davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1875-08-21

Of some ancient abode but observed well marked
walls or foundations. Our camp was made about
five miles east OF Ute Mountain and the same
distance north Of Aztec Springs, Water was
pointed out to us by Indian camping
in the vicinity, in pockets along side gulch OF
one of the canyons The water was warm strongly
alkaline and exceedingly disagreeable but it was all
that was DO had To cap the climax the small tanks
exhausted by the first three four mules and for
a while things looked unpromising indeed. But finally
an old Indian volunteered to take us a spot near
their camp whore stock could be watered on the
payment Of certain articles The mules drank until
they boated like frogs, but the water seemed TO
produce thirst instead of quenching it,
AZTEC SPRINGS.
The next afternoon three Of us rode over to Aztec
Springs to examine the ruins which exist there We
found these be very extensive covering an area ap
proxImately, of GOO by 500 feet We could trace the
foundations OF hundreds Of buildings in the debris and
ridges Of crumbng rock but in all this number the
walls Of but structures remained in any state Of
preservation We found the rock out OF which they
were built to be mostly calcareous sand
stone which had been taken from the
blun few miles the valley and 1000 feet high
which was literally full OF fossils baccultos, many spe-
cios of shells, bivayes univaves &c. beautifully and
perfectly weathered out many Of the former measuring
eight inches in diameter. We found only the north
walls Of the two buildings standing that of the nrst or
western measuring eleven feet its greatest height
and the other eight and half The stones had been cut
into rectangular blocks averaging foot length four
TO six inches in thickness and half foot
in breadth, evenly Clipped on the faces and
cementcd together by a light yellow clay
The edges OF the and the mortar had been worn
of for many centures-how many, who can ton2 The
plan Of the western enclosure was paraLclogram con-
tanning twenty rooms nearly we could deter
mine from the faint vestgcs OF walls which remained
Along the north and south sides were eight small rooms
each eight by fourteen feet with the exception Of the
rooms which eight feet square AT the east
and wes ends we're Two rooms eight by thirty Eve
The New York herald., 1875-08-21

expected, among them some women and next spring
quite colony will be started. Our camp on this river
infested with human in the shape of Ind-
ans These miserable beggars call to ones memory the
ludicrousy romantic representations Of the noble red
to be in front of cigar stores oil ones mind
with the absurdty Of such localities historical self
sacrificing Pocahontas the beautiful heroine Of
Cooper il, however, such characters existed,
save in the imaginings of love-lorn brains.
Oh We shades OF noble forcathers, how might ye
blush could ye but witness the degradation Of your pos
terty Our souls refuse to alot in singing the
praises of Pocahontas bedaubed with paint and soil Of
long accumulatons, clothed in hthy, greasy rags OF
buckskn, with distorted features, matted hair, un-
washed skin and spshod feet Our heroine refuses to
stir romantic blood when she turns ner
hideous, brazcn face upon US to beg piece
Of bread, and uncousoiously wonder "coud
things havo ever boen different in the
days Of grandGlthers?" In describing the ruins
which about to visit in travels and in giving
in detail the results Of investigations into the
manners modes Of living, building burial &c, and the
reconstruction Of the implements of these obscure
races it will be impossible present the facts in any
methodcal manner therefore they will be given the
order in which they u.s. that these accounts
will appear Of the nature OF narrative
than scientific classification. Thus will
be possible TO complete letters periodically and will
not DO necessary TO wait until have collected all
information to complete proof or to obtain sum
cent material to establish some fact yet in doubt. BY
this plan many adventures experiences and descriptions
Of objects foreign to this subject may be nterpersed
which may not be wholly irrelevant
THE LAND or ruR YUTrA CACTUS.
Instead Of passing down the Canyon of the Mancos
which abounds in raitesnakes and interesting ruins,
took us in southwestcrly direction, over
well worn Indian trail The country here
undulating and open, forming valleys between the
Of mesas which stretched away for miles on either
side And now the characteristics of the country
change again. but very abruptly Water ceases to exist
saye in stale pools NJ long distances apart: the luxnr
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
AZTEC RUINS.
The Land Of Prehis-
torical Obscurity.
A VISIT TO THE AZTEC SPRINGS.
Description Of an Ancient
Semi-CiViliZa ton.
IL CAMP, FIVE MILES EAST OF UTE MOUNTAIN,

In CAMP, FIVE MILES EAST UTE MOUNTAIN
SOUTHWEST COLORADO July 80, 1875.
By examining map OF Southwestern Colorado Col-
toms is complete and correct any yet pubshed it
will be that the three northwestern tributaries OF
the San Juan-the Animas La Plata and Mancos-
flow in generally parallel direction Although the three
are separated by but fifteen twenty miles,
the La Plata is elevated 1900 feet above
Anmas and about l. 200 above the Mancos. The differ
in the climate Of the La Plata and the Mancos is
quite perceptble although only fifteen miles apart at
the points where crossed them Along the banks Of
the latter vegetation grows even luxurianty and
in the sander districts the hardy sage brush GueiSd
su1uses its aroma through the air Humming birds fit
around in myriads and build in the low,
bushy willows which mark the OF
streams On the La Plata discovered five of these
beautiful little nests each with its two tiny white eggs,
and the Mancos they appeared even more abundant
The nest is invariably built willow twig, not
than four feet from the ground, and the little proprietor
viii remain upon it until approaches within foot
OF her. There is cabin already on the Mancos
the property of John Merritt, who has a good
garden and a promising farm in this fertile valley.
In few weeks several more immigrants are
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
FIRE DEPARTMENT.

special meeting OF the Board OF Fire Commissioners
held yesterday morning, when the following ap.
pontments, transfers and promotions were made-
APPOINTMENTS w. H. Rush, as fireman of Engine No.
81 John Fitzpatrick, fireman Of Engine No. Ia G. b.
Jones, as ladderman OF Hook and Ladder Company No
IL Edward Hesmann, assistant engineer Of Engine
No 43.
TRANSFERS Assistant Foreman Robert Omstead,
from Engine No to Engine No. 81; Assistant Engineer
OF Steamer James Delaney from Engine No S3 to Engine
No. 4; Engineer Of Steamer owen Mckinney from
Engine No 40 to Engine No 81 Engineer of
Steamer John Howe from engine No. "a TO
Engine No. 40; Fireman John AcDervitt, from
Engine No. TO 10 Engine No. /; Fireman W. j. Colby,
from Engine No. 1 to Engine No. 23; Fireman John
Powers, from Engine No. ii 10 Engine No Is, Fireman
James McManus from Engine No 10 to Engine No. IL (;
Fireman James X, Harway, from Hook and Ladder
No 8 to Engine No 80; Engineer A. McKeever, from
Engine No. 90 10 Hook and Ladder No s.
PROMOTED Assistant Foreman j. j. Eagan TO be
foreman of Engine No. %; Fireman James r. Taylor
to be assistant engineer of Engine No. 23 Fireman
Hugh Burns TO be assistant engineer of steamer Engine
No 49,
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
STARTLING STABBING AFFRAY.

A MAN SLAsHED BY AN ALLEGED PARAMoUR.
AT early hour yesterday morning the vicinity Of
Cedar street and Hackensack Plank Road was the scene
of afrighting combat between Jacob Bosse and
Caharine Giger They emerged from liquor shop at the
corner OF Cedar street shortly before three O'Clock and
startled the neighborhood with voeys of oaths and
curses. quarrel between them and they had
not gone far when the woman drew forth a knife
and plunged 1t into his right shoulder
nhicting wound nearly two inches in
depth. He Immediately screamed out, 'My God I'm
stabbed" These words were heard by Justice Gerlich
who jumped from bis bed and hurried into the street
On his approach the woman threw the weapon into a
pool of water and ran away. Chase was given by the
Justice and Constable Kohl, who caught her and had
her as well as the wounded man, locked UP all night
Medical aid was rendered 70 Bosse and his injuries we're
pronounced not TO be fatal They sentenced for
term Of thirty days each and after that period Mrs
Giger will be held 10 bail TO await the action Of the
Grand Jury The woman IS said TO be rival Of Mrs
AVssa Hha Is in A lunatie aSlIum Al pTeGenL
The New York herald., 1875-08-21

OF the river bottoms is replaced by sand and ser
ity the heat Of the plains Is intense and nothing
survive but tho so-called horned toad,
which seems 10 subsist the heated air We
entering the land OF the yucca cactus sage brush
and rattlesnake. At every short distance We pass
around cross through a deep aroya or dry bed of
what once turbulent stream, made long ago by
violent foods which have now ceased To rage Many
Of these thirty feet deep and their vertical sides are
much apart and they wind and twist and creep under
natural rock arches through the surface Of the land for
miles and miles
ANCIENT sEMT-cIvILIzATIoN.
The FIRST evidences of ancient semi iciyilization
which noticed few fragments Of pottery,
weather stained and decayng which lay along the sides
OF the traiT increasing however, in abundance We
advanced In certain places however, there seemed TO
be greater abundance OF it. and upon examination It
discovered that fakes and chips Of flint, quartz,
agate and jasper were numerous among which debris
found some arrowheads In various stages OF per-
fecton. These were undoubtedly the arrow works of
the ancient Ute Indians, tribe who vanquished the
orginators OF these ruins and about whom more will
be said hereafter. Scattered along the plains
sionaly we found more stone heads and presently
passed what had evidently been many centuries ago
burial ground Single graves were marked by Of
fiat sandstone slabs up ON edge and crumbng be-
meath the covering of dry chens The jagged tops
up from two 10 six inches above the surface and
the enclosure about six feet square Further
large collection OF tombs numbered by scores and
perfectly defined, many lying side by side with row OF
adjoining stones at their heads another at their feet
In spot aroya had section through one of
these graves and exposed the interior It was much
worn and wasted by the elements, but we could dis
tncty trace the general shape of the tomb,
and at the bottom some six feet from the
surface discovered heaps OF pottery decomposed by
posure For twenty Eve miles pushed on through a
broing sun without finding drop of water Occasion
ally we passed small mounds Of earth, covered with
slabs of rock and fagmentary pottery marking the site
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
DISHONEST DRAYMAN.

Thomas McMurray, drayman was arrested by the
Sheriff on Thursday and committed to Ludlow Street
Jail lie was in the employment Of Powers Greacen,
boot and shoe dealers No Sc Warren street. He is
charged with forging orders Of receipts for goods pur
porting to be forwarded different express railroad and
steamship companies ON these receipts would appear
that certain goods had arrived for the 6rm which
freight charges should be paid. The cashier of Powers
Greacen handed those charges TO McMurray at differ.
ems times and it IS stated the drayman pocketed the
money which, IL is said amounted TO nearly g. 600 An
order Of arrest granted out OF the Supreme Court
aud McMurray was held TO bail in the sum Of 81 600
The prisoner, according TO statement made yesterday
to the ShcTins official, VIII refund tho embezzeC
money after which all civil proceedings viii be dscon
nnued
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
FIRE IN BROADWAY.

fire broke ont at an early hour yesterday morning
In the basement Of No. jS5 Broadway, occupied by
Oswald Gieh as barber shop. The damage done TO
stock and fixtures is set down at $500 The first floor
Of the building occupied by f. a. Butler as a mutt
store was injured to the amount Of $50 The bre was
caused by heater the barber shop becoming over
heated All parties are fully insured.
The New York herald., 1875-08-21
FIREMEN'S PAY.

The Mayor yesterday morning signed the warrants for
the pay Of the remen for the month Of June and II is
understood that the department will receive their money
10
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02

tween here and Madrid Bend are sub
merged; also from there to Hickman.
Corn crops seem to be damaged in every
direction. The rain storm of yesterday
evening was very heavy and damaging
up the river. July is usually one of the
dryest months of the year, yet at Evans
vile the rain fall was sixteen inches in
twenty-nine days. The Ohio is within
about eight feet Of the high water mark
of 1882, which means that the river is
clear out of its banks. Great dam
age has been done the corn crops along
that river and most of its tributaries
Wheat and tobacco are likewise injured
to a great extent. Some Of the farmers
predict a famine in that country. Thou
sands of acres of each of these crops
are hopelessly ruined. The planters
below Memphis have been busy erecting
such defenses as they could against an
overflow. Many places favSrably stu
ated will, no doubt, thus be saved, let
come what may. The recent heavy
foods in the vicinity of Cincinnati and
St. Louis have damaged railroads so that
no trains are running out of either city.
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02
pArR1nr1n ExPREssIoNs.

The survivors Of the Fourth and Sew
enth Confederate regiments had a re-
union at Lebanon last Wednesday.
General w. B. Bate was invited to at
tend, but being unable to comply, wrote
a characteristic and patriotic letter,
which we find published in the Lebanon
Herald. He said;
Though absent in person myheart will
be with you. highly appreciate such
reunions as a means Of exciting our love
for our country, of impressing its history
upon us and those who are to come after
us; of treasuring up many choice bits OF
personal, camp and battle incidents,
which will never be written, and OF let
ting the world know that Confederate
soldiers, though o~utnumbered and con-
quered in the late interstate struggle,
do not feel dishonored by their defeat
after such a noble and chivalrous effort
Nor do they (ex-Coniederste soldiers)
yield precedence to any in love Of eoun,
try and in the high hopes of its continued
glory and greatness.
Having c accepted those terms i'm
posed BY the a~rbitrament Of the sword,
they would forfeit that honor which is
dearer than life to the true soldier were
they to act otherwise than in the best of
faith. Our honor as soldiers and integ-
rity as men were nearly all that was left
us in the midst of our defeat; and it
should be the pride, as it is the duty, of
each Of us to preserve them u~ntarnished.
1t is a source of the highest gratifca-
ton for me to know that the ex-Confed-
crate soldiers, as a class, are making the
best of citizens, and that they sustain
their representative men in their pa
triotic efforts to rebuild our broken
affairs, to heal the wounds and close the
gaps made by relentless war. With all
our sorrows and misfortunes, however,
consequent upon the late terrible strug-
gle, we have not, at any time, lost sight
of the fact that this is our country, and
the only one in which we have a special
interest; that its glory is our glory; its
shame our shame; and that it is both
patriotic and manly for US to vie with
our late adversaries, in a generous way,
in elevating strengthening and ~ennobling
~
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02
Monday.
~BTsmarck,a sons.

The two Bismarck boys are, perhaps,
the most vicious of their kind, and yet
in the towns where they have played
their most scandslous pranks, they are
spoken of with a sort of admiring awe.
Count Herbert, who has been in during
hrs winter mission, has introduced more
than Prussian diplomacy into the by 20
means grateful BaYarian court. There
is no end 10 the scandals circulated con
corning that young gentleman, the hun.
dredth, part of which would serve to
Danish him from self-respecting com
munities in any other country. His
younger brother, Count John, is too
young to conceal his excuses, and too
blunt, ever if he were not. Hell Of the
impression that his father holds Ger
many in fee simple, and if that doesn't
give him the right to do as he p%leases,
what CAM So he does as he p%leases,
and he pleases to do exactly what the
world in general holds to be low and
very debasing. His haunts are more
notorious for democratic vi%ciousness
than aristocratic seclusicn. His habit
udl obdlc 10 uOl Olt W IESOulucuu ulm
to polite attention, and if the face is,
as Mr.. Beecher searchingly says in
some Of his characteristic analysis, an
index of mans ruling passions, Count
John would be about the person to bring
on a Brooklyn witness stand. Herbert
is rather ~ine-looking as his race 60, but
John is dump, blesr of eye, scorbutic of
visage and coarse of manner generally.
The pair give the prince, their father,
~unceasing anxiety, not only for their
notorious proaigacy, butfor the difficulty
he finds in keeping them on terms with
their army and diplomatic associates.
He has been striving to marry Count
Herbert to a pretty Countess of the
Protestant party, but / am told the father
refuses. The consent Of the lady is
never asked in affairs Of this kind
Berlin Letter.
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02
River NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

CINCINNATI, August River 80 feet
6 inches and rising 2 inches per hour.
A heavy rain fell this afternoon and it is
raining tonight.
LOUISVILLE, August 1.-The river is
again rising, with l6 feet 6 inches in the
canal and ID feet 6 inches in Indian
Chute.
EVANSVILLE, August CLOUDY; driz-
cling rain ell day; mercury 7S to Go and
descending. The river is falling, with
81 feet on the gauge. Arrivals, down
James Gilmore and tow, 4 am; Simp-
son Horner, and tow, $50; j. A. Wood
and tow, IL; Ceal City and tow, IL.
ST. LOUIS, August 1.-The river has
risen 3 feet since last night and is swell
ing at the rate of 2 inches per hour.
Accounts from the Missouri, upper Mis-
sissippi, and Illinois, as well as other
smaller streams, are to the effect that
they are all rising, aud the prospects are
that the river here will be as high or
higher than at any previous time this
season within a day or two.
Monday.
CINCINNATI, August 2-The river is
rising at the rate of two inches an hour.
Weather cloudy and damp.
CAIRO, August ARRIVED - Grand
Tower. Memphis, IL pm; Fannie Tatum,
st. Louis, IL; Greyhound, Ohio river, 8
am; Alice Brown, Pittsburg, 9; Simp-
son Horner, Pittsburg, IL. Departed
Fannie Tstum, Pittsburg, II pm. Grand
Tower, st. Louis, midnight; Greyhound,
St; Francis river, 3 am; Alice Brown,
St. Louis, 10; Simpson Horner, New Or
leans, IL. Weather cloudy and cool.
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02
THE RIVER.

We have no good news to report of the
river. The rise at St. Louis was three
feet in twenty-iour hours up to last even
ing, and is rising this morning at the rate
of two incher per hour. The Ohio is up
booming, rising at Cincinnati at the rate
Of two inches per hour. Nearly all the
smaller rivers above are rising and none
of them falling. The best posted river
men and planters here predict a rise at
this point Of at least eight inches if not
more. Since yesterday the river here
has gone up over mt inch. The fall at
Cairo reported two or three days ago has
never been seen at this point. It was
overtaken above by a swift rise. The
outlook is anything but encouraging.
The heavy rains Of the last four days in
the Ohio valley and adjacent territory
put an entire change on the face of al.
fairs along the banks Of the Mississippi
from Cairo to the Gulf. We are only
sixteen inches below the rise Of
last spring, and an overflow is imminent
AdviceC this morning indicate a rise in
the upper Missouri and Mississippi and
their tributaries. The Wabash has over.
flowed its rich bottoms; the bottom
lands from Evansville down are over.
flowed. Captain Crane, Of the Belle
Memphis, says several plantations be
Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-02
Rrnin Of Nan and Ana

Professor Owen is quoted as saving.
before the Anthropological Society Of
London that, as the brain of mar is
more complex in its organization than
the brain Of inferior animals, it ia more
subject to injury, and more liable to ex.
perienee the want Of perfect develop
ment; that cases Of idiocy occur among
all races Of mankind, and that extreme
smallness Of the skull indicates want of
intellect approaching to idiocy. Allud.
ing to the attempts that have been made
to find a link of connection between
man and apes, he remarked that it was
possible that an idiot with an imperfeetly
developed brain might wander into some
cave and there die, and in two or three
hundred years his bones might be GOV.
cred with mud, or be imbedded In sta.
lagmite, and when discovered suob \
skull might be adduced as affording the
looked-for link connecting man with the
inferior animals. He expresses the
opinion that the difference in question
is altogether too wide to be bridged over
the skull Of any creature yet discovered,