Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-30
VOL. XXXVI.

which settlements mark oases. Wherever
the Pueblos could cultivate the ground
they built towns of stone or sunbaked
brick, the only materials ut hand in this
nearly woodess land. They raised cotton
corn, pumpkins, beans and other vegeta'
b.es; had domestic animals. and were
quite advanced in weaving, pottery max
ing, and other primitive arts At one
time they occupied every available spot in
eeastern Arizona, New Mexico and south
ern Colorado: but the natural conditions
of climate and topography forbade that
any great accumulations Of wealth should
repay the endless patience of their toll
A bare substance was all that could be
wrung from the desert land.
When the northern tribes began to
crowd in upon the settlements. these wild
men of the chase, having nothing to lose
and everything TO gain in the struggle,
slowly wore out the strength of the more
civilized race: for, though the services OF
every man, woman and child must have
been needed in agriculture to secure a
living, most of the men had to be in arms
to resist the increasing incursions of the
nomads. At last. weakened by battle and
famine, the gentler race, who had treas.
ured and developed the sacred germ OF
human progress, abandoned their first set
Elements and took refuge in the almost
inaccessible cliffs, building there stone
houses that could only be reached by lad
ders, and supporting themselves on what
could be raised along the streams Mt the
foot of the cliffs. This was in the four
teenth century.
When the Spaniards first entered New
Mexico, they heard fabulous tales of seven
inhabited cities, full of gold and silver
situated on high cliffs; but they were moi
able to cross the deserts to these so called
cities of Cibola, and almost nothing was
known of them till United States gov
ernment expedition, overcoming great OBJ
stacles, reached the base of the plateau.
on whose summit they stand They found
civilized agricultural people, clad in
cotton and woolen garments of their own
weaving, engaged in cultivating maize
vegetables and fruit. but also men of the
chase and thoroughly warlike-a remnant
of that once powerful people, who, driven
from the valleys to the cliffs, perished III
last by the hands of the wild tribes we
are now extermnating. These savages
find in us II cultivated race, before whose
wealth and power their ferocity avails
little; and the cliff dwelers. who fought
so long and vainly for what they had
gained of art and science and religion
are now being avenged.
A loan collection lately on exhibition al
Albany, N. Y. contains Two frames filled
with photographs, and among these is Il
picture of one of the early cliff dwelers
houses, taken by the Hayden survey ir
southern Colorado. 1t is II TWO. story house
built of hewn sandstone, standing $40 fer
from the base of IL cliff 800 feet high, and
though not less than 500 years old, is wei
preserved, because sh llered from storms
by the overhanging rocks. The interior
IS plastcred and paneled in red and white
and some of the woodwork of the floors
and windows still remains.
BY comparing the faces of the Moqui
women with those of their savage destroy
rs-photographs of both being given
| he effects of civilization may be easily
-een. The Indians are undoubtedly PIC
,urcsque, but their faces are gloomy ant
lorbiddng.