The Osceola times., 1881-04-02
Celebrated Aztec Ruins.

La Casa Correspondence san Francisco Chronicle
This station. locate on the railroad 80
miles east of Maricopa, and O. from
Tucson, is the transferring point for
freight and passengers to Florence, the
pioneer district, and to small extent
for Globe district. The station probably
takes its name from being in proximity
to the old stage station Of that name,
which was built on the line Of an old
Aztec ruin. Many people who visit Ari-
Zona have an erroneous idea Of these
ruins, expecting TO see buildings crum-
bling and going to decay. Such is not
the case They look like small hillocks
or mounds of earth looming up on the
level desert, and can be seen for many
miles. When reached, and you climb
the cummit of the principal hillOck, il
does not seem TO be over ID or 20 feet
high, and covers half an acre of ground.
The mound has evidently been made by
the gradual crumbling away and settling
back to mother earth of what was once
an immense adobe building. Within
several hundred yards Of the main or
principal buildings can be seen smaller
mounds in irregular positions, but all
within a certain limit, outside Of which
can be seen and traced the ruins of n
wall or forti6cation. running in straight
lines, inclosing the whole in the form of
a square. Scattered all over the ground
can be seen iunumerable pieces of pot
terry, some of IT neatly painted, although
little of il is large enough to give any
idea of the design. If you dig down in
any of the ruins 10 the level Of the earth's
surface, YOU will find what was once the
floor Of an Aztec house, with a fireplace
in the corner of the room, the same as
would be constructed by the Mexicans of
the present day. II you excavate under
meath the hearth in front Of the fireplace
You will invariably find human remains.
showing that they buried their dead
there. All over the territory, from the
country north Of Prescott to points away
south Of Tucson, have seen these ruins,
all Of the same character, only some
much more extensive than others-nota-
bly, in the Salt river valley, where can
be see the line of canal which brought
water from the Verdi river, nearly a
hundred miles distant, and which fur
nished pure mountain water for domes-
tic purposes rs well as for irrigation,
instead Of the salt brackish water which
the present generation get from the Salt
river or from wells sunk in any portion
of the valley.
In places the bed or channel Of this
ancient canal is still Of immense dimen-
sions; even after filling up with the drift
ing sand of no one knows how many
centuries, it is still large enough, if filled
with water, TO float large ship. At
Florence, when digging well at depth
of eighty feet, Aztec relics were found,
but nowhere have | seen or read any
thing that would give clew TO the date
of their occupation or extinction. AT
the old Mission Of San Navier, below
Tucsun, 100 years ago, a Catholic priest
wrote book or manuscript of his travels
through this section of the country in
which he was accompanied by an Afri-
can negro. Portions of this manuscript
have read, and his description of the
country and mines compares generally
with their present aspect. A century
has not materially changed the appear.
ance Of the country, the customs OF the
/ Indians or their traditions. The Indians
| then looked forward 10 the coming OF
Montezuma and worshiped his image in
the rocks near Maricopa, as they do to-
day. Nor did ne learn any more con.
cerning the Aztec 'ra.e than can bs
| learned to-day. Whence they came or