The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-07-30
Ancient Puebl0s OF New Mexico and
California.

have been SO admirably described By
Stephens, Squier, and others, the pueblo
and caves OF New Mexico and Arizona
have little 10 boast of in architecture, bu
present to the student Of early American
history an extensive field for n searches
Of Kindred interests.
Although something has been known o.
the strange people dwelling in towns IN
the Valley OF the Rio Grande and in the
mountains Of Northern Arizona since Ca
bcZa de Naca discovered them i'm 1886. liz
tie effort seems 10 have been expended in
tracing their origin or in comparing them
with the vast population, now extinct,
which has left it, monuments scattered
over the greater part Of our southwestern
territory.
Recent military operations against the
hostile Apaches have led 10 the discovery
In that portion of Arizona known as the
Tonic Basin bounded by the Black Me-a
on the north, the Rio ella on the south. the
White Mountains on the east. and the Rio
Verde on the west) of ruined pueblos and
other relics indicating a population Of
great numbers Nearly every eminence
in this wild and broken region of upward
OF ten Thousand square miles j. scattered
with fragments ofpottery ofvaried quality
and 0rnamentation, the finer being so
skilltully glazed as to preserve It's bright
coloring for ages. In several valleys are
found the stone foundations and walls OF
cities, each OF which at some remote period
contained thousands OF busy people. Gen
orally these puebios piejos Told towns are
found upon the precipitOus cliffs over
hanging the streams tributary 10 the Rio
ella on the north, but sometimes we
found them in regions remote from water
In such eases the topography of the coun-
try showed that streams which had since
changed their courses had run near these
towns centuries ago.
In the bluffs OF Beaver Creek. small
stream tributary 10 the Rio Verde, and
about three miles distant in "A northerly
direction from Camp Verde, Arizona, are
about fifty walled caves of various sizes,
once the hidng-places Of some prehistoric
people OF whom the present Indian tribes
OF that locality have no knowledge or
traditions. AT this point the river makes
a bend, the chord Of which is perhaps an
eighth OF a mile long. The walls are
of yellow calcareous rock, and
about one hundred feet high. These
caves are from five 10 twenty feet in
depth. The mouths are closed by mason
work Of stone and cement still in good
state of preservation. The larger caves
are divided by wood and stone partitions
aud floors into numerous small apart
ments, where il would seem that this
strange people passed years OF doubt and
fear, threatened by famine within. and by
cruel persecution and torture FROM be-
sieging enemy without.
The lower caves are about ten feet from
the bottom of the cliff. and may be- enter
ed with some difficulty by climbing the
projecting points OF the bluff The larger
lu.l IL an
have at best precarious foOt-hOld on mar
row lodges, along which the explorer
must feel his way with the utmost care
some thirty yards at height OF forty and
fifty feet, from which "A careless step might
prcciptate him uDon mass of rocks be-
low. a solid masonry wall two feet
thick, with curved front about thirty
feet wide and fully as high. has been built
on the natural floor of the cave, sixty
feet above the stream at the foot of the
cliff The wall is Fashioned. evidently TO
afford a flank defense, and has what
appears 10 be a sentry-box of masonry
protecting the single entrance at the cen
ter and base OF the wall The top OF the
wall forms parapet, rising three feet
above the upper floor. and within four
feet of the natural roof of the cave. Loop
holes which NAV have served either for
intervals al the base OF the parapet.
Having climbed with some difficulty
about thirty feet OF debris, we reached
the lower ledge, scarcely two feet wide.
along which we worked our way with
the utmost care t. the foot of the first
ladder, ascending which we
were on the second ledge.
from which another ladder of uncertain
strength led us 10 the entrance of the
cave. Passing a narrow doorway at a
right angle with the main wall we entered
"A small chamber. from which "A man-hole
admitted us through the ceiling To an
apartment Of irregular rectangular shape
about twelve feet square and eleven feet
high. The roof Is of natural rock. as is
most OF the floor; that portion. however,
of the latter which covers the lower apart
ment being of large cottonwood timbers
covered with rushes or small brush, over
which is layer OF cement. The timbers
used in this and other rooms of the struc-
ture were cut with stone hatchets, and
are evidently very ancient Fron this
cave are two exits besides the one referred
To. one on either side, through
which we crawled on our hands
aud knees to larger rooms OF vari-
Gus sizes honey combed behind this
wall, which protects three irregular tiers
OF cells. Nearly all are dark. and the
roofs. without exception, are blackened
by smoke.
A deposit of bat lime covers the floors
TO depth of ten or twelve inches. Dig
ging through this we unearthed many
fragments OF pottery. which subsequent
comparison proved to be identical in ma
terial and workmanship with that found
later in the old ruins of Tonic Basin and
elsewhere in Arizona, as well as with the
pottery still manufactured by the Moqus
and Zunis.
Directly above the caves. and on nearly
every commanding point near Beaver
Creek and the Rio Verde, are ruins OF
stone dwellings built without cement. and
Of such materials as could be adapted with
ont cuftinr IA the ron oh walls which ap-