Newspapers / The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, … / Jan. 5, 1934, edition 1 / Page 1
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The IsvJine Vol. XLV.?No. 23 Skeletons and f Found In Pe< MOUND-HAS BEEN ENTERED rFOUR TIMES 52 Skeletons Found When Opened i About 50 Years Ago, John McComht Says The location of six skeletons re- , I resent a portion of the first week'i ( work by archaeologist of the Smith- ( sonian Institution who are digging , into the old mound at the mou-.h of . Peachtree creek, on the north bank j cf Hiawassee river, seven miles south f Murphy, in the interest of scien- ( tific study of pie-historic America. .1. D. Jennings, oi Chicago, 111., and VViliiam B. Colburn, of Detroit, Mich, archaeologist attached to the Smithsonian Intsitute are ;n charge I of the excavation work which is a federal project under the ivil Works Administration. Mr. Jennings ho* charge of scientific and technical work and -Mr. Colburn is in charge of 'he labor and excavation. Actual work on tfie mound began , tne latter part of December and is ex- j pccted to continue for eight weeks or more. The labor is being drawn from the local re-employment office ??nd about 100 men will receive employment on the projects during that time. Between $12,000 and $14,000 will be spent on the project Nine Found To Date During the second week three inore skeletons ha/e been located. Skulls have bten found in nine places, aefinite eviuci.ee that full skeletons of pie-historic aborigines aie located there. Bones have been found at a few other places, but when archaeol- : ogist examined them only fragments of bones were unearthed. One of the skeletons was located in the field about 200 feet souhv of the mound, i Other finds made to date include a clay pot about six inches "in diameter and some six inches high, perfect but for a partially broken rim; a small decorated pot about 1 inch in diameter and 1 inch 'high, the rim beinf completely gone; several bushels of pieces of broken -pottery, fragments of bones and numerous post holes. One piece of workmanship found is a dark clay goat's head about an inch in diameter and an inch and a half in height. The lower neck part is roughs evidently having been broken off Ihe body or from a piece of crnamented pottery. The eyes, ears, horns, nose and mouth of the goat are almost perfect, and the ornament is easily identified as depiciting t.he features of a goat. On the southeast corner of the mound, numerous post holes have been located, which, evidently con ^uypvi W iUl BUIUC OVIl Ui IIUU3V or fence. The 'ground around Uiese post holes has not yet been completely. excavated. In the trench on the east aide of the mound, a large pit of some kind has been located. The dirt within the pit is a loamy Iblack, and is easily distinguishable from the original red clay dirt surrounding it. Mr. Jennings who is supervising the scientific and techinal phase of the excavation, said this was probably a fire pit or burial pit, but could npt tell what it < is until it has been excavated and examined. i Skeleton Uncovered One of the skeletons has been par- ' tially uncovered. The work of exca- , vating the skeletons is slow and te- ( dious. When a skeleton is located, the ' earth is removed from around ft, , leaving a small mound a foot or more in height. JWIorkmen then take small tools and small sharpened sticks end ' cautiously and gently loosen the dirt ' from around each bone or fragment, ' brushing it away with a soft brush ' as ft become loose, until the ] skeleton ia finally exposed to view. This tedious work is made necessary ' from the fact that the bones have al- J n.ost disintegrated and are easily ' broken. The bones crumble easily, snd t archaeologists treat them with chemicals to harden the texture as soon as they are excavated. , The mound proper has not yet been < entered. Three ditchee about 6 feet i wide and three to four feet deep, . have been dug on the north, east and i south sides of the mound. The dirt it being removed from tJie banks tovard the mound in thin slices. The ! excavation work will proceed in this ' friWf Weekly Newspaper in Western Won Mutphey, N >ottery Are ichtree Mound j manner through the entire mound, and j every inch of the dirt will receive a ihorough examination. The mound itself has been staged I ft in five foot squares and every lone, bead, stone or piece of pottery will be marked and labeled, the place it was found marked and located on a specially prepared map before bcint forwarded to the Smithsonian Insti.ution, Washington, D. C., for minute ; i nd detailed examination by its experts. Dale Lee, local surveyor, is making 'rie survey and maps to be used in connection with the excavation. Dscar Hunt, local high school i udent and artist, is assisting Mr. Lee. He is also making pencil drawings and outlints of fragments and objects found, 1 which will be included in the report cf Mr. C^lburn and Mr. Jennings when the work is finished. ' Archaeologists in charge of the work plan to make excavations in the field to the east and south of the mound in the hope that discoveries r^ade there will #hed soir.e li^ht upon the pre-historic illage which once ;louiished there. They also hope to iind evidence there which will reveal is place as the site of the ancient village of Guasili, said to have been visited by Hernando De Soto, intrepid Spanish explorer, on his gold hunting expedition through these mountains nearlv four centuries aca. "Whether the skeletons found are those of Cherokee or Natchez Indian?, or aborigines of prehistory, will not be known until they have been examined and passed upon by experts of the Smithsonian institution. Opened Four Times When archaeologists delve "^to the mound they will find that it Has already been disturbed, and probably many of tt^ expected valuable relics ol pre-historic America will bo missing. The mound has been excavated at least four times in the past by telic hunters, according to information gathered from the older residents of the section, but no scientific or technical work has ever been done on U. About 50 years ago, it is said, the mound was excavated by the Valentine brothers of Philadelphia. Sometime before that it had been ente.red by other parties. About two years ago^ George Barnes, a relic hunter of Tennessee, did some exploring in the mound and in the field adjacent. Some years before Barnes, it is said somebody else explored the mound. One fact remains undisputed The mound has been entered before and sr.me valuable relics have been removcc. To what extent its contents have been disturbed will not be known until after the Smithsonian experts have explored it, and then probably they will not be able to determine. I According to information obtained | from reliable sources, numbers of skeleton have been dug up and plowe? up in the lield surrounding the mound. One paPty who claims to be an eye witness to one exploration, declares that 52 skeletons were unetrthed in the mound at one time. Numerous necklaces of Indian and trade beads are in evidence as possessions -of amateur and professional relics hunters in this section, which have been plowed or dug up in the field or in the mound. Several pieces of pottery have likewise been found. One of the most interesing stories of the many now being told about the mound and its contents is related by John S. McCombs, 75 year old reslent of Peachtree, who lives on the adjoining farm, and who ia a descendant of John Sudderth, original homesteader of the large tract of land on which the mound is located. Mr. McCombs related hs first recollections of the mound as a boy who mas born end reared on the laim on which the mound is located, and who las payed and worked around it for learly (.'tree quarters of a century, rhe firsjt time he remembers teeing t, the mound was "pretty and round, .he shape of a large b_ll sett.ng on :op of the ground." He related that a man by the name >f Alexander, who was one of the first settlers of this section and who p.w the mound long before the year 1840, when his grandfather purchased the land from the Stsite of North < Carolina, once told him that there were four posts on top of the mound 11 feet apart, evidently supports for some kind of tent or covering. Opened Fifty Years Age The Valentine brothera employed itr. McCombs and hia father to open Caattaaed a* page 4) ttpht lh Carolina. Covering, a Large and 1 . C., Friday, January 5, 11 SCHOOL NEWS M. H. S. GRADUATE IS HONOR STUDENT Mr. Fueck received a letter from the Dean at Tennessee Wesleyan stating that Margaret Mauney had made an average of H, on all subjects for the first term Vnich entitled her to be on the Honor roll. MURPHY BASKETBALL i SCHEDULE Murphy High's basketball teams will play the Cherokee Indians in a a double header program Saturday, January 6, and other games are as follows: Jan. 19?Almond?Here. Jan. (26?Haycsville?Here. Feb. 2 ?Almond?There. Feb. 10.?Bethel at Canton. Feb. 23.?Cherokee?There. Coach Dtaton is trying to arrange games with Bryson. Clvy, Copperhill, (. herokee All Stars, Youn'^ Harris, Stecoah, Eli, and Robbinsville. These games will come later in the season and will be played* in the new gymnasium, which is now being built Joy the C. W. A. in the old exhibit building on the Fair gronuds. NOTICE TO PUBLIC Ali Bus drivers have received orders from school authorities not to carry any passengers except students. THE C. W. A. STARTS WORK ON GYMNASIUM AND EXHIBIT BUILDING Tuesday Jan. 2 ten carpenters were givea work by the C. W. A. to convert the Fair exhibit building into a gymnasium and, exhibit buildintr. In making change the Krand stand will be removed and the building will be floored. The building will bo used for a public recreational ball and exhibit building. The works will bo completed within 10 days. NEW SENIOR PRESIDENT IN OFFICE On the r>*v .on of F?*i.V 5'ua_>ey, Senior class president on Dec. 15, Hoyt Phillips, vice-president, automatically became j. sklent and ' nominations were accepted for the vacated po&Xion. Those nominated were Freeland Ballew and Grace Farker and the former was elected by a large majority. Hoyt, who is presiden of the student body and also an honor student of the Senior class, is, considered wholly competent for.t&is office. GRAMMAR SCHOOL HONOR ROLL Second grade M. Mayfield. Paul 'Hill, Rita Hawkins and Irene Jordan. Second and '-hird grades?Mrs. E. Patton. Carmel Hombree, Olia Morgan, Kimsey Hall, Carl Palmer, Wayne Hembrte, Frederick Gyrd, Thomas Hickey, R. V. Dockery, Roy ickey. Third grade?Loucine Wells: Mel3 a Holder, Wade Teague, Sue Wells, Betty Fain, Wanda Bowles, J. C. Townson, Frances Hampton, Christind Barton and Charlene Bowles. Fourth Grade?S. Svo'd: Elizabeth Franklin, Katie Higgins, Jiwtine Johnson, Geneva Lovingoud, Mourine Lovingood, Louise Mann, Jayne Ricke Frankie Wilson, Walter Carringer, Willard Hembrec and Jamesl Abbott Hyatt. Fifth grade?A. Leatherwood 'Wacie Ricks, James Brittain, Lowen Lovingood, George Dyer, Grove Hampton, Roberta Carringer, Magdalene Cook, Kate Gray, Jane Hill, Elizabeth McClure, Effie Barbara Mclver, Mary Leel Roberts, Helen Wells, Geneva White, Fannie Bell Abernathy. Sixth, gradv?Mrs. Axley. Luther 'Hampton, Ruby Townsou, Jean Daniels, Mary Frances Bell, Josephine Howell. ALLUMNI i ASSOCIATION PRE. . SENTS HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL PROGRAM j (The allumni association, which was organised by" the graduating class of 1932 for graduates of the h|gb school presented a chapel program to the ( school Monday, Jan. 1. Twelve former* graduates of the ] high school vM We sat: Buel Adams ] Grace 'Bell Mary Witherspoon Leora ; Hickey, and B<A>bie Rector of the < cam of 1933: Annie Mae Town son, Mary Weaver, Mildred Akin and j Frank Ferguson of the class oil 1931; < Martha Nell Wells of the class of ( 1930; and Kathleen Axley and ] John Davidson of previous classes. Five of these participated in the ] program, Mary' Witherspoon presiding. .The program was as follows: Scripture Reading?Mary Wither* , spoon. A talk on the Allumni Association j ?Buel Adams. (Ccallaid am gag* l> . 3otentiallj Rich Terrirnr-t in This Si )34 -i LONG TO SERVE PRFSBYTERIANS Accepts Call To Serve Churches At Murphy And Hayesville The Rev. Stewart Holderness Long native* of Jasper, Ala., has accepted a call as pastor of the .Murphy and Hayesville Presbyterian churches, it has been announced by the pulpit commuiee, composed oi W. Bel!, J. B Gray, and C. W. Savage. The Rev. Mr. Long will arrive in Murphy in lime for services at the local church Sunday morning at 11 o'clock is understood. The Rev. Mr. Long was born in in Jasper on April 24, 1908. He was uucated in the Alabama and Florida public, schools, graduating from the latter in 1925. In April of that year he was taken under the care of the Presbytery of St. Johns, synod of Florida. He attended he University of Alabama for two years, at which institution he was awarded the Johnston Bible prize, given by the late Dr. Thomas H. Johnston, dean of St. Philip's Cathedral Atlanta. He was then transferred to Davidson College from which he was graduated qum laude in 1929. After leaving Davidson he entered Columbia Theological Seminary. During his senior year he served as assistant in the department of old Testament Literature and Exe'gesis and was graduated magna cum laude in 1932. In the summer of 1931 he was *ssustant to Dr. R. M. Stimson, pastor o? the Second Presbyterian church. Chattanooga, Tenn. His first pastorate after leaving the .seminary was at Guntersville, Ala., where he served for a year and a half before being called to the present work in the Presbytery of Asheville. His parents live in Sanford, Fla. o Ben Palmer's Baby Died December 27th Ben Virgil, 3 weeks old son of Mr. and TOts. Ben Palmer, died at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning, December 27th, at the home of its grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. T. P. Calhoun, where Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have been making their ho-me. Funeral services were held at the home at 10 o'clock Thursday morning, December 28th, and interment was in Subset cemetery. The Rev. C. E. Stead-man conducted the funeral rites. Pall bearers were Ross Lovingood, A. J. Hembree and W. A. Sherrill. It ia survived by its parents. American Legion To Meet January 12 IThe first meeting of the American Letgion for 1934 will Ibe held at the ocuul uiiilu or" rnuay, nignL, january 12, at 7 o'clock Commander A. W. Lovingpod announced this week. Important business is to come before the meeting and plans will be formulated for the coming year, and Mr. Lovingood said he was anxious that/ all ligionnaires and ^exservice men be present. o NEW YEARS PARTY Mrs. Noah Lovingood entertained | the Good Will Club with a New i Years party on Monday evening at ' her home. 1 The guests were highly entertained ! with games and stunts, after which i lelicious refreshments of cake and I toffee and candv were served. Those t present' were: Mr. and Mrs. Herman i Murray, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Ricks, i Mr. and Mrs. Paul Crawford, Mr. and ; Mrs. Howard Moody, Mrs. Cyrus , White, Miss Gillie Martin, Miss Mary < Akin, Miss Elizabeth Gentry, Miss i Emily Sword, Mts. Bill Brandon, 1 Miss Grace (West, Mrs. Thelma Dick- i y, Messrs. Ralph Adams, Bcfb Wl- ( iamson, Virgil Lovingood. I , 1 PEACHTREE SCHOOL NEWS The next. Parent Teachers Associa- i don will meet Friday night January i 12, at 7:30 o'clock in the school i inditorium A prise will be given to the parents with the most children i m the Honor roll. I . .... . : , - ,.i _j ' Sj.C Jit late 11.00 YEAR?5c COPY MRS. DICKEY PRESENTS KEY TO MURPHY Mayor and Business Men Enjoy Sumptuous Repast At Dcikry House January 1st A large bronze key, to be used as the "Key to Murphy", was preserved H to Mayor Edmund F. Novell and the the town of Lrurpiy by Mrs. Nettie Didkey, proprietress, of the D.ckey Hotel, following a sumptUYU* banquet which was attenaed bv twenty-seven business men of the town Monday mgnt, January 1st. The banquet was one of a number hich Mrs. Dickey has given in honor of the business men of Murphy, and which she plans to continue in the future at intervals. Following the banquet, Mrs. Dickey opened an impromptu speaking pro- ? pram by presenting the large key to Mayor Nor veil to toe used on occasion when it becomes necessary to welcome some distinguished visitor or enterprise to .he town. Mr. Norvell thanked Mrs. Dickey on behalf of the guests and the town. Among the guests who spoke briefly were G. W. Candler, of Candler's Department Store, who told of com .,?* cv .unipii/ .-vine h'j vear? a>;o on the train from Asheville, and Captain Rickett, woh said his f? * | Murphy was .na :? 0 yo ? that Mr. Candltr was a pa.^..6.. ^ l on that first trip. Mr. Gander ha^ been in business in Murphy ever since, and Captain Rickett has been conducting trains from Asheville toMu rphy and return for the same length ot 'time. All the speakers congratulated Mrs. Uickey on her sumptuous feast and generosity, and declared that "the Dickey Hotel was an institution infeparable from Murphy anu was famous from coast to coast as one of the fine of this Appalachain section. The speakers included Mayor Norvell, former Mayor W. M. Fain, C. W. Savage, E. P. Hawkins, Dr. R. S. Parker, P. C. Hyatt, Mrs. N. E. Olmsted, Mrs. Sherrell, Prof. B. R. Carroll, S. D. Akin, Mr. Candler, Capttain/ Rickett, and oViers. The merchants and business men present were: R. C. Maltox, Hwde; B. R. Carroll Feed, S. D. Akin, Hwd?., F. C. Owen1 y, Theatre, David Cariinger, W. M. j Mauney Drugs, H. G. Elkins, P.jwer & Light*, W. B. Dickey, Merchant, P. C. Hyatt, Merchar.-L, <1. W. Candler, Merchant, W. D. Townson, Mfg. B umiture, C. W. Savage, Hotel. J. W. Lovingood E. C. Moore, Noah Levingood, W. M. Fain, Ex-mayor and Mayor protem, Edmund B. Norvell, Mayor, C. M. Wbfford. Wholesale Grocery, Wofford-Terreh, H. M. Whitaker, BVed V. Johnson, E. F. Hawkins, Paul B. Owenby, W. S. 1 Dickey, Grady Crawford and 0. W. Bailey. DRY FORCES TO MEET JANUARY 16 The .United Dry Forces of North Carolina will assemble in a Statewide conference at Greensboro, on January I6V1, for the purpose of perfecting a permanent organization to continue in North Carolina a constructive program of education in favor of temperance and against the itils of alcohol, J. B. Gray member at the central committee of the state from Cherokee County announced this week. The county and other loco! units of the organization that fought to keepl North Carolina dry in the recent election and desire to conserve the benefits of the tecent Campaign and to continue their efforts to keep legalized liquor out of North Carolina, and to improve the inforconient of our present prohibition laws. Many local units have ilready become permanent, and it is anticipated that the Greensboro) meetng on January 16th will set up a perinanertt State-wide orgfanination. U1 persons in North Carolina interested in the promotion of tempertnce are invited to attend the Conference, and all members of the Centre ii fOomrasttee, all Candidates, County Chairmen and Managers of tie United Dry Forces are particnlary urtged to be present. The children of the Marble school sere served a special Christmas dinner on Thursday, Dec. 21, by the (dies of the community. Mr. J. J. Stone of Andrews, oar superintendent was present and quilt t few people of the community.
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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Jan. 5, 1934, edition 1
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