Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-07-17
See Beginning of Race
In White Indian Tribe
EXPLORER BRINGS NEW PEOPLE
FROM SAN BIAS COUNTRY
STARTS DISCUSSION
Yes. We nave white indians.

Yes. We have white Indians.
The question now, however, lis
What makes them white?
Many of the leading scientists in
the United States are discussing the
subject, poking, prodding, twisting
ears and looking down the throats Of
three homesick little tots in New York
brought here by Richard O. Marsh,
American explorer, who last summer
discovered tribe of 400 in the San
Bias country of Panama.
Brought from the jungle where they
wore no clothes, CARRIED in civilizations
modern dress and thrown suddenly
into the worlds largest city-the
three children, Chepu, Olo, and Mar
garet submit to critical examination
without seemingly flicker Of feeling
passing across their stolid countenanc
es, beneath shocks of bristling tow
colored hair.
The children are not alone. Older
members of the tribe and parents were
brought along safe return to their
Darien region of the Panama being
assured and guaranteed Most of the
older members are of brown skins and
of normal Indian characteristics.
1t was at first thought that Mr..
Marsh had brought a group of stray
aIbinos out of the forests of Panama
and was calling them white Indians.
After a critical examination by large
group of our best scientists it was
agreed that they were white Indians
but abnormal and pathological cases
Explorer Tells How
Tribe Was Found
Mr. Marsh described how he first
saw white Indiansin Panama last
summer and determined to return
with properly equipped expedition.
He told how he approached the Smith.
sonian Institution at Washington, the
Museum of Natural History here and
the University of Rochester in order
that they might send representatives
on the expedition, SO that it's results
would obtain the confidence of the
scientific world
These representatives were present
when he left New York last January,
and when he got to Panama he receiv
ed help by the detailing of additional
observers from the United States
Army, the Panama Canal Zone Govern
ment and the Republic of Panama.
He told of the march to the interior
in which great difficulties we're over.
come. Before the trip ended almost
the entire party has been taken SER
iously ILL., and two members, the repre-
sentative of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton and the Republic of Panama, died
of fever.
1t was not until the very end of the
trip, he said, that any white Indians
were seen, because the rumor had pre-
coded the party that it's object was to
take such Indians into captivity and
bring them away
Finally, after making friends with
an Indian chief of coastal tribe, and
curing him and many others of various
ills, he got the opportunity to win the
friendship of all the tribes of the re-
gion by stamping out two epidemics of
smallpox.
Then he was allowed to see the
white Indians whose presence had al
ways been denied. He persuaded the
native chiefs that their difficulties
would be solved if kinship could be
established between the white Indians
and the white people of the north. He
saw about 400 of these Indians of all
ages and photographed about hum
dred of them.
Discovery Valuable
Aid to Medicine
One scientist is of the opinion that
the condition under which white In
dams are produced is by leucodermia.
He is DR.. Cuthbert Christy, of the
Smithsonian Institution, and an expert
on tropical diseases. He has made a
thorough examination of the white In
dian children.
| believe Mr. Marsh has made a
great discovery, he said. But not so
much in the field of anthropology as
in the field Of tropical medicine.
There is an interesting disease espec-
tally prevalent in the West Indies
which is known as leucodermia. When
I examined these children I found
markings on them more symetrical