Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-22
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
ARIZONA.


We are indebted to Governor Stafford
for a copy, in pamphlet, Of his tract
upon the history and resources of All
IONA. 1t was compiled by him and
printed in accordance with an Act of the
Legislature. We make the following e1-
tracts relating to certain Ancient Ruins
n that Territory:
Many portions Of the Territory are
covered with ruins, which prove conclu-
Sively it was once densely populated by
people far in advance, in point of civ
Liz alton, of most OF tho Indian tribes
There is no written record OF them, and
IT il only a matter Of conjecture who and
what they were. Occasionally desert
ed house is found sufficiently well pro-
served to ascertain the character of the
architecture. The walls of the Casa
Grende. situated on the ella, near San
ford, are still two stories above the
ground. In size the structure is about
:s01iu feet; the walls are thick and made
OF mud, which was evidently confined
and dried as it vas built. 1t Is divided
into many small rooms. and the parti-
lions are also made of mud. The floors
we're made by placing sticks close to-
gether and covering them with cement.
Around and near the Casa Grande, are
The ruins OF many other buildings, but
by the lapse of time the decay of vegs-
taticn has formed earth and nearly COW
cred them, and all that now marks the
place where once stately mansion stood
IS the elevation of the ground. Near the
Ancha mountains are ruins not so extern
siye. but In far better preservation than
the Casa Grande, and near these ruins !
are old arastras, for the reduction of !
silver ores. which indicate that this old |
people were not unmindiui of tbs loot of |
81 evil. On the Verde river are i'm |
mense rooms dug in from the sides of |
high, perpendicular sandstone banks,
that can only be reached with ladders.
Very little information is obtained by
excavatinS these ruins. Pottery of an
excellent quality, and ornamented with
paint, Is found everywhere, and occa-
sionally stone axe is unsarthed, but |
nothing to indicate that they were a
varlike people; on the contrary, scarcely
an implement of defense can he found, |
though there are reasons to believe from |
the numerous look-outs or places for OBJ |
servation to be seen on tho tops of hills |
and mountains, and the construction of |
their houses, that they had enemies and |
that they were constantly on the alert to /
avoid surprise; and also. that BY the
hands of these enemies they persisted.
II is not improbable that the Apaches
we're the enemies who caused their de-
Indeed. the Apaches have
hsk &C. H. I
past year opened an Old ruin at Pus-
bio fiejo, on the upper ella, and found
the bones of several human beings with
N; also the bones of a number of do
nestle animals. On the fire, an ola
tcrocksry ware vessel was found with
the bones of fowl in it, and it appeared
a. though the people within had resist
cd an attack from an enemy, and had
finally been murdered. Shortly after,
visited q ruin in Chino valley, twenty
miles north of Prescott. and over three
hundred miles from Pueblo Vieio, and
there found that Mr. Banshart had
opened ruin on his farm. In it he
found the bones of several human beings
Ave adults and some children, and the
evidences were unristakable that the
inmates had died by violence, al the
door and window had been walled IN
With stone, evidently to resist hostile
foe. The subject is an interesting one.
and it is to be hoped that further exca-
vations NAV throw more light upon the
subject. The ruins Of towns. farms and
canals that ere to be seen on
every hand over this vast t-rritorv, give
Lb1ndsnt proof that this country was
oncs densely inhabited. AMI that the
pc eple who lived here maintained them
selves by cul.ivating the soil Probably
that is about ali We shall eyer know OF
hem Many hieroSlrphics are 10 be
seen on rocks in different portions of the
Territory, but by whom made, or what
hey mean, no one knows.
In exczTating a well between Tucson
md the CHA, at the depth of ono hun
lred and fifty feet, pottery and other ar
iclss, the same IS are found in The Vi
Unity Of ruins, were taken out.