Ohio History Journal

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Editorialana

Editorialana.                       397

 

tive of the cereal native to the American Continent. But one of the most

interesting of the displays brought here by Mr. Mills clearly proves that

these mound builders, a race very different from the Indian, grew this

corn before the Indian drove them South.

"It had been a question," said the Ohio man, "whether the mound

builders were agriculturists. Now, see these charred remains of grain.

They were dug from an old village site adjacent to one of the principal

Ohio mounds.

"Exploration of this site discovered that its original people lived as

clans, each family or clan residing in a distinct portion of the village.

Each year they prepared a storehouse, which was nothing more than a

hole in the ground, lined at the bottom with stones and straw. Here

they placed their grain, their winter food supply, in the fall. Evidently

fire must have gotten into the pit where we found the burned grain. The

pit must then have been abandoned. The grain then smoldered until the

blaze finally went out. The hole was covered up and remained undis-

turbed until we came along with our spades-goodness only knows how

many years after.

"They probably dug a new storehouse or food pit every year, for

the indications are that in the spring the hole was used for refuse. We

even find the bones of infants in them, which would tend to prove that

these primitive parents did not attach consequences enough to the dead

child to accord it a formal burial. With these human remains are many

skeletons of the dogs I mentioned, and of the bones of wild animals, which

probably had been killed and eaten during the winter months.

"In that connection, the bones of the Virginia deer are most numer-

ous, which shows that they had means of killing the animal and had the

good taste which loves a venison steak."

 

 

 

ANNUAL MEETING OHIO STATE SOCIETY S. A. R.

On April 19, date of the anniversary of the battle of Lexington, the

Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution held its annual

meeting at the Great Southern Hotel, Columbus. There was a goodly

representation of membership from various parts of the state. At the

formal meeting in the afternoon, the annual address was delivered by

the retiring President, Col. James Kilbourne, and reports were heard from

the various officers. The report of Col. W. L. Curry, Registrar of the

Society, showed a total membership in the Ohio Society of 707, being an

increase of forty-two during the past year, while the deaths in the Society

were twelve. The officers elected for the ensuing year were as follow:

President, Isaac F. Mack, Sandusky, Vice-President, Wm. H. Hunter,

Chillicothe. Secretary William A. Taylor, Columbus. Registrar, Wil-

liam L. Curry, Columbus. Treasurer, Stimpson G. Bar    Toledo. His-