davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15
BY HENRY J. BUXTON.

~oLoRrUL myths which In
| many instances strikingly
~ parallel the story Of the origin
Of man as contained in Genesis were
unearthed among lost tribes in the
Amazon region by DR.. William c.
Farrabee. noted ethnologist and South
American explorer. who recently
made public nome Of his discoveries.
One Of these tribes. the wapisiahas,
hold that the Creator IL Tuminkar,
a superman, who lived on the earth
before the coming OF man and ami
mails and who lived with man and
men for a long time afterward, teach
ing them how to hunt and fish and
live properly.
In the death of Tuminkar's son at
the hands of a giant, who personifies
wickedness, the myth reveals a de-
cided New Testament flavor. The son
is buried beneath q fiat rock, but is
soon resurrected from the dead.
Quickly however. his spirit leaves the
body again and for the second time
the body is placed beneath the rock.
Tuminkar departs for his abode In
the skies after. telling the wapisianas
that when the rock has worn away his
son will come forth as q redeemer and
be their teacher and leader. So the
Wapisianas look eagerly for the Sec
end coming Of Tuminkar's son, just a.
the Christian world looks for the Sec
ond coming Of Christ, the Son Of God.
The traditions Of this tribe include
one dealing with a great flood or
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

''The wapisianas have no tradition
OF the creation Of the world. but start
with q world ready made, composed
Of land and water, air and sky. as they
are at present There were the two
deities, Tuminkar and Duid. who were
brothers living on the earth. The
elder brother. Tuminkar, was the be-
nevolent creator. who made and taught
the people all things while he was yet
on earth The younger brother was
the companion and assistant OF the
creator. Men and women were created
before animals were made, but they
did not know Of what man was made"
Crsa ton of Animals.
The story Of the creation Of animals
In as picturesque and imaginative as
anything found in the Sanskrit, the
ancient language of the Hindu. 1t
follows, as penned by DR.. Farrabee:
1.-THE animals were made of clay in
the desired form and size and then
painted. After this the animal was
allowed to select for himself where he
should live, what his food should be
and what call or song he should have
The people stood by watching the
process with eager interest. The first
animal was the jaguar. bidikur. After
he was completed and his spots hac
been put on, Tuminkar asked him
where he would live, what he would
eat and what sound he should make
He looked about and seeing nothing
but trees and people, said: 4 think
should prefer TO live on the ground
roar and Brighten the people and cal
them He was allowed his choice.
THE second animal was me mon,
key, paul. When he was ready and
his long tail completed, Tuminkar put
the same question to him that he had
put to the jaguar. He looked about
ana saw the people and how they were
frightened at the taguar. who was
growing fercely. and said: L do no
like the looks of that spotted fellow or
the ground, think / should rather
I've in the trees. whistle and eat nuts.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15
Traces Discovered of an Earlier Race
Whose History Is Lost-Fable of
Warlike Women Of Huge
Stature Is Shattered

DR.. Farrabee tells Of the finding Of
queer petroglyphs along tho rivers on
the smooth surface OF granite rocks
In exposed places open to view from
the river. The designs are in form Of
men, animals, fish, serpents, or they
may be purely seometric figures. Tho
Indians living in the regions where
they occur know nothing Of their
origin or significance and have no
traditions or beliefs regarding them
This, DR.. Farrabee declares. Is good
evidence that they were made by q
former people and are Of very great
age.
DR.. Farrabee points out that the
people OF all the tribes he visited
were wonderfully healthy and exceed
ingly. clean in their habits OF living.
Men and women" he says, ARE
we'll developed. but neither fat nor
muscular. Both have great endur-
ance and pack heavy loads for long
distances without apparent fatigue.
All are scrupulously clean in their
habits Of life. Among the Mapidians
men. women and children all bathe
together. It is the custom among
the tribes to battle twice day. They
keep their dogs and houses clean also.
with the WaoisianHs marriage
takes place soon after the girl reaches
puberty. There is no ceremony what
ever and no formal announcement Of
either engagement or marriage. The
first evidence of marriage is eiven
when a woman goes with a man and
follows his trail They are never seen
] A-f
they are married. They decide the
matter themselves without consulta-
ton with any one. The boy does not
even ask the consent Of the girls
father, but custom requires him to
work for his father-in law for a time
after ne is married or give him an
equivalent
Two wives for Each Man.
Men are allowed to have two
wives and in truth most Of them do.
thanks to the curious fact that there
are many more women than men IN
the tribe. When the first child is
born the wife tells her husband that
he should take another wife because
there is 90 much work to be done
the field must be cultivated. cotton
spun. hammocks and clothing made.
His wife may advise him which to
take, her younger sister or her cousin.
saying that they would get along
we'll together. The first wife Is the
master Of the household and usually
does less of the outdoor work. She
assumes the care Of both sets OF chill
dren and governs the household so
successfully that they grow up IS
one family.
1T Is remarkable that there 10 %
little evidence Of jealousy between the
wives Of the same husband, or rather
that tho husband Is 50 successful IN
the management Of his household that
there is no cause for jealousy.
I'm the twenty-five years Mr.. Mel
Vile has been intimately acquainted
with the tribe he had heard OF but
two cases OF women committing sui
eide by hanging because OF the hus-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

to II, and no methods are taken to
keep It away. II one dreams Of q dead
man II 10 because his durima IL near.
Dreams are spoken of as real expert
enoes. but they distinguish between
them and their waking experiences"
...s Tuminkar's Life story.
Tho story Of the life Of Tum!nkar,
the superman on earth. 10 chronicled
by Doctor Farrabee as follows:
IA long time ago there lived on
earth a great giant named Baukur,
who went about killing and injuring
people until finally Tuminkar remon-
strated with him. AS result, war
was declared and waged for q long
time with fearful loss.
"One OF Baukur's arrows struck
and killed the son OF Tuminkar. which
made Tuminkar so angry that he
drove Baukur away from the earth
and bound him fast in the sky so
he can never return. He can be seen
to-day, the constellation OF Orion, and
he continues to shoot his arrows from
the sky in the form Of meteors.
Tuminkar fought with thunder and
lightning as his weapons.
After Tuminkar's son was killed
his body was FIRST buried under the
rock Maridiku, where It remained only
few days and then came to life
again. The people were very sad and
followed him weeping as he went
around Mount Karawsimin. where Tu-
minkar in vexation stamped upon the
great fiat rock tcakni. which imme-
diately opened. Then Tuminkar laid
the body Of his son at the bottom OF
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

WAplslANA WOMEN WEKVNG A HAMMOCK

have nothing else to do then We shall
not have to thank him for II. We
will get what we want and just when
we want IT,.
They all agreed to it and went to
Duid and told him that he need not
bring them food any more; that they
knew where he got 1t and that they
would go for 1t themselves. Duid was
very angry and said: Very well. 1t
shall be as you wish; henceterth you
will have to work to obtain food to
eat. Tomorrow the tree will be cut
down and it will die and there will be
no more food for you to gather. How
ever, I will tell you this: IL you will
break of a branch of each kind of
fruit or vegetable you like, plant 1t in
the ground, water and cultivate and
protect ii, it will grow and bear fruit
in its season and each after It's kind.
Then you may plant the seeds that are
in the fruit and they will grow again
and produce, each after its kind
"'Thus you may continue to eat the
fruit of the tree, but you will be re-
quired to work very hard for It,
THE day following the tree was cut
down as Duid had said. The people
selected certain number OF fruits and
vegetables and planted them, but It
was so much labor and trouble TO
care for them that they saved only a
few OF the great number, They did not
like 10 work SO hard. They expert
mented with the ones they had saved
and kept only the ones they liked best
Consequently there are to-day not
many kinds of edible plants in the
world. whereas II they had been more
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

bands favoritism for the other wife.
In one case the woman killed her
three children by the same means
Divorce is easily arranged, accord
ing TO DR.. Farrabee.
There is no separation ceremony"
he says. But husband and wife may
desert the other at will without fear
OF punishment But separations sell
dom occur. for the reason that there
are few family troubles OF any kind.
when child Is born the father
takes 10 his hammock and keeps IL
for month. He must not 60 out IN
the hot sun or do any manual labor
whatever, He must not eat any strong
or solid foods. His wife and other
women bring him the most delicate
foods. They think there rs soma
mysterious physical relation ex-
listing between father and child and
that it would harm the child Just az
much for the father to cat coarse foods
as for the child 10 eat them itself. He
must not kill any vicious animals or
poisonous snakes for a period OF two
years.
The total population OF these four
Arawak tribes Is less than 1900 and
rapidly decreasing. According IN some
accounts Of the savannah tribes. this
condition seems due to changed eco
nomic conditions and introduced dis
ehses Several tribes have totally
disappeared within the last hundred
years. The Wapisisnas number about
1900; the Atarois, including half
bloodA, less than 100; the Tarumas
about 30 and the MapidiAns less than
100."
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15
mazonan Tribes Found Whose Myths Parallel Bible Tales
Traditions Brought From South America by Dr. Farrabee
Bear Striking Similarity Stories of Lots Wife. Tree
of Calamity in Garden of Eden and the Deuge-
Peculiar Marriage Laws and Customs of Natives

dition penetrated the region, but In
one corner OF the great savannah the
ethnologist found an Episcopal mission,
and Was much astonished to enter the
church and hear a choir of girls
clothed only in small beaded aprons
singing familiar tunes to native
words. ,-a. ,
DIR. Farrabee's book describes In
detail the life Of the tribes, their cuI-
ture, their language and, their tradi-
tons. His work has added an amazing
chapter, to matters chronological.
Legend of wapisianas.
= "The Creator of the wapisianas."
writes DIR. Farrabee, "is not an all
powerful spirit with supernatural
powers. but a superman who lived on
the earth before the advent OF men
and animals and who continued to live
with man and men for a long time
thereafter.
HE went hunting with his brother,
who was caught by a monster over
whom he had no control. He kept
dogs for hunting purposes and used
the blowgun and poisoned arrows to
shoot birds and monkeys. He had no
definite powers over animals or in
animate subjects. He had no spiritual
power. and Is not now thought Of as
a spirit. He does not possess any OF
the attributes OF a god. He Is one
who lived on the earth a long time
ago. who Went away and is now living
In the sky. where he will continue to
live, not as spirit but in the body.
1t is not place for departed spirits
They have no place to go, but remain
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

He, too. was given his choice. The
third animal was the tapir. kudui.
While Tumikar was making him. the
monkey climbed down on a low branch
to watch ire operation and became
very anxious about It when he saw
what q large animal was being con-
structed. He said to himself: Now
that fellow ought to live on the ground.
bur can see very we'll that no will not
want to do SO because there will not
be enough for both him and the jaguar
to eat; am afraid he will want to
come up here and 1t will not do. for he
is so big he would break the trees
down and it would be dangerous for
both OF u.s.
so he climbed down very near to
the tapir and when Tuminkar asked
him about where he would live the
monkey whispered In his ear: Don't
say anything. You cannot come UP
here, and there will not be enough OH
the ground for you to eat, 80 don't
say anything at ALL When the tapir
did not answer Tuminkar repeated
the questions and the monkey whis-
pered again: DO not answer Then
sdlu 10 tHe are
such an awfully stupid fellow YOU
have no use for a voice. Go away
and secure your living wherever you
can and eat whatever you can get
Hence he has no call. and though he
lives on the ground he eats Of the
leaves OF the trees which he pulls
down with his long nose"
The Tree OF Disaster.
As the tree In the Garden OF Eden
brought calamity to Adam and Eve, sc
did the Tree Of Life OF the wapisianas
bring disaster to their race II brought
on a flood which inundated the earth
with the exception OF the mountains
| OF three-peaks.
After Tuminkar had made men,
writes DR.. Farrabee. at was tho DUTY
OF Duid to provide food for them
which he did in abundance. Every
| day he brought fresh food in great
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

variety and profusion and gave It
freely to the people, who were CRATE
full, and rendered him thanks for his
goodness. Having nothing to do, the
people amused themselves by watch
ing the animals going out every MORN
ing in the same direction and return
ing well fed in the evening. So they
said among themselves: We have
nothing to do: let US go along with the
animals and see where they &C ard
what they do
After they had followed for a long
distance they came to a great tree
bearing all kinds of fruit and vege-
tables. The ground was covered and
there was plenty for all the animals.
They said among themselves: This
is where Duid gets food for US every
day; let us come for 1t ourselves; we
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

deluge which covered all the earth
with the exception OF q three peaked
mountain. The Noah In this instance
was a resourceful man. who cut of
the upper mandible OF a great mus
coyy duck. which he used as a canoe
to float himself and few Of his
people to the security of the mountain
top. So strong Is this tradition i'm
planted in this particular tribe that
the ducks bill is frequently used to-
day as a spoon or worn suspended
from necklace or an amulet.
There are a pair of Adams instead
NJ one in the story Of creation OF the
Tarums tribe. The names OF these ex-
ceedinsly lonely first men were AJijeko
and Duid. Though they had the sd-
vantage Of each others companion
ship they hungered for that indefn-
able missing something-woman. But
pause-this is not a rib story. II II
had been the chances are that Ajijeko
and Duid would have had to draw lots
10 see which would contribute the rib
FOR the creation OF the first woman.
Instead this is a Ash story. In other
words, somebody tipped Off the
brothers that woman lived at the bot
tom OF a great pool and that they
must fish for her. They did Ash. and
Ike a great many fishermen they
were not on the level with each
otter. one of the brothers while the
other slept sneaked to the pool and
dropped in his hook. line and sinker.
and after much angling caught the
woman.
There is also a. tree Of life in the re-
iig!ous traditions of these tribes. and a
myth which is surprisingly like the
Bible story OF Lots wife, who looked
backward at the destroyed cities OF
sodom and Gomorrah and was turned
~ salt. The difference is that three
women figure in the South American
tribal myth. and because they could
not control their curiosity and
looked they were turned to stone.
DR.. Farrabee's Discoveries.
Coincident with the return OF DR.
Farrabee from his labor as ethnog-
rapher OF the American Peace COM
mission to resume his work at the
University OF Pennsylvania Museum
that institution has published the first
~'N''N " MS rcpOIt On MS AiHdAoH
expedition, which covered a period Of
three years.
The report is issued under the title
The Central Arawaks." They are
found in northern Brazil and southern
British Guiana within a broad savan-
nah some 10000 to 10000 square miles
IN extent. reaching from near the Ven
ezuelan boundary to the western
banks of the Essiquibo River and from
the Amazon forests to tho foot OF the
Pakaralma mountains; or from $751;
degrees TO 50 degrees west longitude
ara IA 10 ~ degrees north latitude.
Originally the various tribes OF this
central related group must have been
parts Of great nation. The wapis-
'aHas, recent Invaders OF the territory,
absorbed the Atarios. and other tribes
moved down, changing their habitat
some OF them becoming extinct. others
.raFing the savsnnahs and becoming
forest jewellers. The present volume
neals principally with the Wapis!..nas
Inc largest OF these tribes. taken as
"rlcal Of the habitAnts Of the re gion
1T OF these tribes had never seen q
man until Or. Fsrrsbss's exbs-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-15

THE story OF the origin Of the race, 90
says DIR. FarTabee, lis an interesting
variant OF the Taruma story in which
two brothers went fishing with hooks
from the jawbone OF the paCa and
Duid caught the woman while Tumin-
kar slept
Their First sight OF white Men.
Not one Of the Mapidians had over
seen a white man before, yet they
showed no anxiety. nervousness or
special interest in us personally. They
were greatly interested in all our
equipment and the trading material
We carried
DIR. FHrrabee's explorations have set
aside for all time the fable OF n race
Of warlike women o. huge stature liv-
ing in the Amazon region. In refer
ence TO this he says:
"On our way up the Takutu we
heard many times Of tribe Of women
living at the head of the river on the
British side. Later We learned from
John Ogilvie that some ten Wapisiana
women live together In a large house
they have built for themselves on
Sand Creek, They are elderly women
whose husbands are dead md whose
children arc married. hs there are
many more women than men among
the Wapisisnas, there WAS little hope
OF their finding other husbands; 70
they went together. cleared their fields
and built their home, They cannot be
spoken Of as q tribe OF women and
have no connection with the story OF
the AmazonG still current along the
Amazon and lower Negro"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08

will drop it. Will you give it?
Yes or MOP"
Mr.. Sage read the letter, and,
handing it back to Norcross, said
that he had a gentleman waiting
for him in his private office and
that in d few minutes he would be
able to give the matter his attention.
Norcross, however, intimatcd that
his business was Of an urgent ma
ture, and said:
Then you decline my PROPOSE
ton? Will you give it to me? Yes
or MOP"
Sage said that he must have two
or three minutes in which to get
rid Of the waiting gentleman, and
just at this point in the controversy
William r. Laidlaw, an employe Of
Bloodgood g. Co., who had just
called in connection with some
brokerage business, entered the Of
flee. Seeing Sage and Norcross in
intimate conversation, he turned to
wait in an anteroom until Sage
should be disengagcd. But Mr.. Sage,
according to the late Joseph H.
Choate, developed sudden ahFec-
ton for tho same William r. Laid
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08

law, and, without addressing him,
took him by the left hand and then
with both hands, as if to shake
hands with him, but lmperceptibly
he drew Laidlaw around between
him and Norcrcss.
As he did this, he said to Nor
cross: If you cannot trust NE, how
can you expect me to trust you?"
A terrible explosion followed. Nor
cross was instantly killed. Laidlaw
was thrown to the floor on top Of.
Russell Sage Laidaw was very
badly injured Sage also was in
jured. The Offices at II Broadway
were ruined.
William r. Laidlaw sued Russell
Sage for damages to the extent of
SAB, 104.25 for the injuries which he
claimed were due to Mr.. Sage's use
of him as a shield. The case was
tried four times. The trial was
prosecuted for Laidlaw by the late
Joseph II. Choate, whose cross-ex-
animation of Russell Sage is famous.
This cross-cxamnation, which is
thoroughly analysed in Francis l..
Wellman's fascinating book. THE
Art Of Cross Examination" finally
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08

when the city was filled with unoc-
cupled men and women, but the day
was generally quiet, merely bearing
a suspicion Of the storm that was
going to break on the following
evening. In the afternoon several
thousand lumber showers and other
strikers assembled in a spot on the
outskirts of the city called the
prairie, where mass meeting was
addressed by Socialist orators. Their
invocations to-day have the sound
OF bromide. Verify there is nothing
new under the sun, even Socialist
oratory.
Quit the Knights Of Labor" one
with silver tongue harangued per
suasively. They will never do you
any good. Anarchy is the only way
for the workingmen to break the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08
The Dynar1iter Who Tried to Blow Up Russell SAGE

T% He case Of the unidentified
man who blew himself to
n pieces in an attempt to
destroy A. Mitchell Pal
mer, the Attorney General of the
United States, recalls the case Of
Henry W. Norcross, who also de-
stroyed himself in an attempt to
kill Russell Sage in 1891.
On the fourth Of December. 1891.
Henry w. Norcrosa, a stranger to
MIR. Sage, came to Russell Sages
New York Office and sent in a mes
sage that he must see the financier
on important business He stated
that he had letter from John D.
Rockefeller, which introduced him
10 Mr.. Sage. Mr.. Sage left his pri-
vate office, and when he had gone
into the outer offices of his estab-
lishment to meet Norcross the lat
ter handed him a letter, which
said:
This carpet bag I hold in my
hand contains ten pounds Of dyna-
mite, and IL ! drop this bag on tho
hoor 1t will destroy this building in
ruins and kill every human boinx
In II. demand 100000 or I
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08

for better hours and higher pay. In
1886, just as much as to-day, there
was an ignorant foreign element in
America that spoke for the better
part brokenly and Historically the
language of the nation it had adopt
ed. Exactly as at present, a num-
her of illogical enthusiasts, obsessed
with radical ideals, were mingled
with the foreign population, edify-
ing it with lectures and inAamma-
tory conversation. The strike of
Chicago labor was an occasion which
they were only too ready to seize to
besmirch the labor unions with
dangerously farcical call to arms, to
rush in unlimited and generally un-
wanted as impromptu William Tells
Ct right and freedom"
They began to rush on May 3,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-08

lost Laidlaw his case. Mr.. Choate
examined Sage minutciy with
view to showing that Sage was
not badly injured, although he
claimed that he had received forty
seven wounds, and that be was not
injured because Laidlaw was used
as a go-betwcen. NJ Choata pro
duced much amusement for the
courtroom. He harped upon Mr..
Sage's well known efforts at pre-
serving his money by buying as lit
tie as possible as cheaply as posi-
be For instance:
Mr.. Choate: "Were your glasses
hurt by that explosion which i'll
tlicted forty-seven wounds on your
chest?'
Mr.. Sage: 81 do not umem-
ber.'
Mr.. Choate: "You certainly
would remember if you had to buy
new pair"
Wellman says: 'If the witness
answered this question, his answer
was lost in the laughter which the
court officer could not instantly
check"
Mr.. Choate had the jury examine
the clothes which Sage brought