Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-26
WOMAN IN EARLY DAYS
WAS BURDEN BEARER
First to Transform Nature to Pro-
duce Apparatus for Carry
ing Purposes.
INTERESTING EXHIBIT MADE
Collection at National Museum in
Washington Illustrated the Many
Steps in the Development OF Car
rierS for Land TRANSFORMATIONS.

WASHINGTON. November o5-t is
stated by most ethnoiogists that woman
was the first carrier. Her early status,
wheh our ancestors We're all savagcs,
was not that of Il slave. but II was she
who bore most of the burdens The
late Professor Otis Tuition Mason. for
, iner curator Of ethnology of the United
States National Museum, SAYS, i'm
'Woman's Share in Primitive Culture"
! that she was primarily the only crca-
ture that transformed nature to pro-
duce an apparatus for carrying bur
dens. among the first of which was
her own Infant. Much as man now
may regret 1t, his chivalry in regard
TO woman was not innate. Eventualiy
however, as civilization proEressed
man began TO share lfe's burdens with
her. and to-day he bears the brunt OF
them, although he mas many mechan-
zeal devices To assist him in his
lubors.
An Instructive exhibit OF models In
the division of mechanical technology
in the older building OF the National
Museum illustrates graphically the
many stepsin the development Of car
riers for land transportation. beginning
with man. the burden bearer. and ex-
tending through many ages TO the per
lection of the locomotive and the auto
mohile-all OF which il u lesson in
progress. dependent to 4 large extent
on the invention OF the wheel
PRODUCED HIS FUEL.
THROUGH OWN EFFORTS
y glance at the first image in the
museum collection makes one realize
the extent OF Il days WORK for early
y M
for instance. that it was through his
own efforts that he produced his fuel
while to-day we can order a ton of
coal and. in few minutes. see a
powerful motor truck backing up mt
ample coal in the city
| The next few models in this series
show the use to which man put do
| INVESTIGATED animals namely. the dro,n
edary elephant. horse and llama At
tirst goods simply were piled OH the
animals back. and it was some time
before anything in the form of pack.
saddles was evolved. One step in tbis
direction is shown by the pannjers. or
baskets which hang on each side or
| the Hanna. An advance in the general
evolution OF transportation is illus
! tratcd by the American Indian Ira
! 'ois. or Travail" comprising two
| long poles or shafts. which were at
| tached TO dog or a horse and allowed
TO trail along behind On these the
INDIANS ana colonists piled their game
tuei and forage. and even used such
conveyanccs TO transport people.
primitive sledGc made from the
| Iorked liinb Of tree and covered with
| cross sticks was probably the next
step. This was attached to the animal
! by something similar to traces and
permitted to drag on the ground
Simple. straps like the Eskimo dog
traces were primitive forms of the
modern trace. Rough parallel runners
soon were found to make the sledcc
slide easier. ana before long a. plat
| form was built upon the runners
| Thus the slcdGc was developed and
used by most peoples. whether there
was snow in their country or not.
CYLINDRICAL OBJECTS
ROLLED ALONG GROUND
Having first transported burdens on
| his own back, or that Of his animal
| and then dragged them along the
ground. man seemed to have realized
that cylindrical objects might be rolled
| History relates that rollers with n
small diameter were used as such by
| the ancients OF many nations under
| slcdges, and for moving large blocks
OF stone with the assistance of a lever
| or an inclined plane.
Another method is illustrated in the
| museum by Il model of n short stone
| pillar attached ly pivots i'm the center
OF each end to frame, which, when
pulled, caused the pillar to roll, a
method said to have been adopted by
Ctesiphon when transporting the
columns for the temple OF Diana at
| i:phcsus. In Virginia and the neigh
boring states hogshcads OF tobacco
were rolled along much the same as
the above stone. Two barrels coupled
| in tandem within frame were trans
ported In this manner from the forests
to the shipping point, as shown by
Continued on Fifth Pagc.)
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