Ohio History Journal

EDITORIALANA.

VOL., XXIV. No. 2.

APRIL, 1915.

RECENT DONATIONS TO THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM. Doctor Edward C. Mills, Columbus, Ohio, presented to the library a number of volumes pertaining to Ethnology. Mr. D. H. Gard presented to the library his private library con- sisting upwards of 3,000 volumes on Americana. This library will be cared for in a separate alcove known as the Gard Alcove. The heirs of the late General Roeliff Brinkerhoff, President Emeritus of the Society, presented, to the Library, a large collection of books pertaining to the War of the Rebellion and Bibliography. Mr. J. C. Braeckline of Kansas City, Missouri, was a recent visitor at the Museum. Mr. Braeckline has one of the largest collections of archaeological specimens in the United States. Mr. B. C. Kelsey, formerly of Columbus, has placed in the Museum his large collection of central Ohio specimens. The collection contains many interesting types. The Museum has obtained the collection of Mr. F. J. Moley, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, which illustrates the archaeology of the Iroquioan culture of northern Ohio. The collection was made in western Cuyahoga county, and contains interesting pipes, ceremonials and flints. Mr. John Seip, Chillicothe, Ohio, one of the earliest archaeological collectors in Ross county was a visitor at the Museum recently. Mr. Seip has presented his very valuable collection to the Museum, made during many years of collecting in Ross county. Mr. D. H. Gard, of Columbus, presented a small collection of in- teresting specimens, which were washed out of a mound opposite Ad- dison, Gallia county, during the great floods a quarter of a century ago. These include some fine bone implements. The cabinet of the late Henry Richter, of Columbus, was presented to the Museum by his sons, Walter W. and Harry E. Richter. Besides numerous historical and war relics, old arms and weapons, the collec- tion contains numerous good archaeological specimens from the vicinity of Columbus. Dr. Arthur Keith, of London, England, accompanied by Dr. T. Wingate Todd, of Cleveland, spent an entire day (March 28) in inspect- ing the Museum and collections. Dr. Keith is professor in the Royal College of Surgeons, London, and president of the Royal Anthropological (231)

• 1
 

232         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Institute of Great Britain.  He is one of the world's best known

anthropologists, and a leading authority and writer on archaeology.

A  large copper nugget, weighing over 10 pounds, and showing

numerous marks of stone or copper implements, where smaller pieces

had been detached, was presented to the Museum by Judge Daniel Babst,

of Crestline, Ohio. The specimen is most interesting from a museum

standpoint, in that it shows the raw material, just as it was carried into

Ohio from the copper region, and how it was worked. The specimen

was found on Judge Babst's farm near Crestline.

The collection of the late Dr. Isaac N. Smith of Westerville, has

been presented to the Museum by Mrs. Smith and her son, Mr. Paul

Smith. It contains one of the finest ceremonial bannerstones known, the

specimen being made from beautiful variegated and translucent calcite.

A very fine pipe in the form of a wolf's head, another pipe, decorated

with incised lines, and a number of fine flint and stone pieces, cere-

monials, etc., comprise the collection.

The Museum is much gratified by the interest taken in a collection

of prehistoric specimens of the old Chiriquian culture, Panama, placed

in the Society's keeping by Mr. J. W. Lawrence, of Delaware, Ohio. Mr.

Lawrence spent upwards of 20 years in Panama, during which time he

assiduously collected the material shown. The collection consists of

several varieties of ancient pottery ware, curiously fashioned and

decorated; a number of flute-like musical instruments, of pottery ware;

pottery figures of a female image, supposed to represent a goddess, and

used in religious ceremonies; large metates for grinding grain, made

from tufa, in the image of the jagular; implements of stone, obsidian

and copper; and ornaments made from gold.

Mr. Alva Kendall Overturf, Columbus, presented to the Museum a

collection of historical and archaeological specimens, which is unusual in

its character. Among the historical objects is the great calumet or

peace pipe, used by General Anthony Wayne and the Indians in effecting

the treaty of Greenville; the spurs of General Wayne worn by him in his

Ohio campaign; an old compass used by Captain Kendall and later by

Governor Lucas, in surveys of the Virginia military lands in southern

Ohio and other relics. In the archaeological section there is a very

unique effigy pipe, representing a wolf, a ceremonial pendant of cannel

coal and flint and stone specimens.

The largest single acquisition to the museum is the collection of

Mr. William L. Knox, of Youngstown. This is one of the oldest col-

lections in Ohio and contains some of the choicest specimens extant.

Among other things are several very large and fine flint spears, daggers

and knives, ranging up to 10 inches in length. Many rare ceremonial

pieces, including decorated and carved gorgets, bannerstones, rare effigy

pipes of the Iroquoian culture, the rare flinted type of celt, the so-called

spineback ceremonials, and fine stone and flint pieces are included in the

• 2
 

Editorialana.                       233

 

collection. A very large and unique celt, of Williamstite, is one of the

finest of its kind found in Ohio. A new type of stone relic, made of

granite, cylindrical, about 4 inches long and 2 1/2  inches in diameter,

with a groove near each end, is one of the novelties of this collection,

four specimens being shown.

An important addition to the Museum collections is the material

taken from the so-called Hilltop mound, which stood in the city of

Portsmouth. The material includes a unique implement made from a

curved deer horn, with a large beaver incisor set into and thru it, at

right angles to the horn. Another unusual specimen from this mound

is a fine celt of translucent jade, highly polished and symmetrical. The

specimen is of good size, and is one of a very few objects of this material

found in Ohio. Another celt of jade was recently obtained, having been

found near Dayton. Besides the above mentioned objects, the Hilltop

mound find includes a very fine platform pipe of limestone; a cache of

flint blades, several bone implements, and other objects. The specimens

were secured for the Museum from Mr. Paul Esselborn, of Portsmouth,

who obtained them at the time of the opening of the mound.

One of the most valuable of recent additions to the Museum is the

collection of Mr. Clinton Cockerell of Ross county. This collection

which was made in the Paint Creek valley, is large and fine, containing

many specimens unique in character. Among the numerous fine flint

specimens, is a notched spear point of pink flint, 10 inches in length, one

of the finest found in Ross county. From the same locality comes a

tiny notched arrow-point of quartz crystal, barely a half inch long. Other

interesting specimens are: A rare birdstone of bird effigy, of the short

squat type, made of granite and with unusually protruding eyes; several

finely made boat-shape ceremonials, deeply concaved; a fine example of

the rare spool-shaped objects, incised decoration; a ceremonial tube of

banded slate, having a supplementary perforation near each end, at right

angles to the main perforation; a very large lizard-shaped ceremonial, etc.

 

 

ORIGIN OF THE NAME, YANKEE.

Asbury, an author who did not respect the Americans, being an

officer in General Burgoyne's army, and among the captives surrendered

at Saratoga, has the following paragraph upon this word:

"The lower class of these Yankees-apropos, it may not be amiss

here just to observe to you the etymology of this term: it is derived

from a Cherokee word, eankke, which signifies coward and slave. This

epithet of yankee was bestowed upon the inhabitants of New England

by the Virginians, for not assisting them in the war with the Cherokees,

and they have always been held in derision by it. But the name has

been more prevalent since (1775) the commencement of hostilities; the

soldiery at Boston used it as a term of reproach; but after the affair

• 3
 

234        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

at Bunker's Hill, the Americans gloried in it. Yankee-doodle is now

their pean, a favorite of favorites, played in their army, esteemed as

warlike as the grenadier's march--it is the lover's spell, the nurse's

lullaby. After our rapid successes, we held the yankees in great con-

tempt; but it was not a little mortifying to hear them play this tune,

when their army marched down to our surrender."

But Mr. Heckewelder thinks that the Indians, in endeavoring to

pronounce the name, English, could get that sound no nearer than

these letters give it, yengees. This was perhaps the true origin of

Yankee. Drake. (American Pioneer.)

 

 

MASTERS OF MEN.

A RETROSPECT IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS.

This is a political review treating of familiar men and events in

our national politics and especially interesting on account of its rela-

tion to Ohio. The author's gift of portraying graphically, and coloring

picturesquely, the facts of history, adds to the interest and value of the

work, and is sustained throughout. The reader is given pen portraits

and characteristic criticisms of great National figures. The discussions

of the eminent dramatis personae in the presidential politics of the

early eighties are compelling and attractive. In those days there were

intellectual giants in public life. Here we have a powerful perspective

of John Sherman and James G. Blaine written evidently from a personal

sidelight. Famous Ohioans who figured in the political campaigns of

1880 and 1884- McKinley, Hanna, Foraker, Garfield and Judge West-

are all portrayed as only one who knew them can describe. The In-

dependent Republican movement against Blaine headed by Carl Schurz

and George William Curtis is treated with faithful yet caustic criticism.

To this generation that has forgotten many of the interesting and

graphic situations of the past, the work will be an addition to its polit-

ical and historical knowledge. For the student of political life in this

country it will prove a valuable aid in the studying of public affairs.

The author of the work is Daniel J. Ryan, Vice President of The Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Society and a trustee for the past twenty-

five years.

The author discusses his political topics with frank, characteristic

criticisms, and the reader gets Mr. Ryan's views of a number of the

intellectual and political giants and pigmies of campaigns gone by. There

are seven essays: Ohio in National Politics; John Sherman, Statesman;

Preparing for a Contest; "In Chicago in the Heat of June"; The Victory

of the "Plumed Knight"; The Independent Republican Movement, and

Blaine in Ohio.

"Masters of Men," by Daniel J. Ryan; McClelland & Co., Columbus;

75 cents net.

• 4