The weekly Arizona miner., 1881-11-18
RUINS--ANCIENT.

Scattered here and there all over the West ws find traces of cities that were once grand,
 of whose people We have no historical tra- ditiOn, hence any theory as to their color, the tongue they conversed in, etc, are mere conclusions guessed st That they were an
 industrious people there is but little doubt,
 as that proof is lief. Us beyond question. For instance, the Grand Quivira, about 90
 miles east of Albuquerque, which, by the
 way, IS the largest of the more modern
 ruined cities i'll the United States, is built entirely of stone, and of a character which cannot be found, except at distance Of from two to three leagues, showing without question that the material was either carried or hauled long distance, which necessi- tated much labor. This peculiar old city is
 without water, situateat the termination of q long valley, which takes its source near the White Mountains, which are situated 9 miles west of Forts Stanton. Years ago we explored this old citv as well as circum stances would permit there being no water nearer than 20 miles.s We found that the city contained two chnrches, one much more ancient than the other, and of ruder con- struction. To the large, or new church, we found built oh convent building, contain ing 145 rooms.
 From the fact of there being cdifces of this character, We sconcluded the people who built the ruined temples must have Rorshlped-- some particular God or being. Then we concluded that the inhabitants were somewhat enlightened, from the char acter of architecture and the elaborate carving found up9n beam in the larger church. A large dstern can easily be dis cerned, although somewhat filled by litter, indicating that thu ey utilized rain water to some extent. Tle valley, commencing at the Wbte Mountains near Three Rivers, is 70 miles distan. ,iand all along the said val ley can be traced the outlines of an acequia- water ditch. To have made this, much labor must have been brought into requi- | sition. Whethf fr these people held slaves and executed an this work by serviles, IS, of | course, question. Anyway, they exc cuted mammoth undertakings, which cer- tainly dazzle the mind of people who live in this enlis 18th century with all the modern facilities at their hand with which | to execute the most difficult undertaking. l It has been question for scientists to dis Sect as tEwhether the race of lost history | u.ed cart4 or wagons. The only evidence We have had 2en this important subject. which is | quite c"nS usIve ln the affirmative, We find Tn | the salt lsk ke, east 40 miles from the town of | Nanzano. Here ne find huge lake several | miles Ill q dhcumference. crested over with | snowy whte salt, the bed of said lake being quite miry2 From one side there was built ! hy the unl 5wn race a wagon road into the !! lake for stance of over one mile. This ! Toad is bui by putting round boulders in, ! ome on th4t"p of the other, several feet | deep. To lave built this road billions upon i billions ot fns of rock were required, and | when taken Unto consideration that no round ! boulders can be found nearer than 9 miles, l
  of labor expended on this single piece of | work. It appears to us that carts or wagons must have been used in carrying these | boulders so far, hence had they not used wheeled vehicles, why should they have built this formidable road of rockl
 In New Mexico there are stlll older ruins ,,,;i+ ;,, or s,,t;ral,- j;H,ront .~, Tio,. ,r,, SO ancient that their walls have crum bled. i and can only be found beneath the surface l of the earth. Thirty miles west of Fort | Stanton, at the Pattos Mountain, or spring. can be traced one of these ancient ruined | cities, now covered over with dense forest of pine. oak, cedar, etc 4 cedar cut down several years since upon the site of the ruins was estimated by Mr. Fletcher of san Jose. Cal. to be over one thousand years Dld.
 Here, in Arizona, rr;is ppear to bs as ancient as time itself V Nprth of the Salt River, in digging fr.' water, implements of .he unknown g.r,- nave been taken from be heath the elrth JJ feet, where over p feet 1f blasting had been done through solid -ock. Some meagre idea can be formed of .he time it took to form such crust over implements once used by a race of human beings. Another proof of the great antiquity ,f this country IS clearly proven by city -estiny on the banks of the Colorado near he Grand Canyon. Here We have a town quilt of rpck. the people of which were sup ,li.d with water from the river at the time Is water was nsar the surface of the table and. Now the river IS over one mile down ,ith Lerpendicular walls. It has been wearing away procea. DO uPheavlng Tie iver seems to have worn down through |, olid stone for such great distance, occu- ,yns ,imo beyond the reckoning of man. ' is thing only known to tae Ruler of the universe.
 The End of the World.
 LeUllar.io Are,ine, an Italian "f the 18th