mount Desert Island, behind
which nestles gay Bar Harbor.
The work Of Investigating the ethnolog-
icaI researches Of the coast Of Maine was
inaugurated by Major J. W. Powell, chief
Of the bureau of ethnology of the Smith
souian Institution, who has given it much
Of J, Sc al r-fs1f5,r, fc
der the direct supervision Of Frank Ham,
ilton Cushing. for twenty years connect
ed with the bureau Of ethnology, whose
tsudy Of Indian life has earned him a
widespread reputation. Discussing his
work in Maine, Mr. Gushing said:
''At the beginning Of the work several
stations Of shell heaps were explored,
principally on the mainland at Tibbetts
shore and near Baoson's Landing, at
BrookIin, and on Torreys Islands. in
Eggem0ggin Reach. In all We're found
scant evidence of permanent occupancy.
Nearly every spot explored showed evil
dence of mere temporary but often re-
peated occupancy, evidently during the
fishing and clam gathering seasons, by
Indians OF the interior, undoubtedly, as
judged by the art remains, and especially
by the pottery, found. the direct ancestors
of the Abneaquis, whose remnants are
now scattered in small colonies about /
Maine.
The remains found IN the places men
toned dated from a period certainly not |
less than a thousand years down to the |
time Of the French occupation one hun |
dred and fifty % two hundred years ago |
The shell heaps were not deep or extern |
sive, but ia some We're TWO strata, in |
the l0wermost of which only prehistoric !
stone age remains were found, whereas /
near the surface deposits fragments or 1
French pipes. European hatchets, copper |
kettles. etc, occurred.
I'm none of the places on the main /
land was there indication OF a single !
permanent village or residence of the an |
Gent Indians. consequently interments |
did not occur. On the larger fthe two /
Torney's Islands somewhat different re- |
mains were found. Below the superficial 4
strata was another in which traces of /