San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-11
Texas Folk Lore Society's
1923 Publication Carries
Interesting Data on Picto-
graphs Left by Early In
dams.

dams.
While old King Tut is attracting
world interest just at present, Texans
are reminded that they have field
of great archaeological interest in the
Big Bend, by the 1923 publication of
the Texas Folklore Society, edited by
]. Frank Dobia, of the University of
Texas, secretary. OF dozen or more
articles dealing with various phases
Of Texas folklore and kindred sub
jects, probably the most entertaining
is that of the crude drawings found
in the Big Bend as reminders of
Indian habitation long before the
white man came to Texas.
Incidentally in the introduction of
the magazine is an appeal for Texas
legends which will comprise the
greater part of the publication of
next year.
an buried treasure stories alone
there must be as many as there ever
were Mexican inhabitants in Teas.
Apparently, wherever Santa Anna
marched, he buried wagon loads of
silver; wherever burros trod, they
staggered under aparejos of silver bull
lion destined to be buried in flight
from Indians. There are more lost
mines in Texas by far than there
are known ones. Men have gone
broke and committed suicide follow
ing the legendary directions to buried
treasure. There are legends of cum
ming lobos, of willy and beautiful mus
tangs like the famous Pacing White
Stallion or like some man killer
horse such as Philip Ashton Rollins
tells of in his excellent book, The
Cowboy There are legends of
lovers leaps of old fords, of caves,
of springs. of trees and plants. There
are legends of hermits and of haunt
ed houses. The negroes still have
their Legendary stories and the Next
cans have theirs.
Contributions Are Asked.
at is quite likely that there will
never be another organized effort to
gather into one place the legends of
Texas. Now is the time to go folk
loring. One restriction, though. should
be remembered that no legend should
be adorned, 'doctored or changed
from its usual form. 1t should be
written as it is usually told"
An interesting discussion of recent
explorations in the Big Bend district
for Indian photographs is given by
Victor j. Smith, Texan, now study
ing at the University of Chicago.
I'm the search for evidences of
Indian occupation of the Big Bend
l have made forty-six trips and To-
Gated sixty-fiyc camp sites. shelter
sites Notifications and graves" says
Mr.. Smith. subscriptions of some ma
ture have been observed at fourteen
of these locations. A majority of the
paintings have been found on the
chalk cliffs: yet many drawings
have been found elsewhere. Mr..
Smith says that the drawings were in
all probability made during the time
the Apaches dwelled in that part of
the country.
The state of preservation Of all
photographs depends largely upon the
material on which the drawings were
made and upon their exposure to the
weather. In the Photographs of the
Big Bend country the colors vary
from dim, unintelligible smear to a
tone of deep color value. Assuming
that the brightest of these paintings
could not have BEEN drawn less than
100 years ago, it seems safe to con-
clude that the dim outlines (where
exposure is the same) are of much
greater age.
Made Prior To 1900.
AS has been said the date Of the
last Indian occupation of the Big
Bend was in 1870. The period be-
tween 1900 and 1870, however, was
one of turbulent contests between the
whites and the Indians. 1t is, there
fore. my opinion that all the draw
ings observed were made prior to
1900.
"A better index to the probable age
| OF the photographs is TO be found in
internal evidence. Within the pictures
themselves are several things that arc
OF assistance to the investigator in
determining the period of time 70
which the drawings belong. In all
| OF the crude pictures there is an en-
tire absence of firearms. all of the
weapons illustrated being stones
clubs and spears. Guns could not
/
Indians prior to 1880 and our date
here is upheld. In fact, IL one cared
to argue great antiquity. there is the
distinct outline of a man in combat
with n wild beast in which the onl,
weapon appears 10 be a large rock
This drawing was found at the bottom
OF bowlder which required consider
able effort to turn over and clean
There is similar figure of a mar
| fighting beast with only club.
| Dozens of illustrations accompany
the article and in some OF the NOR,
complicated photographs, the author
gives the accepted explanation of wha
the ancient artist was trying to por
tray. One Of the interesting groups
Of photographs tells Of buffalo hunt
4 Photographs telling it are n group %
dots the number of braves: outlin,