The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-11-11
The HOME OF MAN
Scientific Research Tends to
Establish America As the.
Cradle Of the Human
Race.

Race.
THEORY OF MIGRATION
CLOSE STUDY DRAWS A GREAT
RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE
ABORIGINAL INDIAN AND THE
NATIVE SIBERIAN.
1t has long been known to scientists
thar man has been in America for very
many ages indeed, there is reason to
believe, upon the evidence already col
leetetl, says the Philadelphia Ledger, that
he was contemporary here with the mas
tcdon--the huge mammal of the tertiary
period; but the report of the Jesup ex-
pedition, now in the course Of publica-
ton III twenty volumes, is expected to
settle some of the vexed questions con-
cerning his history on this continent and
his connection with the races inhabiting
Asia.
Although the conclusions of the sciea-
fists engaged on the Jesup expedition
are not definitely known, it has been
limited that they will settle for all time
that the American aborigine was not
an Asiatic immigrant, as has been be-
lieved by some anthropologists, and will
make out a case for the American In
dian as the pioneer in Asa.
The Jesup North Pacific expedition of
the American Museum of Natural His
tory owes its inception to the interest
Of Professor f. W. Putnam, Of Harvard,
and the American Museum Of Natural
History. and DR. Franz Boas, also of
the Museum ofsNatural History, and its
operations to the generosity of Morris
K. Jesup, president of the Museum of
Natural History. Doctor Boas is re-
puted to be one of the foremost antAro
biologists in the world, and he has made
/ many valuable contributions % the gem
| eral knowledge of the American aborig-
inc. The expedition was organized III
1891, and has continued ever since. seven
years having been devoted to masking
investigations among the teibes Oh tie
Pacific coast northward from tbs Co
lumfiia River to zA4aska, and OF tie si-
ber,an coasts southward to the point Of
contact with civilization, and enc year
to the preparation Of the exteas,ve re-
port.
The American studies were carried on
by Doctor Boas. Harlan |. Smith
Livingston Farrand, James Te!t. George
Hunt. Roland B. Dixon and few
other American ethnolegsts. while in
| Asia the work was done by Waldemar
Jochelscn and Waldemar Bogoras of the
Imperial Academy of Science. 81. Peters
burg. and Dr. Berthold Lanfea.
Ever since science began to take An
interest in the origin of the American In
dian there has been an Impression that
the aborigine bore more or less c.ose re-
lationship to the Asatic. Some anthro-
poiog.sts believed they had detected this
affinity in the colors of the skin, in the
shape Of the head and in the features
So firmly was this belief established that
| the scientists who saw these resenblences
insisted that the Indian was distinctly a
Mongoloid. 1t was then claimed that the
resemblance was not cnly physical, but
was 40 be found in the languages Of the
natives Of the two continents.
Those scientists who sought to prove
the fallaey Of this theory, particularly
the late Professor Daniel G. Brinton and
j Dr. Franz Boas, of the recent Jesup ex-
petition, admitted the existence Of simi-
larity, but said that was entirely super
| fetal and was not encouragingly present
| when subjected to a sound, scientific test
4 Doctor Brinton declared that Cuvier
whose knowledge Of the American abo-
i rigine and the Mongol.an was too linz
| tied to enable the naturalist to speak
| with authority, was respons bic for the
4
confusion Of the American with the Mon
goian race, and called attention to the
theory Of governments, the methods Of
house construction the position Of wo-
men and the art Of war as found among
the early Americans. They are all di-
verse and un-Mcngolian. Professor
Morse pointed out that the Chilese ar
rev rclease-one Of the most eharacter-
istic Of all reiessses-has been nowhere
found on the American Continent. BY
this it wonld seen that ne8hgr as huut-
ers nor as copauerors did the Nleusois
leave a mark on tie Amerieau tenti-
nent,
! Il VIII be lalessteed lhat Dr Brin-
ioil' sole objecl MAS 10 slidw tnllt the