The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-23

/. we heard il at dFst ak the dawn Of day.
And it mingled with natin chimes,
But years have disfanced the beautiful lay.
And its melody noweth from far away
And we cali it. now. Old Times.
AMERICAN TROYs.
discovery of the Ruins OF Burned ans
Buried Cities i'm Arizona.
[From the Alta California
The ruins of the ancient cities o
SoHthern Arizona, says the writer. arr
! just now attracting considerable at
tention. Until recently the only in
formation that has come to the sur
4 face has been that obtained from ad.
VentHrers. who, while passing through
i that section in search of gold, have
i jotted down that which forced itsell
upon their vision during their hasty
transit. Many of these stories have
contained such marvellous statements
that they have been cast aside as clev.
erly written pieces of fiction, as the
writers were unknown. The murder
Ous Apaches are gradually giving
away before the advance of ciViliZa-
tion; /; are being hurled back into their
mountain retreats /; into eternity and
on to reservations by General Crook
and his soldiers, and that most Won-
ideFfuI country is soon to teem with
the life and industry of white men.
Arizona is known to be one of the
richest mineral-bearing countries in
the world, and her valleys contain a
remarkably productive soil, under the
influence of Irrigation.
1 IN r,rr, 1rroNr
VALLEY.
Mr.. j. A. Parker, Superintendent
of the Montezuma Canal Company,
whose works are located in Pueblo
| Yiejo Valley, Arizona, has arrived in
the city, and from him we have OBJ
tanned fund OF Information relative
to that country. The Pueblo Viejo
Valley lies south of and bordering on
the Gila River, and between it and
the Graham range of mountains. It
is about 400 miles east of Yuma, 30
miles north of Camp Grant, and I6
miles west. of the New Mexico line.
This valley is about go miles long and
averages four miles in width, and con-
tains as fine agricultural and grazing
land as can be found any where.
About a year ago four companies
commenced the construction of irri-
cation canals at this point, and have
now completed from three to six
miles each of their works.
CHAIN OF CITIES IN RUIN.
In this beautiful and fertile valley
is q chain of well marked ruins of an
cient cities located about mile apart,
In some places the walls of the houses
still show above the surface, aud at
others the rolling mounds from ten to
forty feet in height. covered with
earth aud vegetables, shows that ages
must have passed since they were laid
PROSTATE. Mr.. Parker, who is a man
possessed of an inqniring turn of
mind, and is backed by literary attain
ments of a high order, has devoted
most of his spare time during the last
year in researches among these ancient
ruins. The walls are composed of
rough stone laid in mortar, ExcaVa-
tions within their limits indicate that
all the cities were destroyed by fire.
Among the debris are found pottery
household utensils and human bones
but as yet no Warlike implements have
been brought TO light. The human
bones show unmistakable evidence of
having been burned, and crumble to
pieces upon being handled. Several
ollas (prononncedso-y -yahs)--jug-shaped
earthen vessels, now used by the In
dians tor holding water-Were found
which contained ashes, small frag-
ments of human bones and pieces of
charcoal, which would indicate that
cremation was practiced by that ex-
tinct people. Axes, hammers aud
sledges of various sizes and shapes,
and made from stone, which Is much
heavier and harder than any known
of. have been brought TO light. One
of these axes found by Mr.. Parker
was tested by him. He cut a rod of
iron in two with it, and no percepti-
ton. This relic has been sent to the
Worlds Fair for exhibition,
ANCIENT POTTERY AND RARE STONES.
Mr.. Parker has quite an extensive
collection or species of pottery, which
he dug out of the ruins. He brought
with him to the city several specimens
which he has presented to the Alta.
The vessels were evidently made of
clay, which is now of dark gray
color, and as hard as a stone. The
surfaces are nicely glazed and covered
with ines and characters of different
color from the work. One piece has
black surface, covered with yellow,
irregular lines and surrounded by
similar colored border of wedge-shape
characters. Another piece is covered
with white and black figures, the
lines being more regular than in the
other piece, and containing on its sur
face what is known among printers as
q "Roman border, outside of which
are serrated rows of black and striped
lines, the whole being surrounded by
circular lines of white and black.
Among the collections before US is
a white, transparent stone, which
looks as if it had bubbled out of a
seething mass of the same material.
Ii is flinty in character and will cut
glass. There are three smaller stones
of the same variety, each containing
q crimson hue, the smaller being quite
red and brilliant. Besides these there
are two pebbles of ebony hue, exter-
naIly, but which, upon being held up
TO the light, are perfectly transparent.
One of them has been broken in two,
and the surface presented is as smooth
and brilliant as that of polished
crystal. # 2 A
LARGE CANAL AND RESERVOIR.
A careful examination shows that
there is a large canal extending from
the Gila River to the eastern end of
the valley, down through these an
eient cities, in each of which is found
large, triangular-shaped reservoir,
and containing from three to five
acres. These reservoirs have been re-
ported by parties who have made but
casual examination Of them as the
q A