Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-08

cept a few scattered thousands of red
men, unrelated TO any Of the peoples of
Europe. The red men had no history.
Their traditions concerning their own
origin were cloudy and uncertain.
But, after the whites had begun to set
tie and develop the country, they found,
without searching, many strange foot
marks on this new continent. of which
the Indian could tell them nothing, ex-
cept that they had not made them. II
became evident that at some time in the
past, the country had been inhabited by
people capable Of achievements beyond
capacity of the savage Iroquois, Algon-
quins and other Indian tribes which the
European invaders found in possession.
But a curtain was drawn over all that
earlier period, and the imagination alone
could picture what was behind IT, That
curtain has never been removed. Some
writer's beiittle the importance of its
conceaIments, other. perhaps, exasgerate
them. None can deny their intense in
terest
AS to the nature OF these footmarks or
a vanquished people. an idea may be
formed from the statement that they con-
sist mainly OF artificial structures OF
earth and stone, sometimes of vast size,
many of which look like Notifications.
while others were plainly burial mounds.
or monuments and a few bear a mys-
FERROUS character. presenting details
which suggest that they were intended
as religious symbols.
A most remarkable example Of this
kind is the celebrated serpent mound"
in southern Ohio, in which the unknown
builders piled up a winding mound sew
eral hundred feet long, initiating the
form OF a gigantic cooled serpent, or
dragon. with extended jaws.
Below Wheeling. on the Ohio river,
there is O pyramidal mound, 800 feet in
circumference and seventy feet in height,
comparable in cubic content, as has been
remarked. to some of the pyramids OF
Egypt, although II contains no masonry
and was simply heaped up by main
strength. without, as far as the evidence
goes, the aid of any kind OF machinery.
1t must have required the labors OF
thousands of men, continued, perhaps
for many years.
This mound when explored with cut
tings was found to have a vault in the
center, containing two human skeletons,
one without ornaments and the other en-
circled with hundreds Of ivory beads In
another vault between thirty and forty
feet above tho first. was another skele-
ton, among whose ornaments were cop
per rings and bracelets.
In Ohio alone, It has been estimated
there are moro than 1000 prehistoric
structures, consisting partly OF stone and
partly of earth Many Of them ara en-
closed which may have been fortified
tons. Often the remains of cisters arr
found within the Recommendations, which
in some cases, rise to a height of twenty
five to thirty feet above the SURROUNDING
land. The area included in the WALL
varied from ten or twenty mp to fittl
acres. The outlines Of the enclosures ar
symmetrical, generally circular or clip
teal. and sometimes forming regula'
polygons.
A certain degree of cultivation on tn
part Of the builders is indicated by tn
copper and earthern vases, sometimes o
attractive form and decoration, and tn
carefully carved pipe-bowls that hav
been discovered In, and In the neighooF
hood of. the mounds. There is abundan
evidence that the mound builders worke
some of the copper deposits OF the LAX
Superior region More than $1,000 Of thes
stone tools used in digging out the nativ
copper have been found scattered abo'
their abandoned pits There Is one In
stance of an enormous nugget" Of pur
copper got out by the prehistoric miners
which proved zoo unmanageable 10
them. II weighed six tons, and origin
ally may have weighed considerable
more for they have hacked off masse
from the corners and carried them away
Many archaeologists maintain that tn
mysterious people who performed thes
things and left the monuments that W
have mentioned, were the ancestors {
tina Indians themselves. Others thin
that they must have been a differer
race. 1t IS undsniable that. although III
Indians after the white man came, cor
structed nothing comparable with III
prehistoric remains around them, the
showed tendency TO the performance {
similar works. This Is clearly shown
the story OF the great Omaha chic
called 1.-THE Blackbird," who. In 1902, wa
inferred in a huge mound erected on tn
summit OF great bluff overhanging tn
Missouri river. and, by his own order
was seated astride his favorite wa
horse. killed 10 accompany his maste
in order, as he said. that he might owe
look his ancient domain and behold I'll
boats OF the white men as they cam
up the river TO trade with his people.