The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-28
QUARRY IN NEBRASKA
WAS WORKED BY A RACE OF PEOPLE
Unknown to the Scientists-Lived in an Age Earlier Than the Indians
 or the Mound Builders.

Nehawka. Neb.. Dec. 2o.-In the great flint quarries near here, covering Iaore than a township. a party of well known scientists has found what they think is evidence of the existence of a lost race hitherto unknown. 1t is thought that this prehistoric people belonged to neither the red men nor the tound builders. But who they were and at what remote age they inhabited the Missouri Valley cannot now be ascertained.
 They were a race of patient plodders whose knowledge and handiwork had not heen developed beyond the primitive ideas of the stone age. By their industry 1t is shown that they were not of the nomadic, indolent Indian race. by their ignorance and crude handiwork that they were not of the refined, almost civilized mound builders. the first American aborigines, whose existence Is definitely known.
 Then who were they, whence did they come and by whom were they obliterated? :? Aside from the mound builders and the latter day Indians no American aborig- ines are known to scientists. and in these quarries is evidence of a strange race.
 There is no doubt the ouarries are of great age. The entire series of mines has been buried beneath an average of ten feat of soil. The accumulation of this must have taken centuries. It Is known positively the condition has not changed at all in 100 years. Then how many centuries did 1t take for this ten feet of soil to cover the whole of the mines?
 Lived Before the Indians.
 To settle the rnooted question whether these atiarries, situated on the Nehawka fruit farm owned by Isaac M. Pollard, were the work of some artificial agency or of nature. an unusually large party Of prominent scientists was induced by State Archaologist E. E. Blackman to visit the quarries. Of the findings of the sci entists State Archeologist Blackman gave out the following statement:
 MT. Pollard, when he arranged the visit to this spot a year ago. caused cross section to be cut in the brow of the niii and laid bare the face of the quarry. This excavation is eighty feet in length, SIX feet wide and averages ten feet In depth. It shows that the artisans removed two layers of solid limestone and one or decayed rock before they came to the strata which they sought and which con tainer the nodules of flint from which implements were made. Tons of flint are scattered on the surface and in the de- bris of the quarry and there are many rocks showing where the flint nodules
 
 limestone in the quarry pit one may see fractures, as if they had been struck with a heavy sledge. The face of the quarry as shown by the excavation Is perpendicular wall twelve feet high. The surface indication before digging was circular or oblong depression. There is burr oak tree standing nearly In the center of the pit measuring SIX feet two inches in circumference.
 Mystery About the ouarrymen.
 As to the people who did this quarry ing little can be said at this time. The archaeology of Nebraska was not system atically studied until a year ago, and that is scarcely time enough to arrive at a definite conclusion. This much Is evil dent however: A lazy Indian--and most of them we have met are that way never did this work. The work was sys- temadcally done as If under one mans direction; the flint from ths0e quarries is found in well made implements 100 miles from the quarries.
 The Missouri River front presents a complicated archaeological field and one which needs more time to develop. There are indications of three distinct races or tribes of stone age people here. These three are intermingled in places, are separated in other places; they had traits and customs very similar in some respects and unlike in others.
 Briefly stated, We know but lttle about them It Is my opinion that these quar- ries were worked by tribe of people re- lated remotely, If at all, to any Indians known to the early settlers of Nebraska. As to the age of this work, the above cited burr oak tree teaches us that at least 100 years ago the pit where 1t stands was in practically the same condition as today.