The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-01-18

mas recently prepared paper for the Royal Geographical Society, of London, from which the Ogden Freeman extracts the fol- lowing notes:
 "cAsA sRANDE.n
 Here, on grest plain, extending west eight miles to spur of the Sacatone noun tains, south 30 miles to the Pichaco peak. north SO miles to the Four peaks, and east 80 miles to the mouth of the Gila canyon, are the well-defned ruins of an ancient and long forgotten city, now marked by large mounds of debris, outlines of water tanks and reservoirs, and of extensive irrigating canals, called here "acequias % or more miles in length, and above all rises the we'll preserved walls of Casa Grande,'' grim seminal of the past. By what race or peo- pie it and the other old ruins were con- structed none can tell. The present race of Indians, who were known to be kere over 300 years since, know nothing of the build CTS, and when asked respecting them, caR give no information on the subject. The only answer obtained was from an old Pima Indian, who said it was the work of the Montazumas, and this was merely tradition ary. The same answer was received from other old Indians, in reference to other old ruins distant from "Casa Granden several hundred miles. This building, the "Casa Grande,n was described by the Jesuit Fathers during the Spanish and Indian war of 1753, and also by them some 30 years subsequent to the conquest of Mexico by Cortez, 300 years since, in almost the same language as they would now use. The building stands with the points of the com pass north. east, south and west. By meas urement it is 63 feet long, north and south, and 45 feet wide, east and west. The walls are now standing above the fourth story The first description given by
 THE JESUIT FATHERS
 was that the walls were seven stories high. This seems to be the only change within 800 years. The walls are of groat or gravel cement, laid up in tiers of 30 inches in night. The seams between the tiers are plainly distinguished. The bases of the walls are , feet thick, very hard, and as difficult to be broken as stone. The inside walls were plastered with hard cement of dark or orange color, as sound and perfect now as when first put on in the unknown eras of the past. There are rooms on the ground floor, and these are filled to depth of feet by the debris from the walls above. The openings or doorways between the rooms, both below and above were uniform, about feet wide by in height. On the north side there are port holes f5 inches in diameter. On the west there was originally narrow door, or gateway, extending up to the third story, but subsequently, filled in above the first story, This opening would permit of but one person passing at once. On the south side, near thesouthwest corner, there was originally an open door, or gate way, feet wide, and this had been subse- quently filled in, as can be seen blythe joint or seam. Why these two openings nssaEEe originally made and afterwards filledSpNis. matter of conjecture. To me it sssSsccco,Jft dent that when built, the builde SerTFing no enemies or warlike neighbors, erected the building solely for their own convenience; shat, afterwards, being attacked by warlike hand. they built up the opening for better [ rrn,ac,;o, By thorough excavation of the debris from l,.. inside, feel assured that Ina ouest;on could he a, .saitely settled, Two small rooms in other old ru,as nave been excavated. one of which was 200 mics dis tant from the "Casa Grande," and in both of these were fonud
 THE cHARRED BONES OF THEIR OCCUPANTS, as if killed in defending their homes. In one of them was found on the fireplace hard earthern vessel with few bones there in, as though its occupants were preparing household dinner when attacked and slain by their enemies. It is to be regretted that the two rooms mentioned are the only ones excavated in the whole Territory where there are so many thousands awaiting the hands of the earnest explorer. The east side of the building has an opening above the first story to the fourth about two feet wide. In the north end there is an opening in the sec ond story foot high and two feet wide. The floors of the upper stories are almost wholly destroyed, but the burnt ends of the beams which support the floors are some of them yet remaining ip the walls.
 They were of pine or cedar about sinches in diameter, and must have been from mountains 1e0 miles distant, unless trees then abouHded where now there are none. The ends of these beams were evidently cut off by stone axes, of which many have been found in and around these old ruins. TD the east of ' Casa Grande,p 50 feet, are portions of the walls of another old building yet standing, and to the south 100 feet another over 20 feet in height, Scattered all over the plain for one mile or moro ara mounds of debris, the only visable remains of other and numerous buildings, the foundations of some of them being well defined, some of which arc 120 feet long and so feet vide Elevated plateaus of from to $ feet surround some of them. running out each way from the building from % to 50 feet, as though raised up for pleasure grounds, flower gardens and shrubbery, similar to what is now seen about modern villas. Broken pottery is found profusely scattered for many miles nronnd, but more profusely in and around the ruins, and along
 rHg LINES OF THE oID IREIGArING DITcnEs
 OR CANALS.
 Oae of those old canals ran afew hundred wards distant from the s Casa Grlnde,s now almost obiiteratc9 by the changes ot ages vet in one place where its course was through a hard. gravelly soil, its course can be traced by the careful observer. On the line of this great canal, which can be traced for nearly fifty miles, arc ruins of large houses. Simi- lar ruins can be found all over the Territory.
 
 pRrscoTr IS GRowISs.-Prescott can boast of fourteen large wholesale and retail ue.cantile establishments, carrying from ten I'd one hundred thousand dollars stock. In addition to these mammoth establishments, ve find several confectionery. cigar, jewelry,