22 



THE MUSEUM. 



and the mound commences is so clear- 

 ly marked as to lead one to believe 

 that, were the strength available, it 

 had been taken up from some other 

 section of the country and placed 

 where it now stands. 



The origin of this mound is vieled in 

 deep and impenetrable mystery. There 

 are no excavations in the vicinity to 

 .show whence the material for the con- 

 struction of the mound was obtained; 

 and even if there were the earth com- 

 posing the mound is unlike that con- 

 stituting the surrounding prairie. 



On account of the resemblance be- 

 tween the earth in the mound and that 

 in the bed of the river some of the 

 Settlers have advanced the theory that 

 it was made of earth taken therefrom. 

 To strengthen this theory they claim 

 that the river, where it runs near the 

 mound, is much deeper than anywhere 

 else along its entire course. 



Others claim that where excavations 

 into the sides of the mound are made 

 the earth therein shows that it was 

 built of the sundried bricks which the 

 Mexicans have always used as a build- 

 ing material. 



If this mounds was ever used as a 

 fortress or a place of burial or any- 

 thing else of that kind all traces of the 

 openings into the sides of the mound 

 have been totally obliterated. There 

 remains no record of any relics found 

 thereabouts and no deep excations 

 have ever been made into the mound. 

 Its contents still lie buried with in its 

 unexplored vaults. 



The entire sides of this mound from 

 peak to base are perennially clothed 

 with a vegetation possessing a color 

 peculiarly its own. The verdure sel- 

 dom fades from the grass on the sur- 

 rounding prairies but the grass on the 

 sides of the mound is painted a darker 

 green; closely resembling, the color of 

 young corn growing in the alluvial soil 

 sections of Tennessee. The color is 

 so rich as deep as actually have a 

 glossy appearance. 



In an earlier day a small spring 

 bubbled forth from the very top of the 



mound, and even now the trench 

 worn in the side of the mound by the 

 water from this spring is clearly visible 

 although the water ceased to flow 

 from the top many years ago. 



At the present time a stream gush- 

 es forth from the side of the mound. 

 This stream is not very large, but it 

 is constant. The source, where this 

 stream receives its supply, is a nice 

 question for some scientist to eluci- 

 date. When we remember that the 

 mound is more than one hundred feet 

 higher than any of the adjacent terri- 

 tory, and when we also remember 

 that it requires some extraneous force 

 to raise water above its own level, we 

 are indeed puzzled at this phenome- 

 non. Does some unknown and im- 

 perceived action of the gulf or gulf 

 stream produce this state of affairs.' 



The soil of which this mound is 

 composed evidently contains some 

 kind of mineral. A chemical analysis 

 would doubtless divulge some mterest- 

 ing facts in regard to its composition. 

 Opinions differ and in all likelihood will 

 continue to differ in regard to the mer- 

 its or demerits of this soil and water 

 as a curative power for man and beast. 



Some claim, that should a person 

 take a small portion of the earth of 

 this mound after it had been moistened 

 by the water from the tiny spring and, 

 after dissolving it in water, drink the 

 solution, the effect produced would be 

 exactly the same as if the person had 

 taken a dose of calomel. Many people 

 of that section used it for the same 

 purpose for which other people use 

 calomel. Many of the residents of 

 that and adjacent counties kept bits of 

 this spring — moistened earth — in their 

 houses and these bits are highly prized 

 by these people. Some of them 

 claim that it is efficient and never- 

 failing in its action on the spleen; oth- 

 ers, that it is practically a remover of 

 all malarial troubles. 



In an early day much of the water 

 from this spring was bottled and taken 

 to Richmond, Texana and other neigh- 

 boring burgs where a ready sale was 



