Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-01

Reading the Vague Story Told In the
Traces Left by a Vanished People.
From the New York Sun.

OJo FUERTA, ARIZONA, October IA radius
three hundred miles long. with center at the
point of contact of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and
New Mexico, will describe a circle in which are
enclosed the remains of the remarkable race of
cliff jewellers. The very name applied to this
people is suggestive of romance and lost his
tory Whence came they? How did they live?
Where did they go to-
The area occupied By the cliff jewellers. COM
prising six or nine Thousand square miles. is a
part of the desert land of the southwest coun-
try In general. though not entirely arid. unpro-
ductive. almost gameless. sparsey watered, and
In altitude from s. goo to 12,OOO feet above the
sea. Their descendants are found in the MOquis
and other Indians of the mesas of northern Arr
IONA
The remains of the cliff jewellers are pueblos,
or villages on the low lands caves in the higher
land near by, cliff houses midway up the walls
OF precipices. nigh towers of stone. pottery and
ornaments Few weapons of any kind appear
among the ruins This fact NAV be due to the
sudden migration of the inhabitants and not
their supposed peaceabe disposition. The
ruins of cities and villages are of frequent occur
renee 1t Is said that in every one of six thou
sand square miles more or less of these ruins
occur Some of the cities were built by the
side OF stream, in some narrow valley and
others high on table land. far removed from
any traces OF running water. In the latter
cases the water must have been brought in Jars
from long distances on the heads of women, a
practice still prevailing among the southwest
ern tribes. The villages were often a mass of
hewr stone. the houses nearly all Joined to-
gether, with no other exit than by a ladder
from the root The architecture displays a
civilization aud knowledge not far removed
from that OF the ancient Egyptians. The build
ing stones were well hewn. The squares and
circles were as perfect as We know how to make
them to-day. Wells and reservoirs are found
IN various places, in fine state Of preservation
containing pure, delicious water. Some of the
cities are laid out In semi-circles.
The United States geological survey has re-
stored the Pueblo BonitO of Chaco Canon, New
Mexico. Here We have a perfect semi-circle
the circular part comprising high. thick wall
OF masonry, and the diametered side not quite
so high. From central court the apartments
rise in tiers. one above tbs other The enclos-
ure embraces 10000 square feet. Within are
numerous estTfas. or council chambers, pOr-
tons or which were used for worship. The
great pueblo of Chettro Kettle had defensive
wall 935 feet long and 40 feet high. Mr.. ". II.
Jackson estimates that its $4,000 cubic feet of
masonry embraced $4,000, 900 pieces of stone
which had to be quarried collected. dressed and
put in place. The massive timbers had to be
brought from considerable distance cut and
fitted TO their places in the wall and covered
with other courses. There were details of WIN
dow and root making and plastering, which
must have employed q large body of intelligent
weli-OrganiZed people, under thorough disci-
pine. Tor long time The details of these vast
puebloS would ill volumes. They show that
the cliff jewellers INTELLECTUALLY, though not
artlsticaily. We're among the most superior races
OF the entire continent.
The cave dwellings or places Of refuge are
usually found in some bluff not more than fifty
feet high, bordering a mesa or river valley
These Diuffs have the appearance of a magni-
tied swallows bank. The caves are mere holes
dug IN the bluff. plastered on the inside and
containing small apertures. 1t is supposed on
account OF the latter fact that they we're used
to hide women and children during an attack.
since large man could not gain admittance
easily. On the banks above are the watch
towers. These towers are also found all
through the region OF ruins They are
cylindrical structures, often protected bv
lower outside enclosures. They are built
DR.. j. 5. Newberry found them larger at the
top than at the bottom They were made to
serve variety OF purposes. not only for watch
Ing the approach OF an enemy. but for retreat,
worship and council In many river canons
these towers were erected on the top of pro-
jecting rocks many hundred feet high and al
most impossible of access. About the towers
are usually found specimens of flint and pot
terry. showing that the watchmen were busy
making various objects while on guard.
The most remarkable dwellings of these
people are those from which their names are de-
rived. located midway up in the inches of canon
walls often 2.OO0 feet high. Whether nature
formed the creviced tables for the houses. or
whether the excavations were made By the peo-
pie. Is unknown These creviceS are walled up
with dressed stones, which were either hoisted
or heWn from the canon walls in some remarka-
bic way. and contain living apartments Some
canon walls exhibit tier after tier Of these al
most inaccessible dwellings. Hidden in some
out of the way nook. shielded from the suns
rays, the explorer finds wells of clear cold
IL
drippngs OF some minute spring in the perpen-
dieular walls. No soil or organic matter can
possibly cOntaminate the water. lying I'm huge
basin cut in the rock. Equally hard to find are
the adder-like stairs. often 500 feet long cut in
the rock walls leading to the cliff houses II
cannot be supposed that the cliff jewellers lived
In these houses for long periods Of time Posi-
Oily they were occupied only in a case Of siege
BE 1t as it nav, they could be taken by no saw
age enemy unless the inhabitants were starved
Into submission.
The primitive artists among the cliff-builders
left their efforts principally upon the light-col-
ored sandstOnes OF the high bluffs. Here are
representations of the BIRDS mammals and OBJ
Jects known TO the artists carved in fantastic
style FROM thee 1t appears doubtful whether
the people mad any domestic animals. Certainly
II they had. evidences would be found on the
rocks or pottery The design in pottery show
o range from very low state of mind to one of
some mathematical capacity
Iuc Ciu uWelIeTs were beyond doubt migrants
from further south. as may be seen in the SINH
larity Of architecture and religious customs.
Not knowing OF the vast fertile plains beyond,
they settled in the small but rich valleys of the
no MancoS and other rivers. Here they cui-
tlVated Indian corn and beans. as bins
are occasionally unearthed containing them
Ihey caught fish in the rivers and hunted the
wild deer and birds in the forests While some
Tiled the scanty valley fields or hunted Others
were engaged in building deteuses on the cliffs.
watch towers, pueblOs, and water reservoirs
1here were cemeteries for the burial of
the dead. HeadstOnes are still found
TO mark the burial places The craniums dis
covered. and which have been examined show
good intellectual capacity, and very little evil
dence OF the artificial fiattening In use by more
modern Indian nations. The cliff dweIlers
were busy, industrious race They NAV have
neu from their quarters on account of more
superior race. as is generally held but in the
absence OF facts II seems more easy TO believe
that they migrated as soon as they discovered
arabic lands. 1t cannot be possible that a peo-
pie which erected the most remarkable de-
lenses OF any race. ancient or modern should
not be able TO use them against savage forces
OF any size or power. No enemy had missiles
which could reach their fortresses and GER
talnly no enemy could withstand the avalanche
Of rocks which the cliff dwellers had power to
hQrl down, fairly deIuging the narrow bottoms
OF the canons.
The Red Sunsets,' OF 1854.