Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/71

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 11 are a great many of these relics owned in Southeast IMissouri. Most of them are scat- tered, but there are several good collections. Perhaps the largest collection of Indian relics in Southeast Missouri, if not in the en- tire state, is that owned by Thomas Beckwith, of Charleston. This collection has been gath- ered by Jlr. Beckwith through a period of more than thirty years, and now comprises about ten thousand different pieces ; some of them of the every finest workmanship and of the greatest value. Practically all of these were found in Mississippi county and by far the larger number on Mr. Beckwith 's own farm. This collection is described and pic- tured in his book, "Indians of North Amer- ica. ' ' There are a number of other collections, most of fliem smaller, owned by residents of this section. Louis Houck in his book, "His- tory of Missouri," described some unique pieces which he has seen, one of which, a pipe bearing a carved head, has disappeared. An- other of these was a statuette, the figure of a woman carved in sandstone, about eight inches in height and bearing considerable re- semblance to the Venus de Melos. Unfortu- nately this remarkable piece of sculpture has been lost. Another of these unique pieces is a figure in the collection of Mr. Beckwith. It represents some animal and is also carved from sandstone and evidences considerable skill on the part of the artist. There are other collections not so large as this, but containing many things of interest. Some collections which formerly existed have been broken iip and the pieces dispersed. It seems unfortunate that at some central point in this part of the state, there might not be gathered a great and complete collection of Indian relies of this section to be perma- nently retained as a memorial for all time of the presence of the aborigines. Besides these collections having a general interest, there have been found occasionally certain pieces which have been deemed of great importance owing to the fact that they were diit'erent from the usual character of Indian relics. In there was found on a farm just south of ]Ialden a very remarkable series of Indian plates. Ray Groomes while plowing on the farm of Mrs. Baldwin, turned up a piece of metal which attracted his atten- tion by being caught on the point of his plow. On examination he found that there had been thrown out of the furrow some metal plates. He searched about and picked up eight of these plates which had been buried to a depth of about sixteen inches. There was nothing to mark the spot and he is confident that there was nothing else buried in connection with the plates. He dug about hoping to find some other relics, but the only thing that he dis- covered was a kind of white powder in the place where the plates had been lying. This powder he did not preserve as he could make nothing of it at all. The plates were taken by him to the town of Maiden and offered for sale. They were finally bought by A. S. Davis and kept by him for a time, and then dis- posed of to J. M. Wulfing, of St. Louis, who now owns them. These plates ai'e the most remarkable of the Indian relics foimd in Southeast Missouri. They are of thin copper and represent what seemed to be eagles hav- ing faces of men. One of them seems to be a double eagle. They at once suggest, from their appearance and workmanship, the work of the Indians of Mexico. There is nothing else like them to be found in the Mississippi valley. How or why they were put into the place where they were discovered are ques- tions which cannot now be answered. No one who has examined them has been able to solve