Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-02
A CITY IN THE AIR.
Thss Caeer Pueblo OF Acoma. N
New MsxioQ.
A Wonderful Pace Constructed On KoeA
400 Feet AIOss the saErss12ding v.l-
lsy-A Grim Fortress krosniaE
Cpon All Ins~dsrs-



moss remarkable connalitiss IN NJ"
Mexico or ths United states. To reach
it, take the Atlantic & Paeidc Rairoai
% B.cCarthy's Sta.i)l, AMI then trans
FER 10 an Il1laa po1y aaI ride slsssl
miles south by east. Wasl near yo1r
joI rney's end you descend almost imper-
csptOly into tho valley six MI IA Will,
IN the mi Idle OF which standsa butte, an
on tae top OF tt, IS Acona sht hun-
dred peopls ar, living there, anl thsy
and tleir ancestors have gatlereI there
the sum OF their posses siols Tor nearly
three centuries. IA butte is one OF many
that are the r smna ats o. IN ssa that has
been worn away by the erosion OF the
ages, and survives oaly in hat-topped
II olntains here aud there. The valleys
betw cen are fertile, and untold genera
tons OF men have sen them covered with
grain and ho-ks OF sheep.
Some time in the seventeenth century
the Laguno or Valley Indians made war
upon the Acomas for the poss sssion Of the
country, and tn latter, being the weaker.
occupied this butte a defensive position
believed u be inpregnabIe. Their Juds-
ment has been abundansly vind.cated l.
has proved a Gibraltar OF strength and
safety. The comparison is not inappro-
pirate, and in approaching it from the
north / was struck with the res emblance TO
the pictures l have seen OF that grim
fortress that frowns over the strait t. the
Mediterrane can. The height above the VAL
Icy is nearly four hundred feet, and the
walls in several places nearly perpen-
dicllar. There are two means OF ascent,
oae by a flight OF steps cut into the face OF
the wall and rising at an angle OF forty
five degrees, and the other by fssure in
the rocks leadi ls up into the heart OF the
mountain. Both ways have been troddsn
by human feet until the steps are hollowsl
out like troushs Either one 10 ex-
ceedingly difficult, an neither is tolerably
safe. We chose the one along the
iissure. To give an idea Of the laborious
ness of the task, ina zine a stairway
startiny at Mr.. Grosvenor's Office aad ris-
ing 10 the top of the spire OF the Methodist
Churc /, then continuing on an easier angle
for l0J feet, and then rising again by
sleeper grads than ever to an elevation
higher than the weather vane on the Uni
verslty, and thi, stairway a precarioIs
footing along the sides of q cash in a
rugged mountain, aad you may know how
we reached Aooma. With all thu danger
and fati 5ue, it is a laughable sight to Sc
person-sone other person--maks the as
cent. One has to stride over the fsslre,
one foot on the right han side aud the
o sr on the let, and at the same time
press the hands alternately against the
rocks for support. An Indian W III throw
live sheep around his neck and go up
qaits rapidly without touching eith er
hand to the rocks; but ! am satisfied
oIld never do it.
They told us of pathetic incident that
occurred on the outer stairway several
generations ago. Several men started up,
each with a 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 compan-
ions over the precipice, and they all fell
on the rocks at the foot in a lifeles. heap.
The Indians have carved a repres sntatiol
of the accident on a rock near where it oc-
Cured, which scarcely serves to steady
the nerves of those who go by that route.
contains an area of sixty or seventy acres.
At one side stands tho pueblo, a blunt
pyramid of adobe and stone honey combed
with rooms, at the other the church and
graveyard, and near the center a pond OF
| pure water thirty feet in depth and sever
al rods in extent
The priest was made acquainted with
the object Of our visit, and tho ringing of
! the church bell broug tn inh lbisants OF
! the village around us. When thev UNDER
stood that the title to the lands was in
question, and we had come to take testi :
mony, they showed great interest and dis
cussed the various points involved with
remarkable intelligence, considering th cir
limited opportunities for a knowledge OF
| law. As nightfan came on a number oi
the men who had been at work in the val
ley came up. bringing delicious peaches
and grapes, which we were glad to accept
in view of the meager preparations for
supper. We slept in the church. wrapped
up in our Navajo blankets, aud never fell
MOI Q secure or happier in our lives. When
the gray dawn peered through the little
mica window panes it revealed great roof
/ beams more than foot in diameter and
thirty or forty feet long, AMI through
The op- n tower a bell that was cast IL
/ 1910. How these immeuss tiInbers nnd
this bell were brought up to the tor
OF this cliff no one living knows. The
Inlians shake their heads and the prizes
shakes his. but no one ventures sn opinion
The timbers are there, however, as wit
nesses. and morning and night, "a the sen
sons come and go and genarations pas:
away. the bell speaks for itsel, IN the sill
very tones that pleased its founisr in IA
of Spain when King George was on tn
throns. The adobes-or the earth Of wbici
they were made-were brought up from
the valley also, for the top OF the butte wa
a bald rock in the beginning. Aud th'
earth for the graves came the same way
requiring forty years, the priess said, .
complete the graveyard. It's til only com
pieted graveyard have ever seen. To-
old priess seemed very happy in the charg