The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-05-16
BONES OF SAVACES
Skeletons of Indian Family Unearthed
in Making Excavations Upon
Townsend Block Site.
Indications That They Were Buried
in the Sand Long Before the /
White Settlers Came.

In making excavations upon the
site of the new Townsend block work.
men on Saturday unearthed, about
two feet below the surface, skeletons
of two adult Indians and several frag-
ments of children's bones. The bones
of the former were, in fairly good
state of preservation but those of the
latter were in an advanced stage of
decay. From indications brave, a
squaw and their children had been
buried there. That they were the re-
mains of Indians was made clear by
the contour of the skulls, the coarse
black hair adhering thereto, the pieces
of birch bark covering the bones and
a primitive clay medallion found near
the smaller adult skeleton. The teeth
in the jaw bones and the hair adher-
ing to the skulls were in an especially
good state of preservation as we're
also the pieces of birch bark.
Calculations based upon measure
ments taken of the leg bones by
Father Levings show that the larger
of the two adults was about five feet
nine inches in heighth while the other
was three or four inches shorter. The
medallion is about the size of half
dollar and made from white clay. In
it's center is seemingly imbedded a
small shell, and impressed upon its
surface are circles of a light blue
color about an eighth of an inch in
diameter. Two holes run parallel
through the ornament flatwise for the
purpose of stringing.
It is of course a matter of coniec-
ture as to how long these remains had
been buried, but from the primitive
nature of the medallion it is supposed
that they had lain there not less than
century-maybe two centuries, or
three. A. B. Damon, 1.-THE Oldest in
habitant," says that to his knowledge
no Indians have been inferred in that
locality within the past fifty years.
The nature of the soil-dry sandal
the point where the skeletons were
unearthed is highly preservative, and
the fact that the bones we're much dis
colored by the iron which they ex-
tracted from this sand, and that por-
ton of the hair had taken on reddish
hue from the same source, seems to
prove that the interment was made in
ages long ago.
Professor Murta, scientist at the
Princeton high school, is in possession
of the skull bones and will make an
attempt to place them together in their
original form.
Martin Brands, who occupied the
store which stood upon the site where
the skeletons were found, is not a
man who believes in spooks, but he
has upon many occasions been I'M
able to account for peculiar happen
ingS in his establishment. Upon enter
ing his store one morning last winter
Mr.. Brands found that two of his
show cases had been turned wrong
end too and upon another occasion he
discovered dead dog suspended by a
string from a nail driven into the CELL
ing. He had also heard uncanny
noises issuing from beneath his floor
ing which partook of the nature of
war whoops, but never did he suspect
that family of savages was buried
there. eff Indians spirits ever come
back from their happy hunting
grounds" says Martin, 'then have I
had demonstrations of such.''