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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1914)
8 THE SUNDAY OREGOXIA. POKTLAJfD, JUNE 21, 1914. mr v " V 'V v ' - y-f- .. " ' VW3ISAP ' "V Wfocf. Expect '1W7;.:.-.' to , . Now . . ; I 'Tf . V' HAT is the real American type of man and of woman? At last have we prospects of a .solution of this ethnologic riddle which has so long: vexed science and art. i Art has made various attempts at a solution, but its ident.fications have been indefinite. Science has added some suggestions, but at best they have been vague and speculative. ' America is called the melting: pot, the crucible of the races, and we are termed a mongrel people. Yet among: us exists a white race that we may properly call "thoroughbred American. 'V Individuals o fthis race are now ihe objec of a diligent search instituted by the United States National Muesum. Although not hitherto announced, this important work was commenced two years ago by Dr. Ales Hrdllcka, curator in charge of the museum's laboratory of physical anthropology. According to his classification, any individual whose par ents and grandparents have all been American-born belong to t' 3 ethnic group whose physical characteristics he has, by accurate measurements and tests, set about to determine. Being eligible for this catalogue, the Writer yesterday presented himself at the laboratory and volunteered as a subject for measurement and examina tion. The process entailed no discom fort or inconvenience whatsoever. On the contrary, it proved most interest ing, and as a generous return Dr. l:dlicka consented to .be interviewed briefly. upon this work and its related phases. - A Fascinating Study His specialty the revelation of our selves to ourselves is certainly the -most fascinating study that can enter the ken of the savant. And his labora tory is probably the most interesting of the many scientific workshops main tained by the Federal Government. It is equipped with every standard instru ment of precision needed for the meaa- ' urement of living man his head, his body, his functions. Although born in Bohemia, of which fact he Is modestly proud. Dr. Hrdllcka has been In the United States since his childhood and has been engaged in state or Federal Government service since his majority. After receiving his collegiate education in New York and his post graduate training in Paris, he entered. 20 years ago, upon an extensive series of anthropological studies, in the course of which he has investigated the races of man In Mongolia, Siberia, Egypt, Eu rope, North, Central and South America. For the last 11 years he has been in charge of the National Museum's 'di vision of physical anthropology. The "Thoroughbred Anertcan. "Of the many ethnic groups repre sented In the population of this coun try the least known to science is what we might term the 'thoroughbred' white American type," said Dr. Hrdllcka. "I Include in this all who are lineal de scendants of American stock for. at least three generations. This old and most important constituent of our pop ulation has never been studied exclu sively, although many haphazard and sometimes foolish theories concerning its physical status have been-advanced. Speculations on such a subject, having little foundation in well ascertained facts, can mean but little and may readily prove misleading. Thus, some persons, here and abroad, believe that this American stock is approaching the Indian physically. A much more plaus ible' and more widely shared opinion la that Americans are developing not only a new nationality, but a new uniform strain or type of the white race. . ."To thfe investigator the nrnhlem hr. : Jim xiss?v- 1 a . Ml ' ' m ji vfe W I 2My ussier ' W 7', fen, . ate Per. "'w ,y :-p . to"' . .... ; ' J 5 .: : V ... .. W V 4 - y ? V strong are tnese old Americans in num bers? What are the physical and phy siological changes, if any, that have been wrought in them by the American environment, by the more etrenuous thouirh the original data will nlwv h mode of life experienced here and by the mixture of the various elements of which they are composed? Do they tend toward a new subtype of the white race? What is the average for stature, available ..to those measured Preserves Types IB Plaster. . For the benefit of future generations an attempt to preserve the features of tne tnorougnDrea American of th prcs tu? cs r weight, head and chest dimensions, size ent day is being made by Dr. Hrdllcka of hand and foot, temperature, pulse rate, respiration and muscular strength? What is the prevailing color of their eyes and hair? Seta 'Age Limit. "In order to approach a definite an swer to these and other questions, and in order . to establish much-needed standards for future comparisons, I am personally making a series of scrupu lously careful tests and measurements of healthy adult white Americans, both of whose parents . and all ' of whose ' grandparents were natives of the United States. Those, examined are of both sexes and between 24 and 60 years of age. All. persons fulfilling these re quirements and not cripples or chronic invalids are earnestly invited to present themselves, when convenient, for ex amination. The study, to be of real value, must include at least 200 men and as many women, and it will be dif ficult to reach these numbers without the voluntary co-operation of many friends. . . - and fullbloods of both our Indian and negro types are being similarly treated. Each of these types the old white Americans, the Indians and the Amer- lean negroes will be represented at different life stages, in a series of life size plaster busts sculpturd from life -masks. Each series begins with two new-born infants a boy and girt Next are a boy and girl of 9 months, . and then follow a male and female of each of the following ages: 3, 6, 10, li. 20, 28, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, and others over, 100, if obtainable. Already the series include American and Indian women of 95, while among the negroes . there are two well authenticated cen tenarians, both women, one 103 and the . other 114. Dr. Wiley's Baby Heads Series. Under the doctor's directions, these busts are being made by Frank Micka. ' a talented sculptor. Those of the in- -f ants are the only models made full -length and not cast from life masks. The sculptor visits the homes of the in- The entire examination of each indi- fants' parents and models the little ones vidual requires but 15 or 20 minutes and calls for no greater exposure of the body than the removal of the shoes or excited. while height is being measured, or, in the case of women, the loosening of the hair while the dimensions of the head are being taken. None of the subjects' while they sleep or lie quietly awake. They are never in the least disturbed The American "thorough- wrinkle or vein, every mole, hair or eyebrow. The reproduction of each fea ture is so accurate that It needs no re touching whatsoever by the sculptor. It Is occasionally difficult to obtain a dig nified expression pleasing both to the subject and to others. The Modus Operaadl. In the studio the writer was shown tlie modus operandi of maklna- these r l.ter lifted off. a half at a lime. After a lifelike reproduction of Ihe face h Ih us been made In da, th model site for the head, neck and ahouldera, whoee accurate reproduction la aured br cartful meaiurenn n1. pevats.1 alttlnga are required befrre such a buat Is tat ("factory. I pon Ita baa la placed the nam, age and generatlnn record of th subject. "Th serlea of Indian boats has new been completed end that of th tiesroe Is wU under way, lr. Hrdllcka con tinued. "Kr the American aerie we atlll need a new-born lrl and a man of ... In this aeries It haa len difficult, with the mor aaxl. to secure normal aiihjerta In whom there lias ben He Intermixture nf foreign Mood nrr than the ureal -aranriparenta. In a fw more generation aurh sn undertaking would pmbahly b beyond hep en ft la th old American atork dlaanlvlnsr Into the new Amerlran nation. Thalr marrlane with white of foreign birth art steadily Increasing. "This la no leaa tru of our negroa and Indiana. I-efs then a fifth of Waah Inaton'e no.oo nearoea ra still b r garded as of pur blood. Type Feat IMiaparaHal. "More rapidly etlll la our Indian rsie, as known to the while pmneera, 1lap peering. Thl la du not a Inn to In creasing death rate and advancing In terbreeding with other lace, but al to great change In phalqwe, ttui.J by altered mode of llf and r ad vancing clvlllutlon. It la almoBt Impoe. albl now to find icimen of full blood Indian men and a omen of many types. k.vn wber blood remain rel atively cur th facial feature and expreaelona of ailulta aa well aa of cMl- bred" series begins with a life-size cast no less than 11VI pounds at birth,' and and Indian a cast of the face Is first of John Preston Wiley, the youngecthe cast shows a "buster" of a young- taken In plaster of Paris by a method baby boy of Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, the ster. which is as novel as it is ingenious. noted chemist and pure food champion. In the preparation of busts of adults From the inside of this cast of the face sents many Interesting sides- -. How .names will, of course, be published, al- This was a remarkable child, weighing irf the three groups American, negro is made a clay mold that shows every life masks and finished caats. Over the Jrrn underlining mtki rhangea. subjects shoulders is rirst placed a piece of calico which protects his cloth ing from the planter. Then his hair Is smoothed back and tied down with a bandeau, wnlrh proems leave his en tire foreliesd bare. To prevent Ita ad hering to the plaater, such hair aa will be exposed to the mask aa the eye brows, beard and that bordering the forehead Is gres'sed with soft soap. The entire skin of the face Is next cov ered with a thin oil and cotton is placed In each ear. Plaster mixed with certain Ingredl ' ents, determined by the special require Jnenla of each case. Is then applied gently upon the face, like cream. It Is first spread over the mouth, chin and 'jaw the moat movable parts of the face and as soon as it ha ao fr hard ened as not to be disturbed by the sub ject's swallowing or moving his Hp, the sculptor works hla plantar up to t'i top of the forehead, being always care ful to leave openings at theeyea and nostrils. The process ha been reduced to such a fin art that there I abso lutely no distortion of feature and th most nervous subject suffer no dla pleasurable sensations. The FlnlMBlna; Toartiei. After Ita removal th hardened muk is haired down the line or the none, le backed with a stout supporting bus. I filled Inside with modeling clny and I I'mler the Influent of clothing end or life within door th skin of our Indian I growing decidedly lighter. Their faces r growing fuller and lee expreanlve. their bodlee stouter end oftener furnilrsa. Th lithe, sirens, fleet, sharp-rut youna Indian of th past I now ldom aeen. ret among mountain trll.es who atlll lie thslr own life. Th Mm I Hue of th Im pressive, heavily wrinkled. rloua old Indian men. and of tl alrong. healthy Indian women. Within i ar cr. talnly wlthlu three or four generation our Indiana wilt liav aaeurried th feature and ih alocniiniy aitly uf the white man and partly of th civil ised Japktieae. Manchtirlsn and Korean. "To aav for posterity enduring rec ord uf all of then tlre Vanishing type th old American white, tl purn-blood ntirs nd th Indian full blood photograph ar Inpiiff If It nt, ml It I for thl reason that w r etrlng to repruduc them In ilaaler. No Similar systematic utulertuktng has aa et been niuda In any country nr by any Institution. "Th thre erlea of btieta Whe com pleted are to he exhibited at th rn-.mi-Cllfornl i:ooeHinn at Hsn Plegu, in 1 1 5. and will later .com the property of the permanent niw neiirn of thai city." U'M"J rulil.'Ull, Jh I Href W t'klnal