Evening journal., 1920-04-14
100 ROOM HOUSE
in near FUTURE
Whole Community to Live
Under One Roof After
Prehistoric Plan
PATTERNED AFTER
AZTEC STRUCTURE

NEW YORK. April i3.-Lessons in
curbing the rent proflteefs may be
drawn from the prehistoric Aztecs Of
New Mexico by the advocates OF mn-
nIcipal housing Ia the present crisis.
The man 10 see on the subject is Earl
n. Morris. who has been working Tor
three wears on the plans Of a 4pO-room
commtlnltv house which was apparent
ly one of a series built by the ancient
Americans TO take care OF the un-
housed and assure everybody OF roof.
MIR Morris is a member OF the stan
OF The Museum Of Natural History,
which sent him to New Mexico to see
what he could nnd OF civilizations there
so old that no trace Of them remains
above ground. Near Aztec he found
the model house. deep In the desert
sands. He has learned IL was built on
the community plan. and he knows
enough OF It's general features 10 give
pointers TO a present-day committee.
Before long he Will be able TO make a
replica OF IL In the miniature and show
Il TO the public IN the museum. Mean
while relics Of the lost race, which he
dug out OF the community house and
brought home by him. may be seen In
the west corridor OF the museum on the
FIRST floor.
Outlasing their wearers by untold
centuries are sandals woven OF yucca
leaf. yucca fbre and cotton, and the
pattern boards over which the sandals
wero made. Here, practically untouched
by time. are ornaments OF shell cut
into discs, and beads OF turquoise and
OF shell. There are arrOw-points OF
jasper, bone avis and needles. and
fragments OF painted wood. which were
probably ceremonial boards.
The basketry is OF two types, coiled
and lwllled, some OF II In an excellent
state OF preservation. There are cylin-
drical uetted discs padded with corn
hus.s. These are puzzle 10 the mu-
seum's investigators. A wooden cradle
board with a curlously placed head
piccc accounts for The flattened skulls
typical OF all the skeletons OF this an
Client civilization which have been re-
covered. A pillow OF mating stuffed
with cornhusks Rnd-some human re-
mains wrapped In mating and showing
the method OF burial complete the mis-
cellaneous portion of Tie collection.
The rest OF the exhibit IS Given over
20 pottery. The specimens are OF
white. red and black, and include cook
ing and eating utensils. The designs,
while not as advanced In conception
as some other OF The antique South
western pottery, are frequently skill
fully executed. For the most part
painted In black. or, less often. In red,
they are sometimes clearly taken from
textile designs. sometimes made up OF
freehand curved lines such as would
a
or. occasionally. consist OF crude AMI
NAL representations. An interesting
broken mug shows a hollow bottom
in which little pellets Of clay had hoen
placed so as 10 produce a rattle. The
cross-m markings on the edges of me
bows and drinking vessels are very
Characteristic OF the pottery taken
from this vicinity.
Most interesting among these relies |
is The coiled pottery-made by rolling |
long strips OF clay and winding them 4
round and round in the desired shane,
as Is done In coiled basketry In the 1
pottery OF this sort The mark OF the
shaping thumb can be plainly seen and
was frequently used 10 produce wave
pattern which often attained TO very
pleasing development
Among The curious new exhibits In
the museum Is a specialized bear" so
called because OF white markings
around the eyes. The animal comes
from the Andes and is supposed 10
range from Colombia to Chill, The
museum specimen Is full grown II Is
much smaller than the species in this
country and Is sober looking creature
with si'n black fur. broad head and
brown nose
The most remarkable thing about the
acquisition Is that The species seems
TO be related 10 the Malay bear OF the
southern districts OF Eastern Asia. while
The Norih American bear resembles the
black species OF The Himalayas and
Japan.