Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-11-27
AN ANCIENT QUARRY.
One In Nebraska That Was Worked
by Unknown Race.
Series of Mines Hurled undev the
Accommodations of Centuries In
dIcnte the Loss of n People
An Age~ Past.

In the great flint quarries near
Nehawka. Neb., covering more than
township. a party of well-known sci
entists has found what they think is
evidence Of the existence of a lost race,
hitherto unknown. 1t is thought that
this prehistoric people belonged to
neither the red men nor the mound
builders. But who they were and
at what remote age they inhabited
the Missouri valley cannot now be
ascertained, says recent report from
that section.
They were race OF patient plod-
ders 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 the nomadic, indolent In
dian race; by their ignorance and
crude handiwork that they were not
of the refined, almost civilized mound
builders, the first American aborig-
ines, whose existence Is definitely
known.
Then who were they, whence did
they come, and by whom were they
obiterated? Aside from the mound
builders and the latter-day Indians,
no American aborigines are known to
scientists, and in these quarries is
evidence of strange race.
There is no doubt the quarries are
OF great age. The entire series of
mines has been buried beneath an
average Of ten feet Of soil. The ae-
cumuation of this must have taken
centuries. 1t is known positively the
conditits.f has not changed at all in
100 years Then how many centuries
did ii take for this ten feet OF soil to
cover the whole of the mines?
TO settle the mooted question
whether these quarries, situated on
the Nehawka fruit farm owned by
Isaac M. Pollard, were the work Of
some artificial agency or OF nature, an
unusually large party OF prominent
scientists was induced by State Arch
aeologist e. e. Blackman to visit the
quarries. OF the findings of the sci
entists State Archaeological Blaclsman
gave out the following statement;
"Mr. Pollard, when he arranged the
visit to this spot year ago, caused
cross section to be cut in the brow OF
the hill and laid bare the face Of the
quarry. This excavation Is so feet in
length, six feet wide, and averages ten
feet in depth. II shows that the arti
sans removed two layers OF solid lime
stone and one of decayed rock before
they came to the strata which they
sought, and which contained the nod
ules of flint from which implements
were made. Tons Of flint are scat
tered on the surface and in the debris
Of the quarry, and there are many
rocks showing where the flint nod
ules were taken out On the large
pieces OF limestone in the quarry pit
one may see fractures, ms If they had
been struck with heavy sledge. The
face of the quarry, ms shown by the
excavation, is a perpendicular wall ~
feet high The surface indication be-
fore digging was circular or oblong
depression. There is burr oak stand
ing nearly in the center of the pit
measuring six feet two inches in cir
cumference.
"As to the people who did this quar-
rying little can be said at this time.
The archaeology OF Nebraska was not
Systematically studied until year
ago. and that is scarcely time enough
to arrive at n definite conclusion. This
much is evident. however: A lazy In
dian--and most of them we have met
are that way--never did this work.
The work was systematicn lly done, ms
IL under one mans directions; the
flint from these quarries Is found In
well-mnde implements 100 miles from
the quarries.
"The Missouri river front presents
a complicated archae illogical field, and
one which needs more time to develop.
There are Indications OF three distinct
races or tribes of stone age people
here. These three are intermingled In
places, are separated In other places;
they had traits and customs very sim
liar in some respects and unlike in 9th
ers.
about them. 1t is my opinion that
these quarries were worked by tribe
of people related remotely, If at all.
10 any Indians known TO the early set
tiers of Nebraska. As to the age of
this work, the above cited burr oak
tree teaches us that AT least 100 years
ago the pit where il stands was in prac-
tically the same condition as to-day"
Deadly Ar~enic spring.
There is deadly spring III he des-
ert in south Nevada. A prospecting
party found the skeletons OF several
men about the spring. but crank of he
water unwittingly. They were seized
with violent cramps and suffered in
tensely. Some of the water was
brought away and analyzed. 1t was
found to contain large percentage Of
arsenic. Inter Ocean.