The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-31
WOULD RESTORE
ANCIENT TONGUE
Scientist, Assisted by Sell.
Taught Indian, Seeks Key to
Language OF Clutches.
NEW METHOD BEING EMPLOYED
Hopes to Unravel Secrets of Maya
Hierogiyphic Writings and Inscrip-
tions Which Have Baffled Sci
ence for Centuries.

Charlottesville, ya.-Restoration of
an almost forgotten language with the
aid of an un%educated, nearly ~illiterate,
self-taught, full-blooded indian from
the highlands of Guatemala, is being
undertaken by DIR. William Gates of
Charlottesville. The Indian is Quiche.
and his language, which heretofore
never had been thoroughly studied,
bears the same name. The race and
tongue a re OffshoOts of the ancient
Mayas, whose high civilization, the
most advanced of any early American
people, flourished before the Spanish
arrived in South and Central America.
The Mayas built marvellous cities,
palaces and temples, the ruins of
which dot Yucacan and Guatemala.
Their descendants are the Indians and
peon class which inhabit that region
today. Only the mountain tribes have
escaped the advance Of civilization.
Will Use New Methods.
Through the application of a new
scientific method which reaches to the
DOT of language, Doctor Gates expects
to restore the decadent tongue, de-
cipher the hitherto %unrayeled secrets
of the ancient Maya h~ieroglyphic writ
ings and Inscriptions which have baf-
fed psychologists for centuries. com
pile books for the instruction of the In
dams and eventually restore the litera-
kture.
In his experiments the scientist has
beer recording on n smoked paper
cylinder the vibrations of a stylus ae-
tuated by the Indians words spoken
preserved for study of the intricate
variations of pronunciation. and al
ready, working with manuscripts writ
ten in the Indian tongues by the earli-
| est Spanish missionaries. Gates has
found a remarkable preservation Of the
ancient speech.
The instrument he used is knewn as
| the ''kymagraph.n or w~aye-writer, ana
was invented by an eminent French
| ethnologist for language study. Doctor
Gates was aided by John F.. Harring
| ton, ethnologist of the Smithsonian in
stitution, who has studied practically
all North American Indian languages.
Indian Teaches Himself.
Probably the most interesting fea'
ture of Doctor Gates work is the In.
| dian. Cipriano Alvarado, who assisted
him. He never had written or read 4
word until he taught himself at the
age of twenty-five. He lives in the al
-.1-. :a.aaoe.;I1o p,o,tptaipc IF Captro1
| America, and is of the purest blood
| descended from the Maya empire build
ers.
Doctor Gates, who Is director gen
| eral of the national museum of Guate-
| mala, has been Studying the Maya in
scriptions and ruins for more than
| twenty years. As a result of his pres
| ent studies he expects shortly to be
able to translate the entire writing
system, and reveal the knowledge and
| attachments of the Maya civilization.
| Already several of the eabalistic SYM
| b0ls have been read, and it is expected
that an announcement concerning the
deciphering, of great Importance to
ethnoIogists and psychologists. will be
made shortly.
The final success of his extended in
vestigatiOn, Doctor Gates said. was due
not only to the use of the kymagraph
in his research, but to study of the
grammar of the present tongues and
application of the rules thus worked
out to the writing found in the in
scriptions.