National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-06
A CITY IN THE AIR.
The Wonderful Pueblo OF Ancient
Acomn-A Marvellous Creation.

The Wonderful Pueblo OF Ancient
Acoma-A Marvellous Creation.
Correspondence Of ne Laurence (Kon.) Journal.
The pueblo Of Acoma, situated 90 miles
west of Albuquerque. 10 one of the most
remarkable communities in New Mexico
or the United States. To reach IL take
the Atlantic and Pacific railroad to Nc
earthly station, and then transfer to an
Indian pony and ride eighteen miles
south by east. When near your
journeys end you descend almost i'm
perceptibly into the vally six miles
In width, In the middle Of which stands
butte, and on tho top Of this Ia Acoma
Eight hundred people are living there,
and they and their ancestors have gath
cred there tho sum Of their possessions
for nearly three centuries. This butte Is
one of many lthatEaro the remnants Of o
mesa that has been worn away by the
erosion of tho ages, and survives only In
flat-toppod mountains hore aud there.
Tho valleys between are fertile, aud UNI
told generations Of men have seen them
covered with waving grain and fiocks Of
sheep.
Some timo in tho seventeenth century
the Laguno, or Valley Indians, mado war
upon the Acomas for tho possession OF
the couutry, and. the latter being the
weaker, occupied this butte as q defensive
position believed to be impregnable
Their Judgment has been abundantly in
Dictated. IL has proved q Gibraltar Of
strength and safety. Tho comparison is
not inappropriate, and in approaching 1t
from tho north was struck with tho re-
semblance to tho pictures / have seen of
that grim fortress that frowns over tho
straits to the Mediterranean. Tho
height above the valley is nearly 400
feet, and the walls in several places nearly
perpendicular. There are two means of
ascent, one by q flight of steps cut into
the faco OF the wall and rising at an angle
Of As degrees and the other by a flssure
in tho rocks leading up into the heart of
the mountain. Both ways have boen trod-
den by human feet until the stops are hol-
lowed out like shallow troughs. Either on o
erably safe. We chose the one along the fis-
sure. To give an idea of tho laborious-
hess of the task, imagine stairway
starting ut Mr.. Grosvenor's Office and
rising to tho top of the spiro of the
Methodist church, then con tinuing on an
easier anglo for 100 feet aud then rising
again by q sleeper grade than ever to an
elevation higher than the weather vane
on tho university, and this stairway
precarious footing along tho sides of q
cash In rugged mountain, and
you may know how we reached
Acoma! With all the danger
and fatigue, 1t Ia laughablo sight to SEQ
person-some other person-make the
ascent. One has tn stride over the ts-
sure, one foot on the right-hand side aud
the other on the left, and at the same
time press the hands alternately against
the rocks for support An Indian will
throw live sheep around his neck and
go up quito rapidly without touching
either hand to the rocks, but l am salts
fed could never do it.
They told us Of pathetic incident that
occurred ON the outer stairway several
generations ago. Several men started up,
each with sheep on his back. When
nearly to the top the sheep carried by the
foremost man became restless, and the
shepherd in trying to hold it fast lost his
footing, and in falling swept his oompan-
cons over tho precipice, and they all fell
on the rocks in o iifeless heap. The In
dians have carved o representation of the
accident on rock near where it occurred,
which scarcely serves to steady the nerves
Of those who go by that route.
Tho top of the elevation is level, and
contains an area of 60 or 70 acres. At
one side stands the pueblo, blunt pyra-
mid of adobe and stone honeycombed
with rooms, at the other the church and
graveyard, and near the center pond of
pure water 30 feet in depth and several
rods in extent.
The priest was made acquainted with
the object of our visit, and the ringing OF
the church bell brought the inhabitants Of
the village around u.s. When they I'M
derstood that the title to their lands was
in question and we had come to tako testi-
mony they showed great interest, and
discussed the various points involved
with remarkable intelligence, considering
their limited opportunities for knowl.
edge of law. As nightfall came on
q number of the men who had been
at work in the valley came up, bring
ing delicious peaches and grapes, which
we were glad to accept in Wow of the
meager preparations for supper. We slept
in the church, wrapped mp in our Navajo
blankets, and never felt more secure OIL
happier in our lives. When the gray
dawn peered through the little mica wi n.
dow panes it revealed great roof beams
more than foot In diameter and 80 or 40
feet long, and through the open tower a
bell that was cast in ITO. How these i'm.
mense timbers and this bell were brought
up W tuc tOp WIS Ciih hO ouo liNlh
knows. The Indians shake their head 6
and the priest shakes his, but no one ven
lures an opinion. Tho timbers are there.
however, as witnesses, and morning and
night, as tho seasons come and 60 aud
generations pass away, the bell speaks
for itself in the silvery tones that pleased
its founder In fsr-of Spain when King
George was on the throne. The sdobes-
or the earth of which they were made
were brought up from the valley
also, for the top of the butte was bald
rock in the beginning. And the earth
for the graves came the same way. requir
ing forty years, tho priest said, to com
plete the graveyard. 1t is the only com
pleted graveyard have ever seen. TIL,
old priest seemed very happy in thu
charge Of his flock and his flock seemed
happy in possession of him.
When the time for our departure came
there was Handwriting and Handwriting
and gracious blessing from the old man
and message to Father Do Fouri, and
we climbed down from the city in tn,
air and rode back in silence to the rail
| road,
THE Exposition Uniyerselle de Part Gulf
| aire" awarded the highest honors to Angos
tura Bitters as the most eillcacious stimulan
| to excite the appetite and to keep the dige
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