The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-13
DISCOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS.
Remarkable Evidence Of Tenaciy Of
Life in a Mule.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE UTES.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PARrY.

to four I've hundred feet above tho canyon
bottom in most peculiar and unlikely places that II
IA only after the search aud the most careful
scrutiny that many OF them can be SEEN hidden away
in some secluded nook standing back in some out
ofthe-way cavern. This portion Of the Montezuma
affords the finest opportunities for building as on
each side Of tho for miles countless caves have
been ercded II the sandstone and such places are
found many or the most interesting smaller ruins.
Higher up the wall rock other hollows to which
double row OF shallow and weather worn inches lead
NJ tho ,ca chn These artificial steps have been 50
nearly obliterated o. the wear Of time that In
places they be scarcely distinguished
although enough still remain TO show what
they have BEEN Descending the canyon from near it's
source we fell into dina old Indian trail. which fol-
lowed the course of the dry bed OF the creek Soon
after the first cliff houses appeared commenced to
pass the fanes remains OF extremely old valley ruins
Nothing indicated the former existence Of buildings,
scarcely perceptible mounds or in some places
few small decayed fragments Of very ancient pottery.
These were without doubt the oldest ruins had yet
seen. Soon however, they began to appear in more
decided FORM Remnants of long walls stood up foot
or two from tho EARTH and lines of debris overgrown
by century's growth OF sage brush and crossword,
showed where once had stood mighty works Of
sonry In cave-house portion of a human skele-
whether it of the original ancient Moquis Of
the succeeding NavaJos or a skull of ancient Ute,
unable to determine.
Finding water in the canyon we were compelled
to make dry camp using for ourselves what water
had brought In bags and canteens from the Sierra
Abajo.
A SERIES OF RUINS
We stopped in the immediate vicinity OF most ex-
tensye series OF valley ruins. They exten1ea almost
unnterruptedly for several miles down the bottom of
he canyon, not in great structure, but in
sion Of large square buildings separated by small dis
lance Some OF the walls Of them sll standing to
a height Of five six feet, but the majority Of them
marked by ridges Of earth and stone overgrown
BY dense and ancient vegetation. Among these
unearthed part Of exceedingly old skeleton, but
nothing could be recognized except OF the human
leg and foot bones. Among these ruins we found also
several mstones entire and the grinders lying
close by. Morars and also picked up, all
showing traces OF great age. Some of the most per-
fecy preserved and best made pottery lay scattered
through the underbrush the mounds and the heads
Of arrows, with barbed points, plenty, show
ing that this had once the Of great battle
Below this immense colony the great sandstone rocks
along the sides Of the canyon showed well preserved
echings and deeply cut engravngs, and in place
massive boulder had slid down partially from its org
nal position the face Of engraved rock and
through assure could observe the figures cut many
feet above in the covered rock
7az 4acarrEcruRE.
Following down the canyon these valley remains
become numerous, extending uninterruptedly for
great distances An entirely different style Of archi
lecture seemed to have been adopted. Instead OF
building the walls in succession of horizontal layers
or small stones or in an irregular crude manner as
characterized all the buildings had heretofore seen,
tall narrow stones were set up on end at distances
apart Of about ten fifteen feet like the posts OF
board fence between which the walls laid giving
the structure a finished appearance, which
seemed from distance 10 be built with rough pillars.
These long stones Of them rising from the surface
or ground nine feet being foot eighteen inches
square, In some all that remained or tho
walls and these FREQ uently standing at great
inclination on small mesa island situated some fifty
feet above the surrounding valley, found the most
interesting relic Of this character Some Of our finest
pottery and most exquisite arrow heads which we
found this canyon had been heaped together in
old Ute iDick-s-pps by the pappooses This
tion Of country has been occupied for per-
haps many generations by the Tito Indians,
who probably succeeded the Navajoes who roamed
through this land several centuri ago when the
Spanards FIRST passed across. Near camp at this
place found several abortiye corn patches, and II
evident that the Indians had visited them and pre-
ceded down the canyon during the past few
days These farms presented the appearance OF having
been semi-cultivated long time and in all like
hood these had been used the pur
pose biz the ancient Utcs centuries ago In the near
vicinity Of most Of the ruins IN the Montezuma large
Of species OF flower belonging the eomposae
grew to the height Of six or eight feet showing we'll
defined Fields and squares where, without doubt had
once hourished the crops 81 the ancient Moqus
Nearly week was passed in searching the canyon
for ruins, but very few discovered which pre-
scented sufficient material for photographing Hun
dreds Of these ruins lay Wondering In the earth: the
very rocks with which they had been built had long
since crumoled into dust How many hundreds Of
years must IL have required 10 accomplish this
Starting OF with the intention o. making flying trip
70 the Rio Dolores for the purpose Of examining and
photographing the prehistoric dwellings which stii ex-
ist along its banks retracod steps eight or
miles up the canyon, and attempted In the absence
of trail the valley by easy ascent as We
could pick out
THE PAIL or 4 MULE.
we had scarcely gotten the train half way up the faco
OF the canyon, which here over thousand feet
deep and stopped few moments to rest when VIC who
were below In the winding patch were startled by
great rustng noise and upon looking upward observed
one OF the mules, called sold Jake" come bounding
pack and all through the air spinning head over
heels alighting his back, hundred feet below,
among mass Of sharp Jagged rocks. We all rushed
10 the spot to take last look at his shapeless form
lying crushed ana bleeding 10 the cliffs. He had been
feeding on the brink OF The prccpce with his back to-
ward ii and in backing few steps bad slipped on and
fallen into cedar tree some thirty feet below, alghtng
his pack from which he was hurled by the elastic
bows high INTO the air alighing second time thirty
feet further down among tho stones where his pack
was burst strewn with the contents over the tra
ana taxing third bound into The air. made ono more
descent 90 iorty Feet where he hit his back In a
hollow among the rocks When We approached
him what surprise to see
HIM scramble 70 his feet trembling like aspen, with
great drops Of water md blood starting from every
pore. hy almost miracle he had received no more
serious injuries than bruises and
small cuts and skin wounds about the head, tail and
legs The hair vas shaved or little patches all
his body and the fall had astonshed and stfened him
considerably bat we arrived a the conclusion that II
was inpOashle 90 KIN mule unless Il was done bV
Nahooting. Mules like Indians IN this respect for
whoever saw an Indian do natural deathY They may
disappear but who can tell what becomes az mon,
Finding that y was going 70 be such difficult matter
20 cross over his mesa country e the Dolores and
moreover. attended with such risk rerardlng tbe
wa Ia roth -