Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-19
P'RE-COLUMBlAN CURiOS.
<n:ithsonian Artists Are Busy Precar-
inu Fair Exhibits.

ing Fair Exhibits.
Provided the place were open to all
"cmers, the Smithsonian Institution
workshop would DOUBTLESS at present
af'"rd more CT interest than the in
terror of any other government inSti-
tuition OF department in the city. The
exhibit which the Smithsonian and
bureau OF ethnology will make at the
st. Louis exposition is in course of
preparation in this workshop. located
in an obscure and out-of-the-way cor
ner Of the south side, not far from the
harGor front and steamship wharvcs.
At present Mr.. Gill of the bureau of
athnc.ogy is applying the finishing
touches to the fourth Of the 10 repro
auctions in miniature of the most
striking, artistic and wonderful Of those
peculiar structures erected by the pre-
Columbian Aztecs, Zapotecs, CLUTCHES,
Mayas. MiXtecs. Chibohas, Ayamaras,
Quichmas, etc. throughout Mexico.
Central America, Yuca;an, Colombia.
Ecuador, Bolivar and Peru. The re-
production, now completed, is none
other than that of the famous House
Of the Governor" casa del Goberna-
ior), situated on the sumit of an enor-
nous pyramid in the heart of the
ruined city OF UXmal, in Yucatan, and
by all travellers considered the great
est triumph of aboriginal art and en-
cheering skill in America.
Readers will be interested to learn
that this miniature reproduction of
.emple covered from top to bottom
with the most intricate carving and
stone cutting Imaginable, was cast
from plaster of paris in the rough, but
owing to the wealth and intricacy OF
the crnamentation OF the original the
greater portion of the model had &C.
tuaily to he handcarved from photo
graphs, prints and pictures of the Casa
facades. This proved slow, laborious
and difficult task, but Mr.. Gill has at
last completed the work to the salts
faction of Prof. William H. Holmes,
the originator of the idea. Some who
have seen the model regret that Mr..
Gill did not carve the reproduction
from block of hard wood instead of
plaster Of paris, but he claims that
this would have been an impossibility
The symbolic figures, feathered SER
penis, plumed divinities. frets, chey-
rons, and all the other strange figures
adjoining the facade of the Casa del
Gobernador are, he states, of a char
acter so complicated and involved as
to render a reproduction in wood out of
the question.
In addition to these pre-Columbian
and aboriginal cities in miniature.
other work of equal interest is in pro-
gress. Mr.. Palmer is busy building
up the cast of sulphur-bottom
whale from the moulds taken in New
foundland, while Mr.. Turner is equally
busy mounting the big giraffe, the Nor
wesian elk the Pamir sheep, the musk
OK and other animals. He has just
finished the work of mounting black
bear, which competent judges say is
another triumph of modern taxidermy
Instead of standing reared on it's hind
legs and steadying itself with stick
of cordwood, as most bears were
mounted by the old school of taxider-
mists, this particular animal appears
in the characteristic act of pulling up
a stone with his left paw, and peering
underneath in search of a willy and
artful crawfish that is trying to escape
his cuteness.-Washington Post.