The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-07-27

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ladders Of longer or shorter dimen-
siOns. The walls Of the houses are
built of stone laid in mud and the
neat, accurate work done by the masons,
constr ucting them would do credit to
any mechanic of these times. In the
majority of the buildings the rooms
are small and the ceilings low, and in
all Of them the doors and windows are
miniature, the former being barely
large enough for a six foot man TO
crawl through. Notwithstanding that
the houses were protected from rain or
snow by the overhanging cliffs, most of
them were provided with roofs con
structed after the style of the Next
can dwellings Of the present day. being
made of mud held up by timbers with
the ends supported upon the tops of the
walls. Most Of the timbers used were
cottonwood and by reason of its having
been protected from the elements this
wood remains in a perfect state of
preservation. In the center of the rooms
boxes two feet in diameter, made Of
stone, were situated in which fires were
builded. These yet remain filled with
ashes. Specimens of the handiwork of
these people are yet numerous and can
be found by digging beneath the de-
bris caused by the fallen roofs. They
consist chiefly of baskets woven very
neatly from the leaves of the soap
weed, sandals plated from the Span.
ish dagger leaves, and of pottery Of
every description known to the Pueblo
Indians. Stone axes have been found
and metates are numerous. Corn cobs
still lie scattered about in abundance,
dry and brittle with age. Bones of
animals of the various species peculiar
to this country are plentiful among the
rubbish, but as far as known to the
writer, no bones supposed to belong to
the Cliff-dwelling people have yet been
discovered. This circumstance Is con-
sidered peculiar and gives rise to vari-
Gus speculations as to the manner in
which they disposed of their dead.
The largest habitation of these an
cIent people located on the ella, IS on
the west fork about two miles above
the hot springs. Here is a cliff standing
probably three hundred feet high, and
on the south side of it about one hun
dred feet from It's base is a cavern
which Is followed out of the soft rock.
The cave has an open pace five hun
bred wide while its depth is about
fifty feet and its height thirty feet,
The houses are built to occupy the
entire space of this cut. Most of them
have doors and windows outside and
all are connected by partition doors
The. rooms twenty-siX 10 number
are generally of fair size with cell
ings six and sever feet high. One room
which appears to have served as a coun'
Gil chamber, house of worship or some
use of the sort, is 5Ox1O0 feet in dimen'
sions with a ceiling fifteen feet high. In
one corner is what appears to be the
ruins of a pulpit. Two flights of stone
steps lead up into the room. The space
is fraught with great interest tC
those who enjoy studying the remains
of prehistoric man and his handiwork
There has been produced in the minds
of many by the fact of the doors
and windows being so small, that M
large stones are used in the wall, tina
the timbers used to hold up the roof
are of the lightest woods and that til,
large rocks which oft times obstruc
the free passage of thedwellers therein
y were not removed, that the Cliff-dwell
; ers of this country were a small ant
) weak people, but there are many Othe,
> things which dispute this theory. FO.
instance, the sandals found we're larg,
enough for a full grown man of to-day
Z The stone steps leading to the ampithe
: atre are of the size now generally used
J the fire boxes in the center rooms wer
of regulation size for five-fO0ters a
least, and all the rooms found had no
, less than six-foot ceilings whereve
practicable. The lilliputian size of tn
doors and windows were probably s
made as to serve to give as little oppol
: tunity for invaders to attack the own
ers, as possible.
With the assiduous and studious re
! search that is at the present time BIZ
: ing given to the attractive study o
: these people an explanation of who an
what they are may be arrived at som
time. AS for the RANGE it has Onl
! one ray of light to throw upon the sui
: ject and this IS pale and Pickering
? Where did Cain get his wifep
~