Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-15

handle. The owners mark set upon the
stone cffectually secured it against re-
nova Probably few implements were
20 generally used or for so great n va
riety OF purposes as was the celt. II was
OF every size from these only three or
four inches long to large and heavy
specimens u inches or more in length
and sometimes heavy Some were ground
to an edge at each end and a few were
celt ut one end and gouFe AZ tho other
Gouges are almost wholly New England
Implements being found only very sell
dom outside Of our territory. And IN
New England, they are far more varied
and more carefully made in Vermont
than elsewhere. The name we'll indicates
the general form Of these implements
Their use is quite uncertain. Some Of
tho larger gouges arc as carefully
wrought az the most perfect ornamental
stone and these often do not show the
least sign of having been used. Many
are ruder ard % harder stone and these
were without doubt used as ordinary
tools, but what can we say NJ those ele-
CANT highly polished specimens which
have been now and then the fortunate
find Of some collectors. They do not
seem likely objects for ceremonial use
and yet 1t is difficult to think OF any
other service which they could have rem
dered
As the celt on the one hand passes into
gouEe, so OF the other It developed into
the grooved axe. In tho West and South
these grooved axes. often Of large size
are far more common than in Vermont
Apparently our forerunners here did not
Ia no. !
axe is evidently merely celt made short
and wide and bearing about its upper
part a shallow groove by which q could
he moro readily attached to handle
Some OF these are tiny, but most are
large and heavy.
Tho mortar and pestle. articles Of es-
Sentlal Importance in all Indian tribes
were not absent from the ancient Yer
mont household. The mortars were gen.
orally rude little more labor usually.
having baon put into their making than
was necessary for the excavation Of q
shallow depression in large boulder or
sim mr. piece Of stone which was other
wise I'm its original condition.
Tho rostle. however, always shows
moro careful work This was hammered
Into 4 moro or loss cylindrical form and
sonnet mos MS surface was N0'Slet. Moro
rarely the upper end was rudclv carved
so that It bore some resemblance to the
head Of bird or othor animal. Some Of
our finest Dcstles arc over two feet long
!, nay be that these long peetles We're
rather clubs. The longest that have
seen Is % inches. If we may credit some
Of the older writer's the sqaws We're
shrowd enough 70 aid themselves when
pounding corn or whatever they wished
to break no by placing the mortar I'M
der the elastic branch OF some convenient
tree and fastening the upper ord Of the
peste to this by strip OF buckskin Sc
cure its help in lifting the implement
"a they pounded.
Occasionally faxed or Clipped relt or
axe has been found, but nearly all % the
classes Of objects thus far considered.
though very probably at first rOughed out
Ivy taking or chipping, were finished by
grinding or rubbing on 4 stone with
sand. This process was necessarily
tediously slow if tho stone from which
the implement was to be made was very
hard as Il usually was, Not only months
or even years We're occupied, nj intervals
undoubtedly in the making OF the best
ceits or axes or amulets, but We are told
by the old writer's that some Of the more
elaborate objects were passed on from