The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-29

cradle extent OF lesser ruins, probably
of dwellings,, occupying a low bench,
bordering the dry wash of the McElmo.
The toweris ~ feet in diameter, the
wall 2 feet thick, and now standing
some % feet high. The two outer walls
inclose a space of about feet in width,
which is divided into IA equally sized
rooms, communicating with one anoth-
er by small window-like doorways. The
above were all that were exhibited in
Philadelphia. Since then others have
been made by Mr.. Jackson, as follows:
A cliff-house" in the valley of the Rio
de Chiefly. 1t is about 20 miles above
the cave town already spoken of. This
is two-story house, about 20 fee.
square, occupying ledge some IS feet
above the valley and oveghung by the
bluff. The approach from the valley
is by series of steps hewn in the steep
face of the rock, and this method was
one most used by the occupants, al
though there is a way out to the top OF
the bluff. This model is AZ inches in
height by "a broad, and is built upon a
scale of 136.
"Tewa, one of the seven Moqui
owns in northwestern Arizona, is very
interesting and instructive model, repre-
senting as it does one of the most ancient
and best authenticated of the dwellings
of people who are supposed to be the
descendants of the cliff dwellers. Tewa
is the first of the seven villages forming
the province, as we approach them from
the east, and occupies the summit of a
narrow mesa /, 200 yards in length, upon
which are also two other somewhat
similar villages. The approach is by q
circuitous roadway hewn in the perpen-
dicular face of the bluff, which sur
rounds the mesa upon all sides; it is the
only approach accessible for animals to
the three villages. Other ladder-like
stairways are cut in the rock, which are
used principally by the water carriers,
for all their springs and reservoirs are
at the bottom of the mesa. The village
is represented upon scale of one inch
to eight feet, or 1876. The dimensions
of the model are IS inches in length, 20
inches in width, and IA inches in
height.
In the spring of 1877 Mr.. Jackson
made a tour over much of the northern
part of New Mexico, and westward to
THE MOQUI TOWNS
in Arizona, and secured materials for a
number of very interesting models, il
Illustrating the methods of the Pueblos,
or town-builders, in the construction of
their dwellings. Two villages have been
selected for Immediate construction, as
showing the most ancient and best
known example of their peculiar archi-
lecture, viz, Taos and Acoma, the one
of many STORED terraced houses and the
other built high up on an .impregnable
rock. - 49,
The model of Taos is now completed,
the dimensions of which are 42x39 inch
es, and the scale one inch to twenty
feet, 1.240. OF this town Davis says
1T is the best sample of the ancient
mode of,building. Here are two large
houses, three or four hundred feet in
length and about one hundred and fifty
feet wide at the base. They are situated
upon opposite sides of a small creek,
and in ancient times are said to have
been connected with a bridge. They
are five and six stories high, each story
receding from the one below it, and
thus forming a structure terraced from
top to bottom. Each story is di-
vided into numerous little compart-
ments,, the soufer. tier Of rooms being
lighted by small windows in the sides,
while those in the interior of the build
ing are dark and are. principally used as
store-rooms. The only means
of entrance is through trap-door'in the
roof, and you ascend from story to story
by means of ladders on the outside,
which are drawn up at night"
Their contact with Europeans has
modified somewhat their ancient style
of buildings, principally in substituting
doorways in the walls of their houses for
those in the roof. Their modern bull
dings are rarely over two stories in
height, and are not distinguishable from
those Of their Mexican neighbors.' The
villageis sourronnded by an adobe wall,
which is just included within the limits
of the model, and incloses an area Of
eleven or twelve acres in extent. With
in this limit are four of their estafas, or
secret council houses. These are cir.
cular underground apartments, with q
narrow opening in the roof, surrounded
by palisade, ladders being used to &C
in and out.
THESE MODELS Hns
are first carefully built up in clay, il
which material all the detail is readily
secured and are then cast in plaster; I
mold being secured by which they arr
readily multiplied to any extent. They
are then put in the hands of the artists
and carefully eolored in solid oil paints
to accurately resemble their appearance
in nature, and, in the case of restora
tons or modern buildings, all the it'll,
additions are made which win give then