The Lake County star., 1877-11-15

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Romance of the Rockies. ss
Cor. Chicago Tribune;
LAKE CITY, Col, Oct. 25.-This
busy thriving metropolis Of what Is
popularity known as the. San Juan
country Is now convulsed, and half
crazy with excitement over new and
rich discoveries Of gold aud silver lodes
In the San Miguiel district, region of
country which lies forty miles west of
Lake City, and which can only be
reached by crossing the snow clad
mountains that separate the waters of
the Uncompaghre from the Gunnigon.
This mountain range Is nothing more
nor less than
A SUCCESSION OF GATHERING PEAKS
from thirteen Thousand to fourteen
thousand feet high, and with the
exception Of a trail which leads down
the UncOmpaghre river to Ouray, Is
absolutely inaccessible, except during
the summer months, For years past
old hunters and prospectOrs havehin
ed nlysterlously OF the San Miguel
and Dolores valleys, and under the
seductive influences of old bourbon and
the camp. fire, told OF streams whose
sands were yellow with gold of pay
streaks and bars where fortunes could
be taken out In single week with a
common sluce box and rocker; and of
leads of quartz in the mountain side
that fairly glittered with specks of free
gold and ruby silver but until quite
lately all these yarns were set down as
harmless freaks of the Imagination and
no effort was made TO discover the real
character and richness of The country.
At last w. w. Kemine, veteran
pioneer and prOspector, whose life has
been on the western slore, and who ut
the comparatively early age of 40 years
has made and lost a dozen fortunes,
determined tn investigate matters for
himself, and early in June, 1876, left
Sylvester with nothing but his trusty
rifle and a pack mule, with the avowed
intention of exploring the mysterious
valley of the San Miguel. In vain
his CONT ades represented the dangers
and hardships to which he would be
subjected. Remine was immovable
In bis purpose, aud, after struggling
through mountain canons and over
giddy heights never before passed by
the foot of man, he found himself one
bright morning I'm August standing in
beautiful valley nearly two miles In
width, through which flowed the crys-
tai waters of the san Miguel. Intent
upon exploration, he followed the
stream down a distance of twenty
miles, to it's confluence with the Dol
orOs river, and here found a valley ten
miles wide, level as billiard table,
and covered with luxuriant growth
of grass, which waved i'm the summer
breeze and afforded nourishment to
large herds of buffalo, mountain sheep,
black-tail deer, and every species of
game known to the Rocky mountain
region. The primeval simplicity and
wildness OF Eden was here. The deer
| and antelope had never been hunted,
and gaZed with timid curiosity upon
Remine, allowing the bold intruder to
walk up within few yards, while the
industrious beaver damned the limped
stream and raised his progeny undis-
turbed. Working his way through
the tangled vegetation, Remine was
on the point of crossing the stream
snort, and looking up there stood n
| gigantic cinnamon bear, with her two
cubs, on the eother side, ready TO receive
|
mine had not started out on such a
trip to be frightened by bear. In an
instant the faithful Sharp was at his
followed, and the monster fell to the
earth with an ounce ball through her
brains. After disposing of his trophy
RemIne proceeded 10 take a circuit
through the valley, and on level
plateau on the west bank of the Dol
oros river discovered the ruins of what
had once evidently been q large city.
ANCIENT RUINS AND FRAGMENTS OF
| POTTERY
were scattered in every direction, and
the foundation walls of some Of the
principal buildings were still in good
state of preservation. In the centre OF
the ruins and standing on clear, open
space was the remains of temple,
which had evidently been devoted to
the worship Of the sun. The walls
were Of hewn stone, and SO artistically y
laid together that 1t was hard to detect
ages of time for thousands Of yeaIs, the
strong as when It laid by its ancient
/
which the walls were lined inside had
not lost its color, hut seemed as bright
and fresh as though put on but yester-
day. Filled with wonder and feel
ing of reverence at behOlding such an
imposing ruin, Remine proceeded tn
measure the temple, and found that II
was one hundred aud twenty feet wide
and three hundred feet In length. The
walls In many places were adorned
with rough representations of men and
animals, with no perspective, while
over one of the windows was the rude
figure of dove bearing twig OF
branch of some kind, and flying toward
| q mountain in the distance. Our ex.
plOrer found the ground covered with
cut stones and broken crockery ware,
and houses and walls of solid masonry,
showing marks of skillflh workman
ship, having withstOOd the ravages of
time for unnumbered centuries. A
wall fifty feet.thick, apparently several
miles in circumference, was visible In
many places, making 1t probable that
this prehistoric city, like Babylon oi
old, had population
SKILLED IN THE ARTS OF MODERN
! WARFARE. ~ 81
and who built il In such manner at
to be invulnerable by any such ap
| pliance as Roman battering ram. In
places houses were found completely
covered In the earth, having become
so by the long process oftime. In one
of these houses Remipe foundan open
ing but little more than large enough
to admit q mans body, and by means
Of y rope which he brought along with
him, lie let himself down into what ht
consideredthe upper story ofa building
of enormous size. There were at least
a dozen different apartments, some o.
them very large. The floor was o
solid cedar logs, hewed and fitted close
together. While cropping his way
from chamber to chamber, over huge
piles Of rubbish and debris, RemiDt
came to an aperture opening down into