Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1922-05-11

FNtShCSSiSH'oNs hld HSNS " fNboflA
ines in Caves Around spuyten 0uy.
vii creek-First Corners Found Them
Ready Formed by Nature-lt Was
There That Hendrick Hudson and
His Sailors Gave Battle to the In
dams, It Is Said.
Manhattan Island IL unique In hav-
Ing at one end the denSeSt populated
spot on earth, and AT the other scarce
fifteen miles away, "A spot Of entrane-
Ing wilderness, once the home If pre-
historic cavemen. The tongue of land
at the extreme upper end of Manhat1
tan Island, formed by the Hudson river
Spuyten Duyyil creek, called by the
Indians "Shorapock,' and hard by
where Columbia uniyersity's new stad-
linn Is to be built, Is as Wild and pie
turesque as bit in the heart Of the
Cstskills, says the New York World.
Between the rounded, wooded, dome
like, rocky end Of the island, facing
kkv anu N'''iT
nence to the south, opposite 2l4th
street. little cove makes back into
the fastness of Inwood Hill from the
oxbow of Spuyten Duyvil creek now
an anchorage for pleasure boats. Ii Is
hidden dell, unsupported alike to
those who pass on the Hudson and the
creek, for giant trees and thick shrub
berry hide 1t from the creek, and the
pock. ribbed hill to the west conceals
Il from the big river.
II was such secure hiding place as
the first savage vanguard Of the In
dams, spying out the uninhahited land
when they first came, perhaps 1000
years ago, maybe 10000, would have
picked out for a retreat from imaginary
predecessors they were ever expecting
to meet II contained caves ready
formed for their occupancy and per-
haps they We're not SO very far re-
moved from their cavemen ancestors
In Siberia, or Northern Europe, or the
South Sea Tslands-or wherever they
came from.
Perhaps an Ancient Race.
Anyway, the caves are there and
have been explored, and have yielded
relics, and some archaeol0gists believe
that the first Indians who inhabited
them were of an old race, of culture
somewhat different from that of the
Indians who we're there in later years
when the white men came The In
wood raylne was doubtless then, as ii
is even now, an ideal place for an In
dian village. There is the dry bed of
q tiny brooklet running down its cen
ter. High up along the west wall are
the fallen rocks which hide the caves.
Near by is fine spring, and in the
forest are giant tulips, oaks, black
birches, and In the tangled underwood
grows the spicewood. or benzoin. used
by the savages as tea.
3. A. G.. Swenson of No. 3ll West
10th street is one of the great num-
Der of thoughtful ManhattaneSe who
have visited lnwood and delight In
studying the traces left by the prede-
cessors of white men In this vicinity.
Amateur archaeology is one Of Mr..
Swenson's hobbies.
The mystic ravine at Inwood. with
Its caves, has eXertcd its fascination
upon Mr. SwcnSon To such IN extent
that he has collected some interesting
data about II,
May Have Come From Yonkers.
1T Is difficult to obtain information
about our predecessors on this island"
said Mr. Swenson. "'hr first white
settlers who had the opportunity to
learn much about them left few de-
scriptiunS. The Indians IN this neigh
horhood seem To have had their head
quarters at lonkerS. and came down
here for fishing and other expeditions
Many of them. no doubt. had pcrma-
nent settlements on the island. not
only at the northern emf but all me
way down where there were springs
and wells. The island was rich IN wa
ter courses. East Of lnwood Hill the
later Indians had tobacco fields. II Is
likely the Indians ~ the southern end
of the island Went to this more pro-
tected InNnod section IN winter.
THE Manhattan Indians ARE re-
ferred TO In the records rs the Rech- |
gavawank. aud their nelglburS north |
If Spuyten Dnyyll ereek-or rapirinl- |
men. or perhaps Paparinemiu. rs II
was called-were NJ the Werkqma>krck |
suh-tribe NJ the Mnhican tribe. who |
belonged to the Warningcr cnufeder-
acy. Their chief Village IN We>tchc<ter |
county was NJ nnhhS Ferry. They had |
. fort called Nipnich>cn on Spuyten |
purvil Hill the exact site ~ which |
hss not hepn located The Iuuood |
hin section on Manhattan. allied |
.Shorakapock. was an ideal lncatlon for |
. VILLAGE. being near the Hudson river |
and a creek. With "pea water for fish
iu- aud close 'n the >Enutins fountain /
later called Cnld SnrI"-- The meadows
which tie rrtpI wound south. |
vast 50 attracted tn first white 81.
tiers that iitrv allGu~; decided 10 settle /
There Instead ~ at the Battery. ON /
ton ~ IuWnad formerly called Coc'l
III u; i Fort ~elaa hundreds u wears
ago. soltM rad urrc the Indian
trsn fssstN~ nnf - ffS .sffa