54 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



are not to be regarded, however, as paintings since they are to serve 

 another purpose aUogether. The foreground of the groups in 

 which the figures will be placed will be built up to the scenic back- 

 ground so that the picture will really commence with the foreground 

 and present a continuous scene. By employing a special paint which 

 has no gloss whatever and by carefully managing the lights above, 

 it is hoped that the illusion will be as perfect as paint and plaster 

 can make it. 



THE MARY JEMTSON MONUMENT 



On September 19th the Archeologist in an official capacity 

 attended the exercises of the Anierican Scenic and Historic Preser- 

 vation Society in the unveiling of the Alary Jemison statue at Letch- 

 worth Park. 



The statue, which is the gift of the lamented William Pryor 

 Letchworth LL.D., to the State of New York, was modeled by ]\Ir 

 Henry K. Bush-Brown of Newburgh and represents Mary Jemison 

 and her baby in Indian costume as they appeared after the 500 

 mile journey from the Ohio country to the Genesee. 



Mary Jemison is known to popular history as '' The White 

 Woman of the Genesee " from her long association with the valley 

 of that name. In 1755 when she was a mere child she was captured 

 by a band of Seneca Indians and French adventurers, who, to pre- 

 vent pursuit, killed the other members of the family except two 

 brothers, Thomas and John, who escaped. IMary was adopted into 

 a Seneca family and upon arriving at a marriageable age was mar- 

 ried to She-nin-jee, a Delaware Indian who lived under the juris- 

 diction of the Senecas. It is the first child of this marriage who is 

 represented on the statue in the cradle board. 



Mary Jemison was called by the Seneca, Degiwenes, meaning Two 

 Falling Voices. Most histories copy Seaver's error in orthogra- 

 phy, calling her Deh-he-wa-mis. There is no " m " sound in the 

 Seneca tongue. 



Mary Jemison lived among the Seneca 78 years and died Septem- 

 ber 19, 1833, at the advanced age of 91 on the Buffalo creek reser- 

 vation, where she was buried in the Seneca burying ground. The 

 interesting story of this heroic woman as written by James E. 

 Seaver from dictation by Mary Jemison herself has passed through 

 seven editions and several of these have been issued by Mr. Letch- 

 worth. 



The encroachments of civilization threatened the destruction of 

 the old burying ground and in order to preserve her remains William 



