Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-08
The Ancient Races or America.


4 correspondent of the New York Herald,
accompanying the Hayden surveying party,
writes some interesting letters respecting the
remains Of ancient and extinct races found
in Utah and Arizona. Along tine valley Of
the San Juan river the party found remains
of dwellings in the rocks, sandstone towers
and outlines of extensive Notifications. The
writer thus describes one group Of ruins
The general shape of the group WAS a
semi-circle. running from the north around
through the west to the south of where they
commenced. The entire length was some
275 feet In the erection of their durable
structures no definite plan seemed to have
been followed by the architects, although,
for all we can tell, they may have had dis
tinct purpose in every popularity of design.
The outer walls of this fortress (for every
thing indicated that it had been used a.
such) stood on solid layer of rock, or series
of boulders, 100 feet above the creek, while
the walls of the interior Of the arc stood On
the level ground below, thus forming two
successive stories to the building, the higher
of which was undoubtedly approached from
the top of the lower by means of ladders.
The building stone was all roughly cut or
trimmed into rectangular and cubical blocks, |
and plastered together with the hands |
of the workmen. 1t is matter of |
certainty that in all or most of their |
house building these people employed |
no masons' or builders tools, for the prints !
of the fingers, knuckles, nails and whole
hands are distinctly impressed in the mud.
which is now as hard as the rocks which it
joins together. The very veins and finest
lines on the skin of the fingers are visible
everywhere on the edges of the mortar We
cannot imagine the amount of labor in cut
ting stone, carrying it from the hillsides and
building it into thousands OF cubic feet OF
wall that is represented in one such produc-
tion of those aucient people. Perhaps thou
sands OF hands were employed for many
years, although many things suggest the
idea of rspidity in the erection Of such
strongholds.
In one place among the ruins a skeleton,
evidently belonging to one Of the ancient
people of the land. was found. Upon high
bluff stood some ruins, underneath which, cn
the rocks. were etchings or picto rial inscrip-
tions. Near by were traces of cemetery
marked off into squares of about six feet by
stones set on edge in the soil. In many
places, always in the vicinity of rains, apart
ments. not large enough for habitation, were
discovered cut in the rocks. From every
appearance the surveyors concluded they
were designed for granaries or caches. One
was noticeable. The ruins were
eastellated in form, and usually found in
places difficult of access and little likely 10
attract attention, as if the inhabitants had
the design of battling the projects OF their
enemies
They were set on the almost perpendicu-
lar face of precipice, some six hundred
feet in height, about half way up. The
walls extended along for several hundred
feet in state of good preservation. resting
On a narrow shell or stratum Of sandstone
scarcely six feet wide The portion Of the
rocks above jutted over SO that approach
from that quarter was totally impossible,
while the vertical rock below presented no
more inviting means Of access. The only
way in which the inhabitants could have
reached their exalted abOdes was by the aid
IF ladder 300 feet long. From the very
character of the cliff, steps could not have
been used.
In one place on the San Juan we saw d
singular structure, built against the perpen-
iicnlar wall of cliff, like balcony, some
30 feet above the valley, with no root save
the overhanging shelf of the rocks above. In
the back Of this semi-circulsr enclosure were
several square holes which were designed for
cupboards The most interesting, and in
fact the only large, ruin We saw on the
south bank of the Rio San Juan was
situated in a large hemispherical cave,
several hundred feet in diameter. The build
ng was perched on narrow shelf around
the back of the cavern, half way up, occu-
pyiDg nearly half of the arc of the circum-
terence or 90 degrees. The rooms placed
side by side, give a total length of more
than 200 feet Near the right hand side, in
an open space between two rooms, were
four post holes, drilled into the stone
ledge or floor, about four inches IN
iiameter and foot deep. We took
them to be the holes in which the posts for
had been set, for we know that this
ancient people employed the art of weaving. |
In one of the largest rooms we found cir
,ular fireplace cut in the floor. which still
held the dust of charcoal and burnt bones. {
This was about eight inches deep and . I
eet in diameter. All of the interior plas-
.ering was so well preserved that in nearly
very portion could be traced the impres-
.ions of fingers, and in many places the in
ientations Of finger nails were quite distinct,
having been made by some idle mechanic as
ne or she lounge1 at work and amused him
'elf or herself by thrus,ing the fingers into
he fresh mud.
The state Of art among these ancient build !
~ WAS undoubtedly rude and primitive
There are numerous etchings on the smooth
-ocks. representing men and devils in many
autastic attitudes and with elssped hands ;
nut among all the rock drawings there i not
me representation Of horse, although goats
appear in nearly al of these ancient IN
,criptions This would seem to Indicate
hat the artists possessed goats, but knew
nothing of horses Among the attempts at
painting on the rocks is the picture of
globe, painted in red and yellow, two or
.hree feet in diameter.
The writer advances the opinion that
these rains have been standing 800 or 600
years.