Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-03
VISIT
CLEVELAND PARK
10 see what IL
beautiful. .
GRIM RELICS ExHUMED.
Bones of Giant Aborigincs Uncarthed
on an Ancient battle-ground.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
on the brow of a low, rolling hill, twelve
miles southwest of Santa Ana, and near the
settlement Of Ocean View. have been dis
covered the grim relics of some ancient ne
Cropolis. ArchaeOlogiSts who have recently
made a cursory inspection of the sur
rounding country are inclined to credit the
common theory of local antiquarians that
this bleak and barren hillside served a
Sepulchre for The remains of the aborigines,
who occupied this valley and the contiguous
mountains Time ana the Vandal hand of
man long ago destroyed all superficial
traces OF this extinct people, but their bones
and d few imperishable articles used in
their commerce ana warfare have survived.
The latest md in this prehistoric burial
ground was that of a skeleton of unusual
proportions. which was unearthed by Fred
Mills and force of wOrkmen who Were en-
gagged in excaVating soil. An Examiner
representative visited the place in COM
pany with an artist and Mr.. Mills hims elf
and obtained photograph of the relic
which had been left intact.
The remains lie, or rather sit, on the west
side of the eminence, which rises some fifty
feet from tule marsh On the ranch of L.
j. Northam, When found the bones were
barely covered with soil, a small proper
ton of the skull protruding above the
ground With the exception of this ex-
posed surface the bony parts are in a fair
state OF preservation. The system of liga-
menJs is entirely dissolved. but the bones
were al! in their re.ative positions.
The funeral feaSts Of the early tribes are
described as solemn and maddening" but
how. with any degree Of sulemnity a man
could be chucked into his grave as this
Skeleton was Is not apparent TO the observ-
er- II was cons gICu 10 earth in a sitting
posture. with the knees drawn together I'M
der the chin.
All The teeth Were in place. and. except
Tor i ShShj diSculOratiun, their enamel cas-
ing Is sun intact Striking features of the
Specimen 81 antiquity, who laid his bones
Ia ms grave we're high, narrow forehead.
prominent cEcekbones and massive deem
sci Jaw. From the structure Of the skull
II Is probable that the deceased was a mem
Der 81 some early Indian tribe which in
habijeC this part Of the country before The
advent of IN" FrauciSCans.
During the last ten years several skelc-
tons nave beth uncovered near the brink of
II4-s same NH About year ago the re-
mains OF Il human being 81 giant stature
were jug Up not fifty feet from where The
4.tSi one was found. and the surface Of the
ground = SUI! SjFtWn with the bleaching
remnants Of his huge frame. The iav-hnr9
oi TINS specimen which is in paSseSsiun ,f
MI Mills, - -" large as to tit over tbc
CheeA ol an Ordinary man. with fully an
inch 10 spare, and the other parts of rho
frame were prOpDrJiOnately large In tbiS
case the remains We're found living So
9o"H" ara under about TWO feet OF soil. this
being tht UNIFORM depth at which ali Tho
specimens have been unedrthed -e
The presence Of this old-time sen.,Icbra
and the apparently reckless manner in
which the dead Were consigned IN tic -
ms, have led to the conclusion tbat ~,
bread mesa about Ocean View was cnc' enc g
chosen battle-ground Of Indian braves Uers
according To tradition. they met at inter.
walls 10 settle their tribal differences MN
the honorS of war This theory is moi VIII
cut support for many relics of early war
fare have been picked up in the Vicinity
Mr. Mills exhibited collection Of thaSa
articles. among which are several arrnyy-
heads or Javeltn points. ingeniously ground
from hard black flint. He also has the
broken parts OF a mortar and pestle such
as We're used by the early Indian settlers in
preparing their corn for tho baking process.
A Frenchinan residing at Ocean View also
mas III extensive collection of these curios.
IhcluuihS smoking pipe fashioned out of
stone rusty sword OF crude design was
recently added to Mr.. Mills exhibit but
TINS weapon could hardly be classed as an
Indian Curiu, AS Poor IO was obliged 70 d.
battle with instruments of more primitive
manufacture