Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-12-04
ozEMAN eA-LATN COUNTY, NJ T, FRIDAY, a.

M. T, FF
z square mile, and out in the plain anothe
small village. indicated by coilsulion o
knoiis. Scarcely anything now but whit,
sage grows thereabouts, bal there is to bcliev,
that In those old times it vas under careful
cultivation.
Our next days march was westerly, leaving
the mesa bluffs on our right gradually be-
i-h:nd The road was ansin.eresting one in
tellcctua!ly, bnt not all go physicaily-dry
not, dusty, long and wearisome. We passed
number of quite perfect houses high up on
rocky b'uffs, and many other remains. One,
remember. occupied the whole apex of q
great conical bowlder, as big rs two Da,cl
barns, that ages ago had been detached from
IFS mother mountain and rolled out i,ip The
Va ley. Another worth mention was round
tower. beautifully laid up. which surmoun,ed
an immense bOwlder that had somehow relied
to the very verge of lofty cliff overlooking
the whole valley. This was a watch t0::cc,
and we were told that almost all the high
points were occupied by such sentinel boxes
From it dccply>worn, devious trail led up
over the edge of the mesa, by following which
we should no doubt have found " hole town
But .his was only reconnaissance. and We
could not row stop to follow ou: all iniica
tiors.
THE VALLEY OF DEATH.
Time was short, and We must gallop on to
where tradition tells us the last great battle
was fought, the last stand made against the
invaders, into whose rude grasp they must
surrender their homes. Towards night we
reached it The bluffs at ou. right hand sunk
into low banks of solid red sandstone, white
at the base; on the left frowned tall rock :.
buttcs; and the barren hills slopcd away to
the south behind them. Ahead, the valley
closed INTO canon, and where we stand off
10 the right the surface is a succession of low
domes Of bare sandstone, worn into guile $
and chiseled into pot holes by ancient rivers
ana modern rains, devoid of soil supporting
only Il few stunted ccda:s rooted in tie Gran
nies, b:eached and ghastly, and garish under
the September sun. Brilliant cliffs, wicrdly
carved by Titans, ranged themselves behind;
tand right in the fore ground, thrust up
through the very centre of one OF, these sand
stone tiomes, stood . ragged christone-a vol
canic dikc-thin, shattered and comb>l!Se. 1t
was scene of despair and desolation, en-
hancel rather than softened and humanizeI
ty the two great stone towers that stood ne II
by, and the fragments of heavy walls that
.onc e defended every approach to the hsbi's.;
tions about the chrlstODe. Climbing carefully
to the top Of the dixie. mapping oat the plan
of the ancient Notifications, listening to the
fearful conclusion of stone hurlcl from the
top, feeling how absolutely safe garrison
would be there SO long rs they could hold out
ssa!ns! hunger and thirst, it required but
ley OF death, whose broad slopes of white
sandstone were onos crinsOned and rc>cr:m
soned with human blood.
TRADITION OF TIE VALLEY
The story is this: Formerly the aborigines
Inhabited all this country we had been over
a. far west as tha head waters of the San
Juan, as far north as the Rio Dolores, west
some distance into Utah, and south and south.
west throughout Arizona and on dowI into
Mexico. They had lived there from time inl-
memorial-since the earth was c small island,
which augmented as its inhabitants multi>
Piled. They cultivated the valley, fashioned
whatever utensils and tools they needed very
neatly and handsomely out of clay and wood
and stone, not knowing any Of the usef1l
metals. built their homes and kept their toek'
and nerds in the fertile river bottoms, and
worshipped the sun. They were an enihently
peaceful and prosperous people, living by
q agriculture rather than by the chase. About
q thousand years ago, however, they We're
visited by savage strangers from the north,
whom they treated hospitably. SJoa thcs.
visits became more frequent and annoying
Then their Troublesome neighbors-.ncestors
of the present Utes began to forage upon
them, AMI ut last to massacre them ana devas'
tate their arms; SO, to save their lives al
least, they built houses high upon the cliffs,
where they could store food and hide away
until the raiders left. But one summer the
raiders did not 60 back to their mountains as
tue people expected, but brought their fame
lilies with them and desired to settle down.
So dr,yen from their homes ana lands, starv-
ing in their little inches on the high cliffs,
they could Only steal away during the night.
and wander across the cherries upands. To
one who has Travelled these steppes, such
flight seems terrible. and the mind hcsitates
to picture the sufferings of the sad fagitiyes.
At the christone they halted and probably
found friends, for the rocks and caves are full
of the nests of these human wrens and swal-
lows Here they collected. erected stone for
tifications and watch>tOwers, dug reservoirs
in the rocks to hold supply of water, which
in all cases is precariOus in this lltltude, aud
once more stood at bay. Their foes came,
and for one long month fought and were
beaten back, AID returned day aftcr Gay 70
the attack as merciless and inevitable as the
tide. Meanwhile the families Of the defenders
were cyacuating and moving south. and
braycly did thciz protectors shield them TILL
they were safely hundred miles away. The
hasiepers were beaten back and went away.
Rut the narrative tells US that the hollows OF
the rocks were filed to the brim with the
mingled blood of conqucrors and conquered,
and red veins of it ran down into the canon:
It was such victory as they could not afford
to gain again, and they were glad when the
long fight was over to follow their wives and
little ones to the south. There in the deserts
of Arizona, ON well nigh unapproachable
isolated bluffs, they built new towns, and
their few descendsnts-the Moquis live in
them to this day; preserving more carefully
and purely the history and veneration OF their
forefathcrs, than their skill or wisdom. 1t
was from one of their old: men that This ira
ditional sketch was obt lined.
This is but picture here ana there OF one
fortnight among these prehistoric RUNS Ten
times ss much might be said, but limits tors
bid. Suffice it to say that no item WILL be
forgotten or neglected that can throw any
light on this intensely interesting phase or
the aboriginal history Of our country, AMI no
oppOrtunity let slip to elucidate Iurtaer Inc
origin and character of these anuquiues:
A BIT OF FIGuRING.-A man who has hgs
ured it out says that if the surplus wneat OF
California. estimated ct 6OO,O tons' were
loaded in cars containing Ton eacn ana
started overland, the head OF me procession
would be entering Boston before the rear nad
left San Francisco. OF, II inc, wnest "ss
loaded into ships of 1000 tons eacn Woa!'a
take 600 and If these ships enouio sAlI 10
line within sight of e&ch otnel--1:y Menty
miles apart-they would extena oistsnce Q.
II. 600 miles, or one>halt the c'tco"'e'eneo
Of the globe.