THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
7
STRANGE
t A MIXTURE OF RACES
Dr. Frederic Starr, associate professor of anthropol-
t ogy in the University of Chicago, spoke to the students
j and faculty of Reed college yesterday afternoon. His
t subject was, "Where Did the American Indian Come
t From?" He disproved the theory that the Indian or-
t iginated from the soil, or that he came from some one f
i
i part of the globe. j
In the far north, he said that the woman was the j
j ruler of the family, that she gave her name to the chil-
l dren and was consulted on all matters, while the man
i was of no consequence. Between here and Sitka, Alas-
t ka, he said, there w7ere six or seven tribes, each with
X
t different language family, while in all of Europe there
j were only three different language families. In the far
t north, he said, the tribes have the raven as their hero,
i those farther south have the mink and the sun, and still
farther south the sun and the moon are their idols.'
In his opinion, the Indian is the result of the mix-
t ture of many races, upon which the characteristics of
t the continent had their effect. This same effect, he
X claimed, is working today on the inhabitants of this
I continent and is moulding out a type distinct from the !
races of other lands.
I It was during the course of a trial in Philadelphia
that the cross-examining attorney put the following
question to a witness:
"Was it the defendant's habit to talk to himself
when alone?"
X The witness pondered for a moment over this and
I then cautiously replied:
! ' 'Just at this time I don't remember ever being with
him when he was alone." t