New-York tribune. [volume], November 21, 1897, Page 9, Image 39

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
RELICS OF THE MAYA RACE
HLH CAST OP THE TURTLE OF QUIRIOUA
AT TUB NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM.
AH IV'-oitTAVr OUT FItOM Tin*. T)UKK PE
..or hat?? TiiK iNTKHKsrriNii niTiNS or
COPAN AMD WHAT THfciy INDICATS.
ov a ?HKHisTonic itAra
Among the relies Of ancient American clvlll/a
Oon which have come to this country In recent
J"i?r?, those pertaining to the Maya nation
an? Inked upon with great Interest by students
of th~ subject, and for that reason the plaster
east .f the "-Turtle Of Qulrlgua" which has been
presented to the Museum of Natural History of
New-York by the Duke do Ixuibaf will attract
much attention.
In .?:-aklng of t? Erwin P. nicsi-ldorff, of
Copan, Guatemala, said- "The great Institutions
for the education of the public should strive to
bring the obj<Yts of art showing the high civil?
ization of the Maya nation to the notice of
the publie at large. Americana like to see that
their continent has produced works of art which
can show themselves side by side with those of
the ?)l?l World, aid Which, even if they do not
?*x>me up to their Un?an, realistic style and
beauty, are still more remarkable than modern
works localise ib? y were produced without art
kaowledge derived from another race. as hap?
pened v. ith all the nations ?.f th?. ?)1?1 World. The
Duke de laoubal recognised tin? importance of i
this sei riment and ord? r? 1 ? nata of the most re?
mark ri le Maya and Mexican monuments, and
has pn tented them t" th.- Museum of Natural'
Btstorj "
Mr. Dieseldorff gave the following description
of th- "Turtle .?f Quiligua": "This elsboratety
served m moment, made fn m one s:.>ne. repre?
sents a '.umber of Maya gods. At one side is a
god. pp kbly of the plant t Venus, holding in his
right har:d a go I representing the life of a new
period, while the I? f: hand Is covered by th?
profile mash of the dead sun. The whole Hgure
appears in the Jaws ?>f a snake. At the sid--s
and on top are faces of the sun-god and of a
new life, while at the back appears the BaOS of
tho god with the nose pointed downward." It
was explained that the n.-s?- playa an Important
part on monuments of tins kind, and that the
Maya yjods are divided Into two classes, of
which one has the nose turned up and the Other
turned down. When the n ?M is broken off?as :
It is in many Instances it becomes difficult to
deU-rniitH' the proper class of the god.
"In a few months there will be "ii show also
S plaster ?vast of the tallest Maya monolith,
known as the ssadlnj st-da of Qulrliria,
Guatemala, which will be greatly admired r-r
the Bos carving. The deciphering of th. Maya
ruins is to-day the most Importaal problem of
anrha-ology, and Europe ?baa long recoamlsed It. I
COUectiona from entrai America, if duly la- I
belled as to their locality, are highly apprat iated j
?rjoii'iti'ins without this Information are almos I
worthless.
"America has but recently awak?-ned to the j
Importance of these Studies, and it is t?i Ih' hoped j
that th" inter--t evinced will become more wide?
spread a.s so'ir, ils the ? ubi baa n*ors and Im?
proved opportunities to see and admire the es?
Quisit. art of til.- Maya sculpture. Extraor?
dinary as it may s ??? -m. these Objects have
boen i si ved with stone Impl? menta and obsidian
flake.?;. There has never been found -me Imple?
ment of copper -?r bronsa in the Maya ruins of
Copan. a?.d as tin- copper Implements were mad
by M-'xi? an tribes long before th-- Conquest, and
as copper bells were especially common and to
bo seen in all parts of the continent, the ab?
sence of bella .uni copp.-r working tools would
prove that Copan was s ruin before the M< xi
eans began to ananufacture in copper.
"Then- are probably several citx-s, one under?
neath Iba oth?-r, at Copan, an?! by their excava?
tion the development Of Maya art oould be
dearly shown. A pyramid which la destlmd to
solve many Questions Is the one standing at
Ch ?lula, in hfaxlco, formerly the contra of Tollos
Worship. ThiT" is lo day a Catholic church
Standing on th" top Of the pyramid, and bO
neath 11 < ould b<- found, I bsUsve, temples which
were built by the ToltOCS. And, if my surmises
ave corn? t, th :lr stru<rtur?- and the objects of
art which will be found ?n them will determine
the gjsssstloa which has been so much speculated
srpon: Who wore lbs Tolteca, the originator* of
all Uential American civilization? An Aim-rl
ican Schli' -mann i.-> needed lO help solve the
riddle.
"This union i-sachsd it? highest point before
the development Of power by the Mexicans, or
Nahriaii, who, by thrir longing for conquest,
terminated the n Ign of the pt aci.ful and artistic
Mayas, whose ?loom began about 1000 A. I>. and
was completed long tafurS the discovery of
Ameri-a. Th'- most n-markable v-stlge? of this
nation exist all OVOT Vu? atan, ?"hiapi raid th?
Atlantic side of Quati mala as far south as (.'?.
pan und H??nduras. The tln?ls made recently
lead <:s to believe that Yucatan In prehlstorl?:
tliii?-s was thickly populit d, and that on tin
banks of tho Usumalnta River. In plains W?blcb
are now <:<?yie?l by an almoot unbroken, dense
Virgin f?nst, at a low level above th* sea and In
a hot climate, th re v.a.s developed the high? .st
cJvlllzatltin of all the nations of this contlm rit.
There are a few scientists who believe that lbs
gedturs of American Itldlgenous races was
brought to them from A:>la; but Uiere Is no
proof fi.iT this assertion beyond a?not at all
remarkable -resi mblance In the fares, the posi?
tion of Idols or Ulm Batii-J t.l>c of rude oiua.
mentation which may be seen all over the world.
The only ?point whi?h they can claim In favor
of their theory' Is the finding of Jade orna?
ments In UM graves, a stone similar to th?? Jade
found In Central Asia. All U arch in America
to find the mine or rlver-bod from which the
undents may ha. ? OOtleeted Jade In a raw
state has be?n fruitless.
"There Is not a better way of Judging the
stsndard of civilizan.m of indigenous people
than by the development of their art of writing.
Primitive man had no dtstru to write; he had
nothing to preserve no knowledge to hand down.
Only when men had settled dewn In huta and
hous?aa, had cultivated fields, when there ex
lili; MATA STONE.
Presented te the MuseUM of Natural History by the Duke ?le T/Mibaf.
Luted a government and priesthood, did writ?
ing become a n?-ed, and those people whose
writing comes nearest to our phOQOtlO or spell
Ing system were the highest advanced nation.
The Peruvians, named Incas, and the Mexicans,
rfshnas, ??> elled In barbaric grandeur and WOTS
highly trained In all that pertained ta war; but
they wire far Inferior to the Maya nation In
all the arts, ? ? ;???? .illy In w rttlng "
Mr. DleseMocfl gav?. an tatereating aeeonnt
of the thirteen tribes which composed the Mi>a
nation nn?l the Vlewt which indic?is Hi? lr ar
ehltectural knowledgn,
THK- TRUST-OW ROOM. OOLDMBLA UNlVKi.SITY LIBRARY BUILDING.
-pHllMa the ruina." h*a aald, "which prove
their high art. three books eibrt at the present
time- one at Dresden, another In two parta at
Madrid, and the third at I'arla. These OOdloM
In hieroglyphics may now be seen In wpy at
the Museum of Natural IHstory. At the ruins
there are srulptun.-s In and around the U-mplea
relating to the worship of soda, the usages and
sacrifias, and ther? are alao ?-tatu?? of men who
lived and dle<l and who may have tx-en their
rulers, great warriors or chlefa and prleata.
These ttatuta are carved ?>f one stone and are
called Stelal
"On the tidei and at Ibt bach appear the
different Maya gods, especially the sunk? rep
resenting time and eternity, and hieroglyphic
tablea are shown beginning always with the
Initial series which BpeclfsBS a certain date. Tb?
I obj.-ct of science must be In a large measure to
collect good and accurate material to enable
I the scholar to make comparisons, so that the
hieroglyphics may be properly Interpreted, and
. while 1 think that careful study will make mu?rii
In that line clear, I b?-lleve that BOOM 'glyphs'
will r-maln undeclphered nntll more ?locuments
are BisCOVSSSd In the librarla of dpaln or Cen?
tral America."*
Mr. DleseldorfT ?poke of the resear? hes made
by Hra-sik-ur de Itourbourg, and Professor J. J.
Valentine, o? New-York, and the expeditions
made by A. P. Mandalay, of London, to Yucatan.
Quatemala and ?Copan, and the tspeditloa aent
to that part of the world In IMS by lierre Lortl
lard, and th?? dlSCOVeriCO mad? by Teobert
Maler.
"But by far the most !mp??rtant ?Ibx-overiea,
after Mandata?, were mads by the excavators
at Copan, Honduras, by tht Pea body Miise?im, of
Cambridge, ?under tl? ? ? -??? ?vn of Proftsser F.
\v Putntuu. of n.-ir\ ? : ; nlverslty, This work
waa male jM,.ssit,l<' Is i > i ? - I b-ral help of proml
ni-nt and SdenCO-IOVlng It.istoiilana. All these
exploration?, have helped glee tig In getting new
material together, but It is ?if no bhbs for ScWw
If it Is not aci-urat? ly published In a form tha
students may afford to pur? base."
A PECULIAR EAR OF CORE.
Erom Tin- Hilladelphla lleor.1.
An ear of corn which Patrick Cullea believe?
tn t>e worth a small fortune Is being carefully
BSeoerved by that lmllvl-liial. who recently found
hi? [itize on Farmer I'prlghfs place at Merlon
BQUare, Montgomery I'ounty. To the ordinary
city mrin there Is really nothing 1'inarkable
about the ear of corn it kernels are not of
solid gold, nor are there any i amends ronccalsd
about ih.b. Its rslue lies la lbs fsct that
somewhers al aomi lime or other s em- agri?
eultural society offei -j a reward of $i,<>oi> to
any one who would find a perfect ear of corn,
with the kernela growing In an uneven numbei
of rowrs. It has always been found that th*
rows are even, ?ay ten, twelve nr fourteen to a
cob. This ear which Batrick Cullen found, how?
ever, shows thlrte.-n rows around the butt and
eleven around the middle of the cob. Many
farmers to \vh >m Culler, showed his priz?- as?
sured him that the ear was as perfect as It
could be, and that It was really a curiosity.
Cullen is now looking for the agricultural so?
ciety which offered the $1,000 reward.
MEMENTOS OF COLOMBIA'S PAST.
INTKRKSTING RKXJC8 IN THE TBUSTJHW
BOOM IN TIIK NEW LIBRARY
BUILDING.
The trastees4 room In tht new library building
of Columbia University, asido from being a
beautifully arrange?l and richly furnished apart?
ment, will have ad?litional Interest for the grad?
uates and frleadi of the institution heraus?; of
the rcll<*s which have been Incorporated in Its
d???coratlon.
The cornerstone of King's College has been
placed under the mantel sh?'lf, directly over the
fireplace; and over this, occupying the central
point of the elabor.it? ly carved granite work, Is
the portrait <?f Um flr?;t president, Or. Samuel
Johnson. The whole i*nn!"l structure Is sur?
rounded by an antique iron crown, which baa
always occupied a COOS] IcUOUS place In the trus?
tees' room. The wails of the- room are finished
in quartered oak an?i the celling It elaborately
decorated it is situated on the east side of
the main hail and . ecupl? i a position on that s.,ia
corresponding t.. that of the presidentas r,-,m
on the weat si.ie. ?Between these two ro?.ma
stands the statue of Minerva which w_ pre?
sent, d to tho University by Or. Coles and rtw
cently described In Tho Tribune.
FORM ISO A LITERARY MUSEUM.
raomsson v. n. waon% <>v tub Dwivgnsin
Ok* Ml'HI'lAN. AT WilHK OK A
tntlQtm COLL?SCTKMt,
j From The Chicago Tribune.
V. N. Scott. Junior professor of rhetoric at the
Unlvrslty of Michigan, has commenced a ?->1
1 lection, certainly unique und possibly of consid
: eral,!e future value. He calls It a "museum of
i stud.-nt composition," and Intends to tmhedy In
| it specimen exercises written at stated Intervals
by children In the schools of this and several
| oth'-r countries. The compositions so ?gathered
I together, he believes, will make It possible to
determine with reasonable accuracy the stages
of growth ot a young person's faculty of expres?
sion and to tract a law of normal development,
ao that In Individual cas?-a it can be aaeertalned
whether the pupil'? power Is up to the average
or whether special attention and instruction are
needed
T.. carry ont his idea ?Professor ?Scott has i?
soed 11 lr. ?iiar t.? tbost Interest? ?I In educatl nal
matten in most ??f the Isrge cities of lbs country,
an?i in Chicago hat arranged with i>r. Night?
ingale. Superintendent of High Schools, to ob?
tain sets of exercises from all th?' high schools
of the ?iiy. Th?> collection at present Is drawn
only from the United Bietet, but the circular has
be?>n translated Is several foreign languages,
an?l Fran??-. Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia
win soon be aeked to contribute. ? ?t?i.-r coun?
trb's will :' How later, for ?Professor Scott hopes
t i ure ???.'. Imens from every Important coun?
try . b the ?;!"' e
The plan limits the writing of exercises in this
country t?> high school pupos, and sets six sub*
Jecta for composition, with stated times for writ?
ing . ich. The ??*.? raises are to be written In the
Bchoolroom ?within t period of >ne hour, no re
vi ':.,n is ? j be a !'".v.' 1. and other precautions are
taki n to make the aeries s f-r test of the power
.?f expression. Only those who entered school
during September, IH07, ar?* to write, and the
compoettlons ? ? ril>- of those who complete the
four years' course end write all th?' exercises
will tue pr served, in this way Professor Bcott
believes it p nslble t.> Meure material for sn es?
eel comparison.
The subjects for this year are such as are eas?
ily within tl?.' grasp of the lirst year hlgh-Scbool
pupil, but allow full play to the pupil's power of
expression the writing Of a letter t.? S friend,
giving an account Of something that happened
during the summer; a short story on the lines of
a plot ?given; s description ?>f some person known
to the writer; an explanation ?if certain quota?
ti.?ns t?> a peinen younger than the writer in sneh
terms SI ?an Is- ? asily understood, and a coin po?
sition p. rSUSding a boy or girl .?f the pupil's own
??ge to read a book which the pupil has lately
read an?l Ilk.'.I.
it is ?hoped by ?Professor Scott that a consid?
erable number of schools may be f?>und to eon
tribute to the eoltectlon. The essays an? to bU
sent t?> Pmfeaa ?r s.-??tt. ami i.ome the property?
of th.- University, where they will be open to the
examination of those intending t<> teach. Ultl
mat.'iy, h.- ?believes, they will result In some
.>ii,?my of the expenditure of time end energy
now going on in the teaching ??f rhet ?rie and
???imp? sinon.
l BBIDAL BPISODB.
Prom The Detroit Pree Tress.
ai a recent fashionable wedding soi a thou?
?and miles from Chicago some very picturesque
features prevailed. Bowers and Bowery ter*
races di??? to -I the ?grounds of thi handsome resi?
dence of the bride'? father, yachts with gay
I pennants flj ing were anchor? d .?t the fool ?>r the
i garden, flower girls and chorus siria led the way
I to the little neighlK?rl.1 church, singing and
?Ktiiwing roses In the path of the lovel) bride,
1 an.I all ?.is U delightfully 'I.i?tive ;us high
I Chicago s?>ci, tv art could make it. Along the
?flower-strewn way the bride slowl) advanced.
carried on i sedan chair by four stately bearers
her brothers and cousins These s t.- tal
i silk bata by the way. ic:t that is merely the
, usual touch of Chicago Improvement on ?>ld
1 Prencb styles. At Intervals it v.as a .?arm
s.-pt. mii.-r morning the four bearers eel down
th.'ir lovely burden s?> the story ?goes md
mopped the moist brows under the tall Bilk hats.
I On they moved Until again wann an.I wary.
Plnallj it is told the brother of the hnde
leaned to the window of the sedan chair and ta?
; postulated: ,
"Bertha," he said, "for ?heaven's sake, tarn
| the bottom out and ?ulk, it'll took Juat the
| samst"