The Oakes times., 1913-05-15
EVIDENCES THAT ANCESTOR OF
PRESENT GENERATION WERE
"MAN EATERS."
RECENT DISCOVERIES MADE
Human Bones Found and Indications
Are Numerous-Other News From
Norway, Denmark and
Sweden.
Martin w. odIand.
NORWAY.

Whether or not the early inha abitants
| of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Fin
land were cannibals is question
which has been frequently debated by
| scholars, and is not new theory, but
! from time to time discoveries are
! made which give the discussion of the
| subject new life and public attention.
The recent excavations on the Aaland
| islands are case in point. The
royal Finnish antiquarian, Aspelin OF
Helsingfors, has published a report on
these excavations which tends to
prove that the early Scandinavians
were cannibals. Remains of dwelling
places from the stone age have been
| discovered on the islands, says the
| Aspelin report, and with them piles
of kitchen refuse, bones of fish and
animals, pieces of pottery, damaged
implements, and the like. In these
same piles were found remains of hui
man bones, intermingled with the rest
of the refuse in such manner as to
indicate that they had been thrown
away with other kitchen leavings.
Similar discoveries were made few
years ago in Uppland in Sweden,
where at one place were found lower
jawbone and three vertebrae of bu-
man being, lying scattered in layer
of kitchen refuse. At another place
human bones were found mingled with
bones of the seal, the swine, and the
elk. Still other discoveries have re-
vealed human bones split and broken
in such way as scarcely to allow
any other explanation that that they
had been opened in order to secure
the marrow.
"Swedes and Finns," says a writer,
must thus reconcile themselves to
the idea that their ancestors were can
nibals, and it is hardly possible that
the Norwegians can boast of having
been much better than their cousins"
That the latter reference to the Nor
wegians is true seems apparent when
considering the fact that the popula-
tions of all the northern countries
were in early times very similar in
character and in cultural development
A Christiania dispatch says that
with the coming of spring and the
opening of the waters of northern
Russia, the perennial trouble between
Norwegian and Russian fishermen on
the Murman coast is again breaking
out. The attempt of the Russian gov
ernment to plant model colony on
the White sea coast appears to have
failed, the native fishermen are dis
couraged by the failure of the gov
ernment to furnish them systematic
supply of bait, and the bulk of the
population of the district seem to pre-
fer the steady employment of the
lumber camps to the uncertainties of
the fisheries.
On the other hand the Norsemen
are pushing their fishing operations
with machine-like regularity and are
making rich hauls every season. Aid
ed by their motor vessels and modern
equipment they have been enabled to
make large catches when the native
empty-handed and discouraged to
their homes.
According to a New York report,
Mrs. Sarah c. Bull, widow of Ole Bull,
the violinist. left total personal
estate of 100000, according to a a
report to the surrogate of New York
county made last week by Deputy
State Controller Frazer. Mrs. Bull
died Jan. lS, 1911, leaving most of her
estate to men and women associated
with her in the pursuit of Hindoo
cult. Her daughter, Olea Bull
Vaughn, successfully contested the
will and received all the estate. The
part Of the estate located in New York
amounted to $43,S21 There were
large real estate holdings in Maine
and Massachusetts,.
1t is now announced by the engi-
aeer in charge of the building of the
immense foundation for the Fritjof
statue, which Emperor William of
Germany will present to Norway, that
the statue will be completed and
erected the coming summer instead
of in 1914, as was generally supposed.
However, the formal dedication of the
statue may not take place till next
year and then form feature cf the
centennial celebration of Norway's in
dependence.
There is general regret both in Min
nesota and Norway over the failure of
the Minnesota legislature to provide
for the states representation at the
Chrisiania exposition next year. How
ever, there is possibility that the
question will be taken up at the spe-
cial session of the legislature, which
will be held in the fall of the present
year. There was strong sentiment in
the legislature for an appropriation
to defray the expense of Minnesota's
representation at Christiania, but the
bill met its death in the closing rush
OF the session.
The Trondhjcm savings bank re-
Gently appropriated 10000 crowns for
the benefit of the 1,rondhjem cathedral.
This makes total of $4,000 crowns
which this bank has contributed to
the work of restoring this magnificent
old pile to its ancient beauty. At the
same time this progressive financial
institution agreed to give an annual
donation of 1000 crowns to Henrik