The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1908-01-03

That no human bones OF prehistoric or
igin have yet been found In America Is
the conclusion of a ~amphlet soon TO De
issued by DIR. Ales Hrdlica, OF the United
States National Museum. through the
bureau OF ethnoogy, in Washington. and
in which the various discoveries supposed
to be of geological antiquity are declared
to be OF comparative modern man.
DIR. Hrdica was formerly OF the stan
OF the American Museum or Natural HIS
tory, and since going TO Washington has
done little but study the bones OF an
cient and modern man, and after ex-
haustive examination sums up his WORK
with n declaration that those scientists
who hold that prehistoric man existed on
I this continent have erred
DR.. Hrdlica's declaration in the forth
I coming pamphlet places him In direct op-
position TO leading American anthoropoio-
/ gists.
DIR. HRDLICA'S VIEWS.
"But one conclusion Is tustihed,' Dr.
4 Hrdlica will say, (which II, that thus far
on this continent no human bones OF un-
disputed geological antiquity are known,
/ This must not be regarded as equivalent
\ to a declaration that there was no early
man in this country; II means only that
IL early man did exist In North America,
convincing proof of the fact, from the
standpoint OF physical anthropology, still
remains to be produced
ION this continent, since men began 10
study the subject. there have been un-
! earthed only IA skeletons or parts OF
skeletons the early age OF which mas
received any scientific sanction They
are; The New Orleans bones, discovered
In 1874; the Quebec skeleton. Of about the
same time: the Natchez pelvic bone. un-
earthed In 1876. the Lake Monroe tFla
bones, 1852 or 1853; the Soda Creek (CoL)
skeleton 1860; the Charleston IS CD frag-
~ la (fnIANQr3S
(Cal) skull. 1866; the Rock Blun llll.l
skull. the same year, the Penyon Mex.
skeleton. 1894; the Trenton skulls, 1879
1887; the Western Florida skulls and
bones 1S7l-1SSS: the Trenton femur 1899
the Lansing (Kan) skeleton, 1902. and the
Nebraska 1oess man OF last year and
several years before. OF these some at.
tracted great attention at the time Oh
their discovery. and the discussion Of the
CalaVeras skull particularly grew to such
heat that the disastrous results TO 'OuI
Society Upon the Stanislaus were graph
ically recorded In verse by Bret Harte.
EARLIER DISCOVERIES.
'"rhe first the New orleans skeleton
! was struck In digging two gas tanks In
what was then the back part OF the city
OF New Orleans IL lay i6 feet below thu
surface beneath the roots OF tree
Flfty-seven thousand years was the ex
travagant claim for its age. but apparent
ly the bones were not old enough TO hav'
become foss lized
''The Quebec skeleton. II was said wa
, dug out OF the solid schist rock on which
the citadel stands. but no trace of It cal
now be found The rock from which
was said TO have been taken is OF
= period known TO be long before man live
/. at all.
: "The Natchez pelvic bone. black fror
: apparent age. although found with bone
OF the extinct mastodon and other AMI
mails was unearthed In a ravine at tn
foot OF cliff The bone, probabl
stained by the rfaty soil may well hav
fallen down from above and becom
mixed with early animal remains.
: "The Lake Monroe (Fm.) bones con
sisting OF Jaws with perfect teeth an
portions OF foot. were discovered b
Count +. de Pourtales In a blun on N
shores Of Lake Monroe. Although exam
lncd by Prof AgassiE, information abo,
them Is moagre. and rs their fossilize
, state means little In Flo ida they car
. not be accepted as proofs OF the presenC
OF early man In North America.
y A MODERN BURIAL.
N Information IL also lacking as 10 a
s' Soda Creek (Col) skeleton unearthed
e gold miners % feet down In the grav
y and powders OF Soda bar IL was NJ
fossilixed and was apparently a modei
Z burial
$, Likewise the Charleston O. c. bon
u dug up together with mestodon roma
= by Prof r. s Holmes. Investigating 4
the Philadelphia Academy Of Science
. have lost their weight as evidence
earthly man. Little l. known about the
now and no record ~ chemical or ply
ical examination Of them l. left
''The famous Calavcras skull. on q
other hand now I'm the Peabody Museui
al Harvard. r. ono OF the most cNamin'
and discussed skulls unearthed. u VI
discovered hv n mine operator IN 1855
shaft he had dug lg0 feet below q
Isrface It IL in a fossilized conditio
II bears very close resemblance 10 skull