Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-10-29

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work to put the mound and the new
park containing it in a suitable
condition as public pleasure ground.
The conyolutions of the Serpent were
outlined by gravel paths, so that they
might be followed from end to enc
without injury to the monument ITSELF
In the southwest corner Of the park
pleasant picnic ground was arranged,
with spring of water protected by a
substantial stone spring-house. A well
built road leads diagonally across the
park, and the whole was put under the
care of a competent keeper. The
present transfer to the Ohio Archaeo
logical and Historical society is in ac-
cordance, of course, with the principle
that wherever possible historical sites
are more appropriately cared for by
| local society. When the Peabody
museum took over the property there
was no such society available. 1t
came forward in an emergency, in the
| interest of archaeological science Ill
| this country. It's work having been
done, it retires in favor of the local
SS"ANO
| the task where it is laid down. The
society, indeed, has for several years
had the actual care of the park, and
the present legal transfer is simply IN
corroboration of the custodianship.
Prof. Putnam's explorations in the
vicinity of the Serpent Mound resulted
in an extraordinary number of finds,
going back from the latest Indian in
habitants to a very remote past. A
most interesting account of his work
in this direction may be found in an
article which he contributed to the
Century Magazine some years ago, as
we'll as in the reports of the Peabody
museum. The site of the serpent we'll
agrees in it's striking picturesqueness
with the romantic ideas of the Ameri-
can Indian which have come down to
us with many an early novel and tale
| of exploration and adventure in the
| great west Adams county is one OF
| the most beautiful in the state. 1t re-
minds the visitor more of New Eng
| land in it's irregularities of hill and
| dale than of the more level and sweep,
!
as one looks up toward it from the Gull
! tivated meadows on the hither side OF
| Brush creek, rises steep and woody to
height of nearly hundred feet. 1t
! is crescent-shaped, following the bend
of the river below it, and the bold turn
| to the northwest is crowned by a sheer
cliff of bare rock which slopes to a
| IL 1, 81 f1.AI1 G
animal On the back of this rocky
spur is the serpent itself, opening its
huge jaws as if to swallow the great
hollow oval or egg before it. The body
winds in broad graceful curves down
| to the coiled tail at the end. There
| have been few observers who have not
been impressed with the remarkable
grandeur of the mound and the rude
but strong art which stretched it along
the level of this striking promontory
to be monument of prehistoric man
on this continent, as may now be
hoped, for all ages to come. The state
| of Ohio may well be proud that it pos
sesses it and grateful to the disinter-
ested efforts of the scientists who were
the means of preserving it.
It seems to be generally agreed by
archaeologists that the mound was
erected for ceremonial and symbolic
purposes, and was not connected with
| the idea of sepulture. In the center of
the egg-shaped oval is a heap Of
stones showing the effect of fire. This
altar (if such it is) was once much
larger than now, having been broken
up some sixty years ago in some
search for buried treasure. The oval
is $50 feet long by 80 feet wide, and
about four feet high. From the end
of the oval to the tip of the tail is a
distance of 496 feet in an air line, but
1348 feet if measured from the end OF
the oval to the neck of the serpent and
then along all the convolutions of the
body From the tip of the upper jaw
to the end of the tail the serpent itself
measures 1854 feet The average
width of the body is about 20 feet and
it's height along the head and body
| from four to five feet. From the be-
ginning of the tail it gradually de-
creases in width and height until it
terminates in bank about foot high
and not more than two feet wide.
Professor Putnam's excavations have
disclosed the fact that the serpent was
erected with great care. Where the
| slope of the ground indicated possible
insecurity in the outlines, the work
was strengthened with stones, or with
clay mixed with ashes.
The Peabody museum in Cambridge
retains memorial of it's now termin-
ated connection with this great MONT
ment OF the past in the shape of very
beautifully executed model of the park
which it formerly owned, done by
| Wards natural science establishment
in Rochester, New York, under the SUI
| pervision of Prof Putnam from sur
J veys by G. Cowen. 1t measures six
! feet six high by four feet eight inches.
I The contour of the land is shown most
Interestingly in green, with it's forests