The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-09-29
PREHISTORIC RACES
Moe Revolutions for the Musty AMI, ,sar;,s.

| ''OH' 's'~u 81 io''S ago tnat no history
or legend tells who they were or
whence they came, or whittier they
VENT No one can tell their name, or
by what wonderful ll~ of Pro yidence
they have been completely wiped from
the face of the earth 1t is conjectur-
ed by some antiquarian, says a cores
pendent, that, even before ancient
ihebes existed, there dwelt upon the
plains of New Mexico people whose
power and splendor were unrivaled
among the nations Of the earth. That
there were cities here, and large ones,
too, is well settled fact ; but it will
only be when the earth gives up its
dead that their history will be reveal
ed. About 100 miles southeast of
Albuquerque IS Gran Quivcra, one of
these interesting relics of the past. 1t
is in the milst of a country as barren
as the desert. No streams of water
flow near it, and the surface of the
country shows no signs of vegetable
growth whatever. The whole region
is deserted, while in the midst of it
stand the ruins of an ancient and large
city. For centuries the forces of ma
ture have been at work upon its
crumbling walls, and the winds have
brought showers of sand until the
walls are covered, SO that nothing can
be seen but the tops OF the highest
walls. The streets are filled up with
debris and sand until they are leveled
bpswith the roofs OF the houses. There
Eirrne building shA towers above the
ihi e ~ akeasfo So
lllsle i s. zig the ctty lly
walls are Tour feet thick and eighty
.eet high. The building VS. 100 feet
long, ..and from eighty to 100 feet
wide, and had basement the entire
length of the structure. The first
floor was evidently a council chamber,
whe re sat the solops of the long ago.
This floor was supported by very
large timbers, that still stretch across
from wall to wall, and are we'll pre-
served. The ceiling is not less than
fifty feet high. and the tlmbers that
support it still remain, with bracket
supporters extending out from the
sides of the walls. These timbers are
larger than any growth Of timber now
to be found anywhere in tni, region
of country. The carving and mould
ings on these cid brat kets speak OF
the workmanship of that people, and
show that they were skilled in art and
architecture: The art displayed ex-
hibss taste, culture and the si,i!lful
use of tools, and demonstrates that
they had tools of good quality, if not
machinery.
Not far from this wonderful site ere
the ruins of an aqueduct that extends
from the city to the mouAtaia. Thl,
is built of masonry, the stone laid in
cement. The wall in many places
stands firm and strong to-day, yet 1t
must have been built many ages ago.
In durability it surpasses our best
masonry. and In workmanship Is not
inferior to much that is called the
best.
The people who built these walls
lived here, ard have departed, leav-
ing nothing but the workmanship of
their hands behind them-have lett
neither legend nor tradition to tell
who they were. The Inhabitants Of
the country were as gnorant Of them
as the traveller who, for the first time,
looks upon these wonderful ruins.
There are other ruins qnlte as inter-
estirg in the Canvon de Chaco, in
the Rio Arraba country ; bu these,
like those of Gran Quivera, are dusty
with age, and without any legend Or
history to tell us who dwelt there.
The next wonderful things to be
seen are the.homes of the " "cllif dwell
er5." These homes are doubtless
built for protection from dangerous
enemies. They excite great surprise
from their inaccessibility. In Mancos
de Chelle there is a wall 400 feet