Year: 1876

TnIerestiuE Discoveries Eade Upon TIA


BIuhs Opposite Kansas City


The academy of science of this city


through some of its most active mem


bers, has recently made some very inter


esting discoveries, upon the summit o
the bluffs north of, and about four mile!


distant, from Kansas City. Judge E. P
| West, a believer in the evolution theory


has devoted a large amount of time and


study to this subject, and his persistent


researches and constant efforts, aided as


they have been by other members of the


academy of science, has brought to light


some very interesting historical facts.


In his researches among the forests of


western Missouri Judge West has dis
covered a number OF conical shaped


mounds similar in construction to those


found in Ohio and Kentucky. These


mounds are found upon the high bluEs
overlooking the Missouri Tiver---the larg-
est and more prominent being found in
Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.


Until about three weeks ago it was not
suspected that the mound-builders had
made this region their home in the pre-
historic days; but now it is discovered
that this strange and extinct race once
OCCup Illls ldlltl duu nave lciG dH CA
tensive graveyard in a number of high
mounds upon the Clay county bluffs.


AS yet, only one of these mounds have
been opened, Judge West discovered a
skeleton about two weeks ago and made
a report to other members of the society.
They accompanied him to the mound.
and not far from the surface eXcqyated,
and took out the remains of two skele-
tons. The bones are very large--so large,
in fact, that when compared with an or
binary skeleton of modern date they ap-
pear to have formed part OF a giant.
The head bones, such as have not rotted
away, are mOnstrous in size. The lower
jaw of one skeleton is in a state of
preservation and is double the size of
the jaw Of civilized person. The teeth
in this jaw bone are large and appear to
have been ground down and worn away
by contact with roots and clTniverous
food. The jaw bone indicates immense
muscular strength The thigh bone
when compared with that of an ordinary
modern skeleton looks like that of a
horse. The length, thickness and mus
cular development is remarkable. But
the most peculiar part about the skele-
ton is the frontal bone. 1t is very low
and differs radically from any ever seen
in this section before. 1t forms one thick
ridge of bone about one inch wide, eX
tending across the eyes. 1t is a narrow
but rather heavy ridge of bone which,
instead of extending upwards, as it does
now in these days of civilization, re-
ceded back from the eyebrows, forming
a fat head, and thus indicates very
low order of mankind. 1t is the opinion
of the scientific gentlemen who are
making these discoveries that these bones
are the remains of a prehistoric race of
men. They do not resemble the present
race of Indians, nor are the
mounds constructed upon pattern or
model known to have been in use by any
race of men now in existence in Amer
lea. The bodies are discovered in sit
ting posture in the mounds, and among
the bones are found stone weapons, such
as flint knives, flint scrapers, all of them
different in shape to the arr0w-heads,
war hatchets and ether stone tools and
weapons known to have been in Use
by the aboriginal Indians of this land
when discovered by the whites. The
gentlemen who have these curious bones
in charge have deposited them with DIR.
Fee, on Main street. 1t is their inten
tion to make further and closer re-
searches in the mounds on the bluffs OPP
posite this city. They will make a re-
port of their Iabors at the next meeting
of the academy of science, by which
time they expect to be able to maxi
some definite report as to their opinions
1t is pretty definitely settled, however,
that the skeletons are those of race of
men not now in existence Kansas city
Times.