Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-16
SOUTHERN ARIZONA.
The Ruins of Ancient Cities.
Fresh Discoveries-A Chain of
Burned and Buried Cities in
Pueblo Viejo valley-A
Mammoth Canal and
Immense Triangular
Reservoirs,
From the Alta California;

From the Alta California;
The ruins of the ancient cities 9
Southern Arizona are just now attract
ing considerable attention. Until re
Gently the only information that ha
come to the surface has been that oh
tanned from adventures, who Will
passing through that section in searcl
of gold, have iotted down that whicl
forced itself upon their vision durin,
their hasty transit. Many of thes
stories have contained such marvelou
statements that they have been cast asid
as cleverly written pieces of fiction, a:
the writers were unknown. The muir
dsrous Apaches are gradually givin.
way before the advance of civilization
are being hurled back into their noun
tain retreats; into eternity and on res
ervations by Gen. Crook and his sol
diers, and that most wonderful country
is soon to TEEN with the life and indus
try 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 sol
under the influence of irrigation.
IRRIGATION CANALS IN PUEBLO vIEJo
VALLEY.
Mr.. j. A. Parker, Superintendent ol
the Montezuma Canal Company, whose
works are located in Pueblo Viejo Val.
ley, Arizona, has arrived in this city
and from him we have obtained a fund
of information relative to that country
The Pueblo Viej0 Valley lies south ol
and bordering ON the Gila River, and
between it and the Graham range OF
mountains. 1t is about 400 miles east OF
Yuma, 30 miles north of Camp Grant,
and 16 miles west of the New Mexico
line. This valley is about 60 miles long
and averages 4 miles in width and con-
tains as fine agricultural and grazing
land as can be found anywhere. About
a year ago four companies commenced
the construction of irrigation canals at
this point, and have now completed
from three to six miles each of their
works.
A CHAIN OF CITIES IN RUINS.
In this beautiful and fertile valley is
a chain of well marked ruins of ancient
cities located about a mile apart. In
some places the walls Of the houses still
show above the surface, and at others
the rolling mounds, from 10 to 40 feet
in height, covered with earth and vege-
tatien, show that ages must have passed
since they were laid PROSTATE. Mr..
Parker, who is man possessed of an
inquiring mind, and is backed by liter
ary attainmsnts of high order, has
devoted most of his spare time during
the last year in researches among
these ancient rnins. The walls are
composed Of rough stones, laid IN NOR
tar. Excavations within their limits
indicate that all the cities were
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
Among the debris are found pottery,
utensils, and human bones
bu as yet no warlikc implements have
been brought to light. The human
bones show unmistakable evidences of
having been burned, and crumbled to
pieces upon being handled. Several
ollas pronounced o-yabs)-jug shaped
earthen vessels, now used by the In
dians for holding water-were found,
which contained ashes, small pieces of
human bones, and fragments Of char
coal, which wonld indicate that crema-
ton was practiced by that extinct peo-
pie. xes,hammsrs, and the sledges of
various sizes and shapes, aud made
from stone which is much heavies 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 perceptable effect was produced up
on the axe by the operation. This rel
ic has been sent to the Worlds Fair for
exhibition.
ANCIENT POTTERY AND RARE STONES.
Mr.. Parker has quite an extensive
collectiOnof pieces of pottery which he
dug out of these 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 stone. The surfaces are
nicely glazed and covered with lines
and characters of different colors from
the work. One piece has black sur
face covered with yellow, irregular
lines, and surrounded by a similar ooI-
pred border of wedge-shape6 characters.
Another piece Is covered with white
and black figures the lines being more
regular than in the other piece, and
on its surface what Is known
imeng printers as u "Roman border"
outside of which are serrated rows of
black and striped lines, the whole be-
ng surrounded by circular lines of
white and black.
Among the collection before us is a
white, transparent stone, which looks
Is if it had bubbled out from seething
mass of the same material. 1t is flinty
n character, and will cut glass. There
Ire three smaller stones of the same va
'iety, each containing crimson hue,
he smaller being quite red and brilliant. |
Besidse these there are two pebbles of
ebony hue, externally, but which, upon |
being held up 90 light are perfectly |
One of them has been
broken in two and tho surface present.
I'd is as smooth and brilliant as that of
. polished crystal.
A careful examination shows that
here is canal extending from the
ella River, at the eastern end of the
7alley, down through these ancient
cities, in each of which is found a large,
triangular shaped reservoir, and con-
aiming from three to five acres. These
reservoirs are reported by those who
have made but casual examination of
hem, as the ruins of old Notifications.
The edges OF the canal and reservoir
ire laid with stone, and are constructed
N very substantial manner. Some of
he reservoirs, which were six or eight
'set deep, cut in two by walls Of fmasen-