The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

man at making himself weapons and tools
out Of stone.
"And here, exclaimed NJ. Massenat
there we came on him."
.on whom
''0n the first man. mean a man OF the
first age. We had plodded and piodded
through the successive leaves Of the great
Book OF Life till came TO this spot: and
here he lay-a man who had been arranging
his fire. when a piece Of rock detached
itself from the roof and fell He put up
his arm 10 protect his head, but the stone
fell on his thigh and crushed IL. and then
he died. When l lighted on him, l would
not disturb him, till had written to Paris
for q commission to be sent down TO ex-
anime him. No one eame-till too late, no
one but a friend at Drives, so 1 cleared him
out myself. A splendid man he was, with
q skull as fine as that OF Shakespeare.
have IL now In box at Drives, and will
show II you. Neither you nor | would be
ashamed TO have such a head as had that
man. But some of the anthropologists did
not relish this, and would have it that this
In a later interment, OF a man of more
advanced development than the primeval
savage. BAH the man had not been buried
1T all. He had been struck down by the
rock tnat- crushed him, and his broken
thigh bone lay under the stone that had
killed him. He had been clothed in skins.
We did not find the skins, OF course, but
We found sea shells. perforated. that had
been employed as ornaments to his gar
ment about the neck and breast and shirt.
There he lay, the man who had existed
before metals were discovered, before the
use OF pottery was known. before the dog
was tanned, and had become the friend OF
man, before the cow and sheep had been
domesticated. when the horse was a wild
animal to be hunted and eaten, but was
never ridden"
We reascended to the surface. past all the
stages or mans history to the last, the man
In bel at top of all, sick with influenza.
: 'sNow," said NJ. Massenet to me, 81 think
I have shown you to-day a sight worth
your living to see.''
You have indeed" replied. You have
shown me what I shall never forget"
'Tcome and have a bottle of wine with me
ut the boatmans cottage" he said.
Thither we now retired. having said fare
well 20 the cave-dwellers.
The ferryman had a cottage perched
among the fallen rocks and he sold wine.
We entered and asked him to join us.
He was an old man. enjoying life and let
ting. as far as could Judge, the wife do
the work, ferry over the boat, attend to
the poultry and the goat and the field
which field. by the way. lying at the river
side. was black with charcoal from the fires
of the primitive settlers there.
"Ah," said our host; Monsieur Massenat
has been showing you where lay the first
mar dressed In skins, and with no better
ornaments than sea-shells. That was mans
first waistcoat, his first essay at dress-a
fine art-waiti 1 will show you the last
achievement in that direction, something
not to be surpassed i'm the ages to come"
Then he opened a chest and drew forth a
superb brocade, embroidered silk waist
coat, covered with flowers and dragons in
gold thread
Sir" said he. II was at the taking of
Picking, at the sack of the Winter Palace. /
was the first 20 enter. I might have laden
myself with treasure; / contented myself
with this, a mandarins. an Emperor's
waistcoat. trophy OF where have been.
OF what have done. Attended, / will pull
on my blouse, and / will put it on. Wife,
bring me my Sunday coat. Gentlemen, you
will excuse my blue cotton trousers and
my sabots. Imagine them something su-
perb. and see me in this waistcoat. Mes
sieurs. when / wear this waistcoat, then
everyone looks AT me and wonders and
says-I have been i'm Picking, stormed the
Winter Palace. Messieurs! when / wear
this waistcoat my wife walks at a respect
full distance behind me. Messieurs. some-
times ask: Can the world last much long
er. when II has carried perfection to such
pass? You have seen how il began with
that man in his skins. and you see me in
this waistcoat. C'est superbe, c'est incroy-
able. / expect the last day will come short
ly. There can be nothing to surpass this.
You have seen the man at the bottom of
ahe tree; you have seen me in this waist
coat. the man at the top"
Next Week:
"Fire-Walking in Japan by Lieut. Col.
Andrew Haggard. d. s. o.
copyright In the United States of America
BY d 7. Pierce. All rights reservedJ