Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-02-28
SPIRIT, OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES
OLDEST PICTURES MADE BY MAN.

OLDEST PICTURES MADE BY MAN.
Among the most interesting of the dis
coveries made by the scientists who de-
vote their time to researches into the
PalHoiithic ages-thousands of years
pefore recorded history begins-are those
which prove that even In those dim and
distant ages man, such as he was, had
aesthetic yearnings. One of the most
important of such discoveries has been
made IN France, in the grotto OF Com
barelles, near Eyzies, in Dordogne.
The discovery was communicated to the
Academic DIES Sciences by Messrs. Cap
tain and Breuil, and was accompanied
by drawings of certain figures of ami
mails engraved on the walls of the grotto
on each side of its length. The drawings
are In some places quite deeply engraved
in the rock; in Others they are only
scratched; here and there is an effort to
give relief to the sketches.
1t was at once evident to the discoveries
that these remarkable rock drawings were
identical in character with those on frag-
ments of bone and horn of which casts
may be seen in the British Museum, and
that the same striving after truth in rem
dering the characteristics of the animals
was to be seen in the grotto of Com
barelles, proving the familiarity of the
artist with the appearance of the animals
themselves; so that the artist was con-
temporary with the animal he drew.
Now one of these animals being hairy
mammoth and the other reindeer, it is
evident that when those creatures roamed
the hills and valleys of South Central
France man was also there-that is to
say, in the Paleolithic or Older Stone
Age.
1.-The precision with which the figures
are drawn" say the discoveries, "allows
us to recognize species of the animals
so represented. The equine types are
sometimes large-headed, with short stiff
manes-sometimes with flowing names
and tails. Some of the horses were
domestic animals. One of them has on
its back covering paleolithic horse
cloth-others have traces of bits and
halters. The bovine types are less
frequent; one of them has the character
of certain African antelopes (such as the
gnu), while another is much like our
oxen of today. The running reindeer
is identical in character with those which
are engraved on bone and of the same
period. The representations of the
mammoth (of which fourteen were
exhibited to the Academic DIES Sciences)
are very characteristic. Some are more
hairy than Others"
With the rock drawings are strange
signs engraved in the rock a circle with
the semblapce of human features, a
double outlined lozenge on the middle of
the body of one of the horses, Others of
Mike shape, semicircles, etc., all of
mysterious and unknown Significance.
Since the memorable day when the first
piece of engraved bone was discovered,
EMBEDDED in the stalagmlte of the caverns
once tenanted by human beings, there
has been no discovery which has caused
so great an interest as this one in the
stalagmte cavern of Combarells. We
have in these rude and yet skilful efforts
of human race deeply interesting evi.
dence that man once shared with NAM
moth and with reindeer the Arctic
plains of southern France.
5000
FlSTICUFFS IN THE SENATE.
Our comment upon the deplorable and
dlsgraceful scene in the senate yesterday
can be compressed into six words: We
are sorry Tillman did it. OF course, it is
not pleasant to be called liar. Nc
Laurin' s.offense against the propreties
may be regarded as the first cause and
Tillman's vigorous resentment as a
legitimate and logical consequence. In
trinscally, however, Mr.. Tllman's breach
will be generally regarded as the more
tlagrant outrage. "Willful, malicious,
and deliberate lie"-this is not pardon
able language in the senate. no matter
what the provocation. We find as little
excuse for it as for Tilman's retaliatory
blow. Nevertheless, it is certain that
Tillman will be everywhere regarded as
the chief offender. In our high civil
ization, language is accepted in a