Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1903-10-30
AN ANCIENT QUARRY.
One In Nebraska That Was Worked
by Unknown Race.
serie~ Of Mines buried Undsv che
Accommodations of Centuries In
dicnts the Loss Of People
ip Ages Past.

In the great flint quarries near
Nehawka, Neb., covering more than a
township. party of wel-known sci.
entists has found what they think il
evidence of the existence Of a lost race.
hitherto unknown. Ii is thoughs 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 a recent report from
that section.
They were a 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 Ii definitely
known.
Then who were they, whence did
they come, and by whom were they
obliterated? Aside from the mound
no American aborigines are known 10
scientists. and in these quarries IL
evidence of a strange race.
There Ia 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 nc
emulation of this must have taken
centuries. It is known positively the
condition has not changed at all in
400 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 qunrries, situated on
the Nehawka fruit farm owned by
Isaac NJ Pollard. were the work OF
some artificial agency or of nature. an
unusually large party OF prominent
scientists was induced by State Arch.
neologlst u. f.. Biackman to visit the
quarries. OF the findings Of the sci-
entists State Archaeologist Blackmap
gave out the following statement:
"Mr. Pollard, when he arraaped the
visit to this spot n year ago caused .
cross section to he cut In the brow OF
the hill and laid bare the face OF the
quarry. This excavation is 80 feet ip
length. six feet wide, and averages ten
feet in depth. II shows that the artf-
sans removed two layers Of solid lines
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 nit
one may see fractures, ms II they had
been struck with heavy sledge. The
face Of the quarry, as shown by tho
excavation, Is perpendicular wall 10
feet high. The surface Indication be-
fore digging was circular or oblone
depression. There is burr oak stand
ing nearly in the center OF the pit
six feet two inches in cir
"As to The people who did this quar-
ryinP little can be said at this time,
The archaeology OF Nebraska was not
Systematically studied until a year
ago and that Is scarcely time enough
10 arrive at definite conclusion This
nnph Is evident. however: lazy In
dian-~ard most Of them we have met
are that way never did this work,
The work was systema tically done, as
7 under one mans directions; the
Hint from these quarries is found In
~ell-made implements 100 miles from
he quarriea.
"The Missouri river front presents
. complicated archae illogical field and
me which needs more time to develop.
There are indications OF three distinct
aces or tribes of stone age people
ere. These three are intermingled in
laees, are separated IN other placess
hey had traits and customs very sim
lar in some respects and unlike in 9TH
RS
Briefly stated we know but little
bout them. IT is my opinion that
hesc quarries were worked by tribe
I people related remotely, If at ALI
> any Indians known TO the early set
ers OF Nebraska. As to the age OF
his work. the above cited burr oak
zee teaches us that at least 100 wears
go the pit where IL stands was in prac-
caily the same condition as to-day"