The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-12
ANCIENT Bones at
The Pdn.RmeriCan

10 1OJ SlPIoSE many people
u visit the Ethnology building?
There weren't nearly as many as
on the Midway the other day. What
| does ethnology mean, mother?" de-
manded a small boy wha was drag
| ging after a weapy-looking woman
with cinders and determination in
both eyes. 'Why, why, it means
| bones, | guess" she answered vaguely
/ "AnyWay, We've got to see what's
! here. We don't want to miss any
thing and she hurried her son ener-
gctically in one door and as hastily
on: the other glancing casually right
and left in her flight. They were
| headed toward the Horticultural
building, to see the big apples labeled,
yield not to temptation"
This seems to be the way in which
most people visit the building of Eth
nology. In the first place, it is a long
name and the majority do not appear
to be violently interested, even after
they get over the name. As one lit
tie bride was heard rcmarking, IT
! don't care for stuffed snakes and |
never did like mummies. They smell
so funny Now there are no stuffed
snakes, and, as "A young college man
with no bump of reverence expressed
it. Not a blooming num-" But if
YOU want to see nice, clean bones of
folks who really might lay claim to
belonging to the first families, here $
your chance. OF course, having moth
| ing but bones and no blue blood they
don't arouse much jealousy, even in
the breasts of the Daughters of the
Revolution, a group of whom viewed
the remains with proper veneration
that day. The worst Of il was not a
single blessed Daughter had the nerve
to do any boasting in that presence
about the grandfather who had "ft
and blod and died" for his country.
Here was somebody indsputaby older
than all their grandfathers on this
and the other side of the sea He
was here when the world was young
and happy, before the trusts and the
labor unions owned the place.
lie was rather pleasant old fell
low this patrician first owner of the
land whore Mckinley and Mark Han
ma ana statesmen and politicians ga
lore now claim right of eminent
domain. He was only discovered last
year, out in "A mound tomb in Ohio,
but he had been there some time, they
don't pretend to assert how many
thousand years. They have endeavor-
ed to arrange him according to the
geographical, or whatever you NAV
call it, relative position his bones oc-
cupied when they We're found He is
little the worse for wear, but what
can you expect? | wonder how much
of our anatomy will be left to discover
when thirty or forty centuries have
passed after our tussles with osteopa-
thy, rheumatism, locomotor ataXia,
Christian Science and other things?
In some of us the backbone will he
conspicuous for its absence, at least
q
This gentleman had considerable
backbone. It is straight for an old
person, and apparently strong. His
ribs aren't in a condition to be of
much service in another incarnation.
but they have been painstakingly To-
Gated according To the most approved
anatomical knowledge of today. II
would be difficult, however, Ia de-
terminc whether he Is minus one OF
them in order to have the pleasure of
the society of the lady, lying a little
removed who is rather more intact as
" itI IlbS' Inc SdNdntS say she
never wore a corset in her life and
that she was probably one hundred
and fifty years old when she died.
They also say that the patriarch head
of the family had No COrns and no base
ball finger joints. lie certainly has
fine set of teeth, and my! such a lot
of them! Probably he cracked nuts
with them, too.
Dld 1t ever occur to you why il Is |
that there is nothing particularly re- |
Voting or pathetic about a skeleton?
There really isn't, you know. 1t is
only nervous sentiment which sees |
In 1t anything grewsome. Why, it's |
all because of the smile il wears. One
cannot feel depressed about an object |
which seems so inordinately gratiaed |
with the situation. a dead body is |
different, very So is mummy; al |
though, to be sure, "A mummy is n |
dead body, too, isn't II? / shall never
forget those awful Peruvian mummies |
at the Worlds Fair, sitting up there |
like folks, with their withered cheeks. |
and those horrible clawey hands, and |
that tangle OF black hair | was |
afraid of the dark for weeks after
ward