The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-07-06
A POPULAR INTERPRETATION OF
THE GEOLOGY OF NORTHERN
IDAHO.
Continued from page 81
and our own existing time.

In these interglacial periods eacn Of
probably 10000 years duration, animal
life flourished in the areas previously
overrun and secured out by the great
ice ploughs on all hands. We can
even now find remnants of its work
in polished rock surfaces and bould-
ers. lake basins. carved valleys and
heaps of nly-sorted soil pebbles and
boulders
First Appearance Of Man.
II was in the third interglacial per
iod $4,000 years ago that we find early
man. He is first recognized in Europe
in and about the basin now containing
the Mediterranean sea. The bleak cold
climate required this early ancestor
to take advantage of all shelter and
he quickly learned the advantage of
cave life. as a protection against the
climate as well as the hazards Of wild
animals against which any weapons
he possessed were futile
He used fire at the caves mouth
along with a barricade. Behind this
he lived and stored his food. He could
only hunt small indefensble creatures
with his wooden spears and clubs and
flint-headed axes. AS a consequence
he led the life of a scavenger as he
followed the big beasts of the period
He foraged on them when they be
came sick or wounded in combat or
begged in a swamp. He may even
have been successful with crude pit
falls or traps. At any rate he carried
the big bones back to the cave and
fire where he could crack them for
their marrow on winter evenings.
The women of the tribe gathered
the skins. dressed them and convert
ed them into garments after dressing.
This man was right handed with
most of the senses better developed
than ours. His brain was as large
as ours but differently developed. He
communicated by sounds and infec-
tons but probably carried on no con-
versations due to lack of a language.
The following hypothetical word
picture derived from Worthington
Smiths deductions from the remains
we have found may serve to carry a
clearer image of this early life:
ter. so the tribal gathering grounds /
may be aptly called sQuatting places.
A squatting place would be located +
near a cave close to a water supply.
since no pots or containers were to
he had for carrying or storage The .
cold winter air which existed in the
interglacial periods could be anchor
ated only by the ever present fire
which had a significant Importance
since fires were not easily lindled in
those days when the trusty match
was supplanted by hacking iron
pyrites with flint fragments until the
sparks ignited the dry leaves.
The Primitive Family.
Picture then this family group
squatting in a bed of moss. ferns and
leaves in the shelter of a cliff. over
hanging a stream A group of women
and children are constantly gathering
fuel for the fires This task would be
traditional custom with a certain
group The children growing up TO
initiate their elders at this work
The old man. the chief master and
father of this group sits by the fire
and fashions implements by slinml
hammering of flints. Some of the
children tutored by him. also learn
this art. Another group ofawomen
are busily hunting nints which are
brought to the old man for CONVEX
sion into tools. n
The small and also the sic1ly chill
dren lie near the fire wrapped in
skins All the rest of the family, not
engaged as previously mentioned, .
spend their daylight hours in search =
Of food for the group. Those who es- >,
cape accident return to the fire at .
nightfall The fire is built up and be- ,.
comes their protection from the wan d.
iering wild beasts of prey T..
It is to be remembered that the old q,
nan represents the only male adult in -,
he party The rest of the group are
crown women. adolescent boys and
girls. and younger children As the ii,
BOYS attain manhood they purposeIy y
'r unwittingly arouse the jealousy of -
he old man who either kills them or n
'anishes them from the tribe ~
Sometimes "a girl is taken with the %,
xile or he steals mate from an n,
ther tribe and soon becomes the old n,
nan of his own group. T.,
There comes day, though when a.,
he old mans energy weakens. his i,
eeth wear down and his muscles lack a.,
ndurance and speed. Then some -,
young male overpowers and ~,
ills him and becomes the new reign ~.
lg master of the group. 70
His reign is similar 20 his predeces- a,
or and his downfall the same Thus
trough circumstances such as these,
and society developed OF u,
curse other stages could be repre- 90
anted as interesting and remote from -,
resent conditions as the above de- -,
,riptiOn. .o
Panhandle Once Submerged. or
over 500 million years ago the re- ,.o
ion that is ,oKy rorbo,lfo Of