The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-01
] soma Wonders in Florida.

Editor of Tho Times Dispatch:
sir.-1 am In the land Of sand ana sun
shine. and stopping In the sleepy t .,y,
81 Cedar Keys, on tho west coast I, O
FLORIDA, situated three and one nan lnli .:s
from the main land. It is a picturesque
place with bayous and DAYS anu ny, s !,,a,,
lila nda or Keys all ahround It, with hlgh
heIl mounds some forty feet high cover
$1np acras CT ground on this as we'll as
~ i,ar keva d round, In which are Warloua
Kinds Of shells How these imemnse smell
10 !, i. A were made ID still an unsettled
Question. some contending that they were
made Nv indians, and other that they
we're thrown up by soma great CONFUSION
4 of nature. Soon after reaching here ~
learned that some parties, w. Messrs !.
Hatch and Bryan and their wives. from re
Buffalo. N. X, who are 2Egyptologlsts a q
arch biologists, anw now visiting hero, had
discovered some Indian mounds in which
there was deposited much Indian pottery
ana many skeletons. They at once set
I to work to get out the pottery, and they
have been richly rewarded. They have o..
{tnined bushels, yea barrels OF It. but all
{broken-bowls, S yaces. pots-and much
whose use cannot be guessed. Much OF i
Is ornamental with figures, and more ore
attempts at designs Of animals, etc,s
some painted, and the clam snells IN
which the paints were mixed, lying aiong
With the broken pottery Some articles
are glazed or polished by an instrument.
etc. i saw one bowl which would hold
two gallons with8a hole in tho bottom.
5Much OF tho pottery Is In small pieces not
more than three or four Inches across.
I saw one vessel In form like an iron POT POI
for boiling purposes with feet All OF II
Il broken, SO as to free the spirit OF the
vessel that It might go with the owner ,.
to the hunting grounds OF the Great
Spirit The plan which seemed to have
been pursued was to lay down the BODY
ana then cover 1t with the broken pot
tery The impression OF the gentlemen
engaged in the work Is that the people
buried here preceded the indian from
tho fact that they find no arrow heads,nor
battle axes. nor any implement Of often
istye warfare. They were evidently q
peaceful people, though Judging from thin
skeletons large and strong: their skulls
are very thick and large, with heavy
Jaws Some of the bon es. especially those
found deep under the ground, crumble as
soon as exposed to the air. and nothing
seems to be left but a little sand, The
excavations still 90 on. and still they
continue to find much Of the same kind
OF pottery.5It has excited much interest,
and many OF the. people OF the town are
now engaged In the work. It must have
been the burying place OF many genera.
tons. No shells OF any Kind are found
with the buried bones, only sand and
over the place there are large trees grow
Ing. It ID causing much speculation as
4 to who these people were. and when they
existed. .s5 Is .s.a t5 lis
Another incident has excited considera.
bio interest hero. Some days ago a large
and curious looking fish was seen MOVING
slowly in the bay near the town by some
yflahermnn. who gave chase and called on
SOM men abroad Of some sponge vessels
TO come to their assistance. who brought
harpoons along. and soon had some
fastened In the fish, who then started for
deep water. carrying three boats and two
5naphtha launches along, although they
were making every arrest to nrerst his
progress. After getting three harpoons In
It and shooting It number of times they
at last succeeded In arresting Its course
toward tho gulf after It had carried then,
Ave or six miles. They brought It to
town. IT was indeed, an ugly monster 10
feet in length, Is feet ! inches across,
mouth Q feet inches. weight probably
1900 pounds. Running out from tho sIdes
were. two wings or nippers. which when
extended measured With the body is feet
q inches. There were no solid bones, only
cartilage or grlstle. Extending out from
each Side OF the mouth were TWO wings
or clippers. which seemed designed to
gather food. The fish seemed to feed by
suction. Tho fishermen call It the devil
Ash or ray. some the bat fish, as 1t re-
sembles the leather wing bat, Some old
fishermen here say they have seen It In
schools In the gulf near the end Of Flor.
Ida. and specimens have been seen much
larger than the one caught here. On 10 man
stated that some years ago a Ash aimfla
to that one. though much larger, became
entangled In the chain of an anchor at
tached to a schooner In the Charleston
lharbor and carried anchor. schooner and
all out to sea, and a man standing near
confirmed the statement. and said that
he was In Charleston at the time This
last Is a very big fish story, and only
gtya It for what It Is 3worth--wlth many
gralns o. allowance,
p, w, WALKER.
e Cedar Keys, Fla. April 25th p Nh
The Pay Of Teachers,
Editor Of The Times-Dlspatch:
sir,-In your Issue 9 the 18th instant