Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-29
WHO SWUNG THE AxE7
Japs, Spaniards or Sir Francis Drake
800 Years Aqo?

SUI years AgoT
Uprooted during a recent wind
storm, large fir tree near Grays Har-
Dor has let fall the light Of specula-
tion on a medium sized cedar log
bearing the marks Of an axe similar
to those Of the Spanish design of the
time Of Columbus The cedar log
was found under the surface of the
ground in fair state Of preservation,
where the fir tree had been growing
over 1t for nearly three centuries. The
axe marks are said by the discoverer
to be clearly those of metal blade,
made probably by a man of the pre-
historic Indian times of the Northwest.
The cuts Indicate that the blade was
narrow and curved.
Perry M. Watson Of Elma, Chehalls
county, Washington, has written Prof.
Edmond S. Meany of the University
Of Washinton, Of the discovery. Mr..
Watson says 1t was found near the
mouth Of the Wyneochee river and is
between $50 and 800 years old. How
an axe could come into use in this
state so long ago Is mystery. He is
inclined to believe the axe came into
the possession Of the Indians of this
section Of the country after Sir Fran
els Drake paid his visit to southern
California, In June. 1879. In the diary
kept Of the exploration tour of Drake
there is an entry Of landing made
In harbor on the coast, which Mr..
Watson would believe was Grays Har-
bor, for two reasons. Besides the
presence Of the axe near there, he
himself has heard the Indians of the
early days Of Washington sing songs
Of interminable length Of "King Hi
Ho," the name by which Drake was
known to the tribes where he landed
and took possession Of the strange
lands in the name Of his queen.
Prof. Meany does not favor this
theory, but, however, he has advanced
several others in attempting to ex-
plain this unanswerable question. He
Drake did not make any landings
further north on the coast than old
California. In this case he feels con-
fident that the axe could easily have
found its way to the Grays Harbor re-
gion through the channels Of barter
between the Indian tribes. When
Lewis and Clark crossed the Rocky
Mountains in 1905, they met with In
dians on the western slopes and at
the head waters Of the Columbia river,
who had never before seen a white
man, yet they were lully acquainted
with the use of horses. On several
occasions he found copper kettles in
use that were exactly like those Of
Mexico, and one Of the Indians num-
bered among his holdings mule and
an old Spanish saddle. During the
lifetime Of the mule the tribes, trad
ing In turn with their neighbors,
passed articles from Mexico as far
north as Washington. In like manner
axes presented to the southern Call
fornia Indians by Drake could have
cached this state. His tour was only
few years before the tree sprouted.
Thirty years before Drake paid his
respects to the Pacific ocean, while
making his way back to England to
avoid complications with the Spanish
men-of-war, whose treasure fleets he
had plundered, Ferrelo sailed along
the Pacific coast, charting it as far
north as the 47th parallel, but made
no landings. There Is a possibility Of
some exploring expedition visiting the
which the natives could have "swap-
ped" At a much later period, in
July 1875, Asteca landed at Point
Grenville. north Of Grays Harbor.
Gray landed with the first party Of
Americans on the Oregon coast In
1889 and discovered Grays Harbor In
1872.
Still another way which the ma
tives could have secured the tool is
that In comparatively recent times
Japanese fishermen have been blown
across the Pacific ocean in their small
junks to this continent In 1882 rec
ords show that four Japanese fisher
men were thrown upon the shore OF
Queen Charlotte Sound. Two Of them
died Of exposure and the remaining
ones were brought to Victoria. b. c.,
and sent back to their native land by
the Hudson Bay Fur company. Other
Japanese, have. no doubt, been as un-
fortunate. The Indians could have Sc
cured metal tools In this manner.
Last of all the theory Of the stone
axes made by the Indians Is advanced
by Prof. Meany, but as he has not
seen the log in question he does not
feel justified In intimating that the
chopping was done with a stone axe.
B. E. Ferno, a government timber ex-
pert examined a fir stump on Prince
William Sound and gave as his opinion
that the tree was undoubtedly chop
ped down with a stone tool.
Unless voluntary steps are taken by
private parties there is no chance OF
the interesting relic finding a resting
place in the state museum, as no pro-
visions have been made for the ex-
penditure Of money for this purpose.
Seattle Post-Intelligence.