New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-24
PREHISTORIC QUARRIEs.
EXCAVATIONS IN NEBRASKA WHOSE
AGE Is UNCERTAIN-wORKE BY
MEN UNKNOWN To SCIENTISTS.

Nehawka, Neb., Nov % (speciaD,-In the great
flint quarres near here covering more than town.
ship, party Of well known scientists has found
what they think Is evidence OF the existence Of 4
lost race. hitherto unknown II is thought that
this prehistoric people belonged neither the red
men the mound builders But who they were
| and at what age they inhabited the Mis-
souri, Valley cannot now be ascertaiued
They a of patient plodders whose
knowledge and handiwork had not been developed
beyond the primitive ideas of the stone age By
their Industry 1t is shown that they were not OF
the nomadic. indoIent Indian race: by their gnor-
ance and crude handiwork that they were not OF
the refined. almost civilized mound builders the
first American abOrisines whose existence is def
nitely known.
Then who were they. whence did they come and
by whom they obliterated? Aside from the
mound builders and the latter day Indians
American aborignes are known to scientists, and in
these quarries is evidence OF a strange race.
There is doubt the quarries Of great age.
The entire series Of mines has been buried be-
meath an average of ten feet OF soil. The accunu-
lation OF this must have taken centuries. II is
known positively the condition has not changed at
all IN hundred years. Then how many centu-
res did II take this feet OF soil the
whole OF the mines?
In fact. until this party OF scientists visited
the quarries was it known whether they were the
work Of man or of the upheavals OF the glacial
age. One prominent geologist believed the work 10
have been done by glaciers. II the quarries were
worked distant day to raise question in
the minds Of scientists to whether they the
result of the action OF glaciers the work OF
a prehistoric people. there ne doubt the
authors OF the mines were in no immediate way
related 10 the Indians of to-day and most probably
existed A very remote period.
To settle the mooted question Of whether these
quarries. situated the Nehawka fruit farm.
owned by Isaac NJ. Pollard. the work OF some
artificial agency OF nature. unusually large
party of prominent scientists was induced by State
Archaologtst f. E Blackman. of Nebraska to visit
the quarries. The party was composed OF Professor
n H. Winchell, president OF the Geological Society
OF America; Professor Warren Cpham one OF the
best known drift biologists OF America and secre-
tary OF the Minnesota State Historical Society:
Professor Barbour, State geologist Of Nebraska:
Professor J. V Brewer. arChsROlogiSt. geOgra pher
and explorer. of St Paul Professor Caldwell. secre-
tary OF the Nebraska State Historical Society and
professor of American history in the Nebraska State
University Jay Amos Barrett. librarian of the Ne
braska State Historical Society. and Z F. Black
man. Nebraska State archeoogist
Professor WincheH says of the visit 70 the Ne
hawka quarrtes.
we examined the places near Nehawka. Neb..
where some artificial working had been done for the
excavation of hint for implements. 7 went for the
purpose OF determining whether the excavations
natural artificial II is my opinion that
they made by man.
About forty miles from Badger, Wyo.. have
Gently been found ancient flint quarries almost
identicaIy like those at Nehawka 1t is the opinion
Of scientists that these quarries too. were never
the work Of any race related to the Indians
The mound builders not cIassed with the
stone age. which is marked by the OF such mple
ments as were taken from the Nehawka quarrtes, In
the mounds of these semi-cvilized peoples found
works in metals, chiefly copper. with many OF the
designs approaching the perfection OF modern art
II is prepOsterOus to suppose that these skilled
mound builders spent decades digging the flint
noduIes from the banks of the Missouri River
make the rude implements found in Nebraska The
question arises, Did the authors OF the Nehawka
Glarries live before after the mound builders?
The fact that the mounds OF the latter people
in much better state of preservation than the
duarries at Nehawka would be evidence that the
mound builders a later people
A curious tradition Of the present IrOquOts tribe
records that when the Lenni Lena9e. the common
ancestors OF the IroquOis and other Indian tribes.
advanced from he Northwest TO the Mississippi
they found its eastern side great nation mora
civilized than themselves. who lived in fortified
towns and cultivated the soil The people az
first gave the Lenni Lenape leave TO pass through
their territories but treacheTouSly attacked them
as they were crossing the river This rise to
hosttieS which resulted in the establishment OF
the red in those regions.