Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-17

is thought to have occurred some time dur
Ing the Glacial Epoch. 1t must have estab-
lished a continuous land connection between
the arctic regions of the eastern and west
ern continent There is evidence that lower
animals and plant life crossed this or some
other bridge. for the same species Of land
snals occur, both in Labrador and Europe,
while distinctly European species OF plants
are found in Greenland. At the same time
a number of species of American mollusks
found along the Scandinavian. and even
the English coasts. This land bridge IS
thought to have connected Europe and North
America by way of Iceland and Green.
land. ard thus separating the Arctic and
Atlantic oceans. The evidence Is that 1t re-
manned above water at the close of the
Glacial Epoch, and 1t is held by some that
by this time man had taken up MS aDooe
our continent. Some hold, however. that
the ancestors of the Indians came over py
ice bridges and ferries after this land
bridge had subsidized and that such route
may have ben from Africa or the Canary
islands to South America You Will note
here on the globe that the distance from
Africa to South America Is less than the
length of the Mediterranean PROF. Danlei
G.. Brinton. great authority, beiieVeo ina.
man first reached our continent by one OF
these routes from the western coast OF the
Old World
Another Bridge, From Asia.
do you believe also that the Indians en-
tered our continent On the eastern s'de?'
Il see no need Of considering these routes
when we have even now between America
and Asia a ferry route across which one con-
ttneut is visible from the other. This Is Ber-
ing strait, which in modern geologic times
was probably bridged over by ice. across
which man may have travelled l do not deny
that men may have drlfted across by the
easterly routes from time to time. but l
hardly believe that they made successful
Judgment here by such scanty means. The
Bering sea route only permitted free flow
of humanity from one continent to the
other. Moreover the American aborig mss
resemble the Asiatics more closely than
races of other points Of possible contact.
By the time these ancestors of the Indians
had migrated from the central coast OF
Asia to Alaska even If well advanced
toward civilization. tley were reduced to
the state of mere hunters and fishers. and
were not pracficing arts beyond those re-
Quired as means of subsistence. The rlgors
OF the long journey made in gradual steps
by generations after generations pressing
gradually northward had stripped them OF
AL knowledge of agriculture. or all cattle.
all knowledge Of the metailurgic and other
higher forms of hardicraft. Hence Amer
lea did not inherit the culture Of the old
world Arriving on this continent, the new
environment must have changed even their
religion social customs and form OF govern
ment Those remaining In the arctic regions
retained hunting fishing culture: those who
went to the desert became brush people
and ufeQ upon SNdkeS. dirA
fruit; those pausing where nature had built
their houses and done their Quarry!ns for
them became cave men and ciln dWeilers;
those whose lot fell In the great fertile
valleys pract;ced agriculture. And so on
Each group developed a new culture not
only American, but largely local.
Came Ten Thousand Years Ago.
When did these ancestors of the Indian
first arrive on this continent"
1T Is estimated by some biologists that
the ice of the glacial epoch receded from the
northern edge OF the United States from eight
to ten thousand years ago. In some places
have been found human remains which
seem to date back to the end of that period,