The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-23

A disputed question has long been un
settled concerning the first appearance
of man in the upper Mississippi valley.
Mr.. ]. V. Brewer and Prof N H Win
chell, of the historical society," recently
Joined in an exploration of the gravel
beds at Little Falls to determine the iden-
tity of white quartz implements which
have been found in abundance beneath
the gravels where that city is situated.
All archaelogic and geologic questions
were thoroughly investigated, and on the
10th inst. a report was made to the So
ciety, when 5000 quartz chips and blades
were presented and identified as of hui
man artifice about 5000 years old.
The report is in press, and from adj
vance sheets, the conclusions are now
first published, for which copyright has
been applied for.
The report which was made by Mr..
Brewer closes as follows:
Conclusions BASED on Facts.
Having personally explored the region
OF country at and about Little Falls,
Mimi, and all its geological and
archaeological peculiarities so far as nee
essary, and calling to repeated confer
enceS the distinguished geologiSt, Prof.
\ H Winchell, the last of which was
engaged in on the 23rd day of January,
19O2, and while contemplating the neceS-
Slty of reducing possible error to the
very lowest minimum there are found to
certainly exist a series of facts hereto
fore misunderstood, unexplained, or IN
Known, which are of the greatest inn
portance to the archaeological history
or the Basin of the Mississippi, no less
than the actual occurrence of paleollthlc
unwaterworn quartz blades of human
origin with no definitely ascertained his
tory, which rest beneath cobbles, pebbles,
graVels and sand found occupying the
exact positions where they were deposit
ed at the closing period of the last g1a-
cial floods which oVerspread the entire
plain upon which the city of Little Falls
is row located.
There is no personal purpose to en-
nance, no prejudice to assuage, and no
favors to grant by this inquiry; a cold,
urcorcerned, deliberate determination Of
actual facts for and on behalf of the
Minnesota Historical Society constitut-
ing the only obligation.
An invitation was extended to repre-
sentatives of contending factions in
American archaeology to be present at
Little Falls at a stated period in Novem-
Der, 1901, to participate in one of sew
eral examinations which have been en-
Gagged in there. That mode of procedure
was not fully accomplished and Prof
Winchell and myself have continued,
alone and unaided, to final conclusions
as result of pTotracted deliberations
The only conclusions permitted to enter
into this final determination, so far as
am to act, shall be based only on ascer-
tanned facts and acquired knowledge, and
4 Is gratifying to distinctly understand
that Prof. Winchell has very agreeably
enhanced that mode of procedure. His
entire cooperation and aid has strength
eEed and sustained a desire to correctly
determine the identity of the Little Falls
quartz chips and blades, regardless of
every personal cOnSidera ton, prejudice or
contention.
1 therefore approach these concluding
paragraphs with the utmost confidence
that the final determinations are now
stated in strict accordance with ascer-
tanned facts, as they have been interpret
ed from apparent and specific results
ana repeated conferences with an eminent
biologist.
l.. Slate rocks in stu have existed many
millions of years where Little Falls
Mimi, is now situated
Z White quartz, a native mineral as
result OF aqueous intiltration which de-
posted silica in the cavities and assures
FORMED by strains and faults of the slate
rocks, has for thousands of centuries ex-
listed as distinct veins in the schist
formation at Little Falls
g. A great North American ice sheet
eLxeIoped that region during a period of
10y 10Y years, to depth of several thou
Sahd rect there and elsewhere The ice
sheet moved southwark grinding and
crushing. exposed rocks and surface ma
IeflaIs into the drift which now consid-
erabIy covers nearly all of Minnesota
except where rock formations are exnos
60. The Ice sheet from the effects of
SHdhglng aerial temperatures gradually
disappeared toward the north, precipitaf-
ing tempestuous floods during the cIosino
PERIOD OF the glacial epoch. These geo.
[IIglc changes caused billions of bouI-
Cd into the drift with clays. graveIs and
sand Numerous indications point WITH
uneTrlng certainty to the fact that eli
1IdtIC changes occurred regularly and
Seasonably creating near the close of Az
glacial epoch spring, summer, aUt,,mn
9he WINTER temperatures approximately
ais, Mimi, the extremes indico 49, - = =
ABOUT 100 degrees and 40 deereaS E1ab i,,s
aid or II ia IS 1InmaterIal whether the drift
Quartz-veined slate rocks at Iittie co u,o ne
az the time the ice sheet existed n e 1nl -
51a,Io5 and kame-li1e hills, which arc
peILnanent between Little Falls ana E CO..
smelling, indicate that the channeI of 1T ~
+4ldsslsslppl river at its glacial flood ste oo
mont6 az u SIi! formed. beginning at the
roufL1 VI minnesota river and a2+on,7;r.s.
horthward to and beyond T,itt1a .eI TaI 8 8
oS successive stages of floods which ~
Inc ' 9o OF decreased repeatedly. acnord
tl5 70 excessive changes in +eTnYaro - u
curing winter and summer seos .rpei dluI e
me me ice sheet had entirely diSa oe u,ll5l
the nia3TI food-stages washed ont eli eli
SSanuy and gravelly modi6aS d Ip;fedo the
ar1oIisg i a. winch extends from Mr. ("
That 70 Malt Little Falls and Crow Wi ilatiii
TIE Mississippi is from two ne ne ped of
n3;ies I I, IN width and more thar 1 Tr
and son pHg extending in general north 1o
nodlhed the drift distinctly ii sfro MHicn
me cobbles, pebbles, graveis ana s saned
were i Of fnu Iosi leS that the glacial floods
S5e Oh periodic duration FLOOD -4 oouo
ana low stages of flowing u,aG$ou.Stages
1 ~ iGioluILnon occurrence at TitfIe E TeIe
ent etr the lce-sheet finally disannea1rtnlSS
erosion WIS ~eied di Ine Mississippi river nv
I'LL II Withdrew within its nre sde pam
foa+ Nv VII Streambed four or five hIin5 rIl9
more T Teot :, ana from ten to twenty e or
49, aeet IN depth. Hot weather in or
1ieI months precipitated Hoods 81 III sum
no zee ana excessive frigiditu an, ne
niss+af %in aIs seasons almost if NOT go.
pIeteiy cIoSed the river as tba r-ntcoIn-
Seued which exposed nunnero,,, "ateFS re-
51VIlns many places across the Jino; o:1is'
To h 6a d OF the stream entirely Dr.,
De dsaIn oVerdowed when mill + ~
= pGiatureS reappeared causino iIiiiu tenn
aDIe continuance of the ei9oiol season
wien were to be again reduced bI tot tIs
approach of another winter 80 py the
tuoqsIy renewed when the baat "u tufnuI-
ce9uing summer temperature fro,s :, sue
AT Little Falls all the nec1,Iip.+ "a.
0eScflped IN No. prevailed in nIonI IeleS
slYe order, beginning at tir,l ~ P1rogres-
Ice,sIeet overspread the slate ronlC eni9
S Iins Wnen the moderated temnera'+S w
+be T%uSeq the entire Disappearance ~
oiIe sIaclal period, intermediate y1in+o VI
ana summers having reguIarI1S . %lIlleIS
9iiu PASSED, with their overWhel mi o. i Gu
1lgel-ces OF closed and open fowages ~
10Y and high water stages in %6seS at
Slssippi River ~ the MIS-
1a55AcdVaIed pits, exposed walls of erra ave,
Deus; ana ascertafned attitudes distinoT
$780, TIC natural conditions xvhiob
existed there Beginning at the ea !" tiacn
: UNIT unit OF the plain which formed fba
What bed OF the glacial river at some
opposite tII eea c, narrows Immediately
ce ea6GoiCe ClIe quartz-Veined slate and NO
e@ealng westward to and across the 'lu n peo-
fails Saee cross Of the Mississippi at the
that az oI noSs section discloses explicit1v
LA an ancient sandbar island uIa e pt fy
slate. " VI the exposed
ba 1a1lle-ifa-tthe-day bluff bordered the east