Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-08-13

From the Chicago Tribune.
The campaign of Gen. Crock against TIC
Apaches last year opened to research tract
of land 1000 miles square. which is rich III
relics of our countr}'s unknown past. II
contains q chain OF ancicHt cities in ruins and
a cotcric of ancient towns still inhabited by i
race which holds itself a!oof from Indian.
and Mexican, and American. prides itself OF
its descent from the anc lent inhabitants Of the
country, and mairtains 4 religion and gov
crnment, both Of which are peculiar to itself.
We are indebted 70 Capt. W. {. Manning, OF
the regular army. for the facts in o,lr posses
sion concerning the newly discovered race.
Capt. Manning. who was with Gen. Crook
during the whole campaign, and was recon-
mended for promotion by the latter or aC-
count of gallantry in tie field. explored il
the intervals of fighting. lie visited the in
habited towns, talked with their rulers. and
informed himself concerning their customs.
The largest settlement is in New Mexico,
about thirty miles south Of the border line.
1t is type of the rest. \ strong wall sur
rounds it. Within arc houses 70: about 1000
people. The population has dwint!leu. how
ever, to about 1900 The place was men,
toned by Spanish Jesuit. who published. in
1929, description of his w..ldcrings III
America About 1885 another Jesuit wrote
a minute account of it. This account is true
in nearly every detail to-day. The language
resembles the Chinese So an ardent arch
9ologist, who visited the city year ago.
says. Some of the minor customs cores
pond to those Of the Chinese. The women
arc of the true Celestial type-almond eyes.
protuberant bodies. little feet. etc. They
dress their hair and themselves III Chinese
fashion. Their religion is barhsrous'y mag
nificcnt. Montezuma is their deity. His COM
ing is looked for at sunrise each day. I'm
mortality is part of their creed. The priests
havily embroidered robes, which have been
used for ,nnumbcred years. The ceremonies
of worship are formal and pompous.. The
morality of this strange people, so far 4:
least rs foreigners arc concerned, is ire
proach able 1t !: probable that they keep :.
record of events by means of tying peculiar
knots in long cords. This. if true. seems to
establish some kinship or remote acQuain-
tanceship between them and the AZtecs-
Their government is q conservative republic
Power is vested in 4 council of thirteen ca
cidues. SIX of them are selected for life.
Old mer are generally chosen. in order that
their terms of office may not be inordinately
long. Tho remaining seven are elected from
time to time. One of them is the executive.
Another is 4 sort of Vice President. There
is War Chief. Chief of Police. etc. These
seven caciqucs are generally young men.
They serve but 4 few months. Suffrage is
universal. II is scarcely necessary to supple
ment these facts with the statement that these.
dwellcrs III towns are quite far advanced in
civilization. On this point one fact speaks
volumes. Woman is not beast of burden
among them. as she is with all Indian tribes
She is held in high respect. Her tasks are
confined 10 those of housekeeping.
The written records which we have men
toned show that this isolated community has
maintained its traditions unhroken for at least
three and half centuries. Its history. care
fully studied, may prove clue to the problem.
of the aboriginal Americans The mound
builders Of the North and the City builders
OF the South may be represented in the town
G"tllcrS Of Arizona and New Mexico