Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-12
BROOKLYN ON THE MAP.
Cushing Collection of Indian Relics
ON Exhibition in Washington.


Written for TIRE AsERicAs by N. V, lib.
belts, Of Washington aud Brooklin.]
There has recently been placed on ex-
hibition in the new national museum,
Prof. Frank II. Cushing's collection OF
Indian relics which he secured in Brook
lin more than fifteen years ago. They
have never been exhibited until now, for
the want Of space.
The new museum has one room about
300x75 feet devoted to stone relics of the
American Indian. Every state in the
union is represented by one or more glass
cases. There are enough Indian relics in
this large hall to load ship.
Professor Cushing's case is marked in
large letters, "Maine,n and on the inside
"Prof. Cushing's collection from BROOKLYN,
Maine" The case is about 6xS feet and
eight feet high. 1t has four shelves slop-
ing down from center stand on all sides.
The bottom shelf contains the large stone
implements, stone axes, hammers, etc.
about 800 relics. The second shelf contains
arrow and spear-points, knives and
scrapers, prongs for harpoons, chisels,
etc.-about 1000. The third shelf, bone
wedges, harpoons and spears points,
prongs, harpoons, bone avis, etc.-about
1000. The fourth shelf, human bones,
bones OF animals, beaver teeth used as
knives, elk teeth worked into knives,
paint, stones in natural form, 'Prey God
Fetiches", pottery, etc.-about 5000.
Thus nearly 1900 relics in all are shown !;
in fact, Brooklin has ON exhibition nearly
as many Indian relics as some OF the
states. Therefore, when some OF the
thousand visitors, interested in that
special exhibit, who go to the museum
every week, see the large collection from
one town in Maine, they look at the map
to see where Brookiin is situated, and
perhaps rightly conclude that there was
the home OF more Indians than any other
place.
Ii may be of more interest to write
about Cushing and the places where these
relics were found. Brooklin was the In
dams natural summer home. That can be
easily accounted for because of the many
islands in Eggemoggin Reach and Jericho
bay, directly opposite Brooklin, around
which they could ply their canoes in
safety, as Brooklin to-day is the favorite
summer resort OF those who love to paddle
the light canoe.
Prof. Gushing had a cottage at my place
the two summers be was at work collect
ing this exhibit, and / accompanied him
on some OF his trips along the shores of
the mainland and islands. He first set
his men at work on my shore, with Will
liam Eaton in charge. They uneart he'd
many fine specimens where now are built
OF fine cottages owned by Washington
people. We found two other places on the
main shore where the Indians had viii
lagos 49, Rane's Point and Capt. Joseph
Babson's shore, where he was permitted
to dig, but great number OF them were
found on Tories and Campbell islands.
While sitting one day on my veranda,
which overlooks the shores and many
islands, Prof. Cushing told me some
things about his life among the Indians
and about the red men. No white man
in this country or any other probably
Cushing. When young man, after leav-
ing college, he procured a place in the
Smithsonian institute, and at once went
West and allowed himself to the captured
by the then most savage tribe. By his
knowledge of their language, knowing
how to make their tools and baskets, he
escaped being scalped. He lived with
them for three years, became chief OF
their tribe, learned their secrets and many
things that made him OF great value to
the institution W hen he returned.
He told me that Tories island should
have been named Castle island, as his re-
search had shown him that the chiefs had
their wigwams on that island; that there
was situated the main village, but the
Indians called their main village 1.-THE
Castle", and my place, il called "Castle
View" as it looked directly down upon
Tories island, would be appropriately
named.
Major J. W. Powell, in the introduction
to one OF his books, says: "Under the
scriptorial wand of Cushing, the folk
tales OF the Zunis are destined to become a
part OF the living literature OF the world,
for he is a poet, although he does not
write verse. Cushing can think as myth
makers think, he can speak as prophets
speak, he can expound as priests expound,
and his tales have the verisimilitude OF an
cient lore, but his sympathy with the my
thology OF tribal men does not veil the
realities of science from his mind.