The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-01-27

w, I. Stafford. of Sioux CITY. recent
ly contributed Il paper to The Sioux
City Academy OF Science and Letters
which proved very Interesting to the mem
bers. Mr.. Stafford is an enthusiastic
collector of specimens of antiquity and Sc
cured about 800 arrow heads and other
Implements and pottery from an Indian
mound he discovered on the farm OF Chris
excaVated by Justice Stafford lies aboui
twelve miles northwest OF Sioux City and
n mile north and west of the jefferson
bridge over the. Big Sioux river. He made
four trips last summer and the result OF
his exploration is contained in the follow
ing a:ticle.l
The mound Investigated is situated OF
the banks of a spring fed creek now know
as the Broken Kettle creek, which empties
into the Big Sioux river about twelve
miles northwest of Sioux City and in the
southwest corner of Plymouth county.
The creek derives its name. ''Brcken ket-
tie" from the great number of broken
fragments of pottery found in several
places along the banks.
The mound is up creek about three, quar-
tiers of q mile from its mouth in II valley
running northeast and southwest. The
creek where i, passes the mound flows di-
recIly west. coming from the north as il
reaches the eastern extremity.
1T would he difficult to find a more shell
tered saot IN the entire valley. The long
row of clay hills that bound the valley
on the north and west, rising to Il height
OF several hundred feet, afford at once
a Shelter from the northwest wind and q
screen from the enemy.
Tho location il ideal for a village. Tie
Sioux valley could be watched for miles
In bo.h directions from the hills, which
at the same time provided good ground for
defense. The village was fan enough from
the Sioux river to be undiscovered by tho
rowing bands of the enemy that constantly
wandered ny and down 10 the Missouri and
The south,
About TWO hundred feet south and weht
Of the site the creek doubles back for
about ono-half of the length of the mound.
AT this point the banks OF the creek are
heavily lined with trees and underbrush,
the village must nave been almost hidden
from view. Tho barn that now stands
upon the mound and is much higher than
the village cannot be discovered except
from the hills within a few hundred yards
of the mound. This seclusiou is one of the
reasons for building here instead of on the
Big Sioux river.
The origin of the mound is in dispute,
one contention being that this pile was the
adobe huts that have fallen to ruin and de-
cay, and that on the site there have been
successive villages: the other. that the viii
'hsN 'os 49, h'A2 sPON ''i'A N''tHP w
was that part of their civilization that is
now represented by our modern city dump,
the rubbish being at times covered with
clean, fresh dirt.
This last theory seems the more plausi-
bic for reasons that will hereafter appear
in this paper.
There is nothing now TO Indicate to a
casual observer that this knoll was at one
time the habitation of II forgotten people.
The many years of rain and snow, the
alternate seasons of frost and sunshine,
have removed all trace of human work,
and there is left only a hillock such as We
might cNpect the creek to deposit in its
wanderings through the valley or left by
nature when the earth'S surface received
the finishiing touches.
But this oblong mound contains much
that VIII interest the student of anthro-
pology or the seeker after the curious, and
the contents tell Il tale that contrasts
greatly With the life of the modern red
men in this vicinity.
There is no way now TO determine the
plan OF location of the village, if there was
I plan. The mound is oblong and is $50
feet long and l5 feet wide in the widest
place. The high perpendicular bank on
the creek side is due to the erosion Of the
spring fresnets, at which time the water
rises to 4 height OF seven or eight feet
on the mound.
h height OF the mound is nine fec;
three inches from the %original soil and
fourteen feet six inches from the creek
bed at the highest point. 1t is nearly fiat
on top, sloping to the south and west.
y cross section was dug for aScertainine
the composition OF the mound. This sec
ton was four and one-half feet wide. and
from the highest point to the original soil
nine feet three inches.
This gives a very good idea OF the struc-
fyra ar tho Nyhnl. < -,,bS,,,,n,. ,,.a.
cations revealed the same formation with
small variation in other portions of the
mound. Beginning about nine inches from
the top so. there are alternate layers OF
clay, sand, charcoal, black soil. bones anl
other refuse. The layers vary greatly from
a mere trace 10 d foot in thickness. Tht
charcoal layers are not continuous acros.
the mound. but are in patches. In thi.
section nine patches OF charcoal wer,
found in a perpendicular line, indicating
that they were thrown there from som,
ire used elsewhere. In nearly all these
patches of charcoal. or near them, are to
he found bones OF all kinds and sizes, from
the small birds to the large deer and but.
falo. There is also a large quantity OF
fresh water CLAIMS, many of which nave
marks which indicate that they Ia beer
in the fire.
The greater bulk of the mound is com.
posed OF clay taken from the neighborina
hills.
An the tools, pottery and implements
here deserted were found solidiy Embedded
in the claw or charcoal.
Since the mound has been deserted b,
the builders large trees measuring foul
feet in circumference nave grown out OF
the mound. This, together with the alb
sence of all skins and parts of their tools
and eapon that were necessarily made
of wood, is an Indication of the length OF
time that has elapsed since the mound was
inhabited.
of tools and implements there seem tc
be no end. They seem TO be more numcr-
Gus thar the weapons and Instruments OF
war.
If these Indians lived like their modern
~decendants. the female portion of the tribe
was permitted to perform most of the la,
Dor that pertained to the camp and village
life.
a stretch of the Imagination might pic
ture the fair hand of some romantic In
dian maiden using these bone needles sew
ing skins for her father or lover on the
warpath against the hostile neighbors. 1,
is to be feared, however, tina such was
not the case.
Bone was the principal article used In
the manufacture of these tools and nipple
ments. Some, however, were made of
stone ard OF horn. The stone is the most
part was used for the war and hunting
weapons, the bone and horn for the do
rpCfir m n1ny11,Ntc ayl Coz A-,,, oct