Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-10-06
The Hayden Exploring Expedition.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM ONE OF THE PARTY
EXPLORATIONS m Nco1oRADo--rHr WILD RRoross
AsD rHr RUINED STRUCTURES OF EXTINCT PEo-
PLeH. g.. r M
Letters received from Vim. H. jackson, the
well known photographer and adventurous ex-
plorer, who has for many years taken promi-
nent part in the Hayden explorations, represent
him at the close of his summer campaign and
now on his way from Denver to this city, where
his wife is at present visiting her relatives. His
stay here will probably be very short, as he will
as soon as possible return to the headquarters of
the Expedition in Washington. Mr.. Jackson's
last letter of September 18th was dated from
Bakers Park, in lower Colorado, a rendezvous TO
which he had just returned from an arduous ex-
pedition OF sixteen days aside from the route of
the main body, during which he had penetrated
some distance into New Mexico and the north
western part of Utah, travelling early and late
and constantly, and 30 passing over great
deal Of wild and
ALMOST ENTIRELY UNEMPLOYED REGION.
Various detachments under the command Of
competent leaders are thus sent out to explore
right and left of the main track Of the expedi-
uon, covering wide sweep OF country and con-
yerging again at a general rendezvous. Mr.
Jackson's route conducted him through Animas
Park, peculiarly beautiful and fertile tract of
Southwestern Colorado Of which he says:
''Thls lovely little valley is now in dispute be-
tween the Indians and the Whites, and as we
went in we met number of settlers coming out
who said they had been ordered of by the In
dians, who threatened to hang all that remained
A few days before they had burned couple OF
ranches with all their crops and said they were
going to do 30 with all. These settlers were
in fhn and nf tl.n
valley, and down below we
FOUND IT ALL DESERTED.
Fine crops had been put in and were Just matur-
ing with no hands to gather them. Seeing it was
such a pity they should go to waste we just
picked to suit ourselves, gathering nice green
corn, cucumbers. cabbages, in fact all the small
vegetables, and any quantity Of good watermel-
ons- We had high feast at camp that night.
Leaving Animas without any OF those little
episodes with the Indians OF which less seasoned
travellers would have found the apprehension q
serious drawback to the pleasures OF this happy
valley, the little party passed on to the La Plata
river and mountains, where they halted in min
ing camp Of fifteen or twenty Californians, "good
fellows ALL the writer emphatically calls them,
where MIR. Jackson remained two days busily
photographing the surrounding scenery. The
main object which he had in view in this expe-
dition was the discovery OF the
RUINS WHICH WERE SAID TO EXIST
in that region, relics of the ancient and now ex-
nct Aztec race In pursuit of this object he push
ed on further south, accompanied by the captain
OF the mining party who was well acquainted with
the whole region and the language Of tho Indian
tribes thereabouts, and another volunteer who
increased the number of the band to six. Before
leaving the territory, however they politely join
ed the camp in a little job Of voting which s
thus described
'The day we started was election day all over
the Territory for Delegate to Congress. We were
in new county which had Just been formed,
Rio Grande county, and these miners formed
themselves into precinct and opened polls.
and our party voted with the rest. The ballot
| box was an old yeast powder can with hole
punched III the lid and each man wrote hie
choice on bit of paper and slipped It in. When
the entire community had voted twenty-three
in all, man mounted a horse and
RODE TO DEL NoRTE.
| hundred and seventy-five miles, to have it Of
| cially counted
| After this characteristic instance of the voting
proclivities OF the true American citizen, the
explorers pursued their way southwark along
| the river Mauco. and it was on the hanks Of
| that stream that they found the first of the in
teresting ruins of which they were in search
| Mr.. Jackeon saws:
| "They were perched 30 high, and so similar in
| appearance to the cliffs OIL which they were
built, that it was difficult to discern them but
/ there they were, nicely built and compacty
hewn stone houses, built away up in the cliffs Of
| the canon 800 feet above the base, reminding III
more than anything else of swallows neste
| niehed i'll the crannies aud creyieeH Of preci.
| pice. But these houses were once the abode OF
a people well advanced in civilization, built at
they are on lodges of cliffs which require 9
stout and steady head to stand upon when once
| scaled. To reach them, carrying our nstru.
ments, we had to use long ropes, the most agile
climbing up first and then pulling up the 9TH
ers."
He does not give any extended description OF
THESE INTERESTING RUINS,
referring to the pictures taken Of them by the
aid OF his faithful camera as better than all de,
| tails in words. These will be printed in stereo.
| ccopic views and large photographs from Mr.
jackson 8 negatives in the course of the coming
| winter, and can be procured by the general pub
lie from Messrs. Anthony & Co., New York. Iii,
| for their preparation that the artist returns ear
lier than the rest of the survey, which will re-
| main atield for at least month longer.
| slAlr. Jackson has, however, in this last expedi
ton accomplished
MORE EXTENDED SURVEY
than in the much longer campaign of last wear
| In the sixteen days of this last ''sde trip b,
marched over $50 miles, obtaining forty negative
of some Of the most interesting scenes on ou
continent. The last day's Journey before reach
ing Baker Park was a forced march from dawl
to dark without mouthful of food. Interestin
as the explorations are, 1t is certain that the
lead over anything but beds of roses