The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-10
a civilization that is older than history
\ VANISHED RACE

doubt Their leveled cities, crowded grave
yards and massive mounds are the only
monuments left to tell the tale OF their exist
snce. In all the river valleys are found
extensive ruins of former habitstions. and
in the rocky banks of many Of the streams
are excavations in the solid granite, which
bear evidence of having been the abode Of
human beings. Throughout the mountains
and highlands surrounding Prescott, ruins
Of stone buildings and circular enclosures
are found, abou: which fragments Of coarse
pottery, richly ornsmented esrthen jars
stone hammers and axes have been picked
up. In the valleys of the San Pedro and
ella rivers numbers of mounds are found,
and in many spots in these valleys, now a
barren waste, are evidences that at some
remote period they we're made to bloom and
blossom as the rose. Near Fort verden, in
Middle Arizona, an ancient burying ground
has been discovered, where hundreds of the
vanished race sleep their last sleep.
A PRE- HISTORIC STAMPING GROUND
Near the town of Tempe, in the Salt river
valley, are the ruins Of many buildings the
largest uncovered being two hundred and
seventy-6ve feet in length by one hundred
and thirty in width. From what appears
to have been large burial chamber mum
Der of human skeletons, perfect in all parts,
we're taken
The populous centre of this departed race
it is reasonable to believe, was in the Salt
river valley This is shown by the unmis
taxable traces of their ancient irrigating
canals, decaying ruins and burial grounds
that everywhere dot the surface. And,
perhaps, where today some modern tiller Of
the soil builds his home, the ancient hus
bandman worked the earth in his crude way.
centuries before Columbus saw Ssa Salvador.
AFAsT FADING RELIC.
Chief among the relics Of this pre- historic
race, in point Of size and preservation, is
Casa Grsnde. 1t is situated near the town
of Florence, short distance from the
Southern Pacific railroad. Coronado was
the first European to look upon it, in 1910,
when in search Of the "Seven Cities" 1t
was then in ruins, and the Pima Indians,
then as now living in the vicinity, knew
nothing Of its history. 1t is built Of red
earth, the exterior walls being at that time
four hundred and twenty feet from
north to south, and two hundred and SIXTY
feet from east TO west. with walls six feet
thick. No siairways were found. but it is
believed that they were burned away when
the Apaches destroyed the editce There is
no positive proof, but from the information
given by the Indians, Casa Grande must
have been built in the twelfth century.
Much speculation has been INDUCED in as
to the design of the ancient builders in
rearing such II strange and massive struc.
ture, and it is mystery to this day. Some
suggest that 1t might have been place Of
defense. because Of its many port-h holes /;
others think it more likely that il WAS q
prison house, owing 70 the multiplicity of
its rooms. When Coronado named it Casa
Graude (big house, in the sixteenth century
it was four stories high, but the winds and
rains of three hundred years have we'll nigh
beaten it down, the portion now standing
ho;p ~ hnt fffv hv N; caat
OBLIvION's IMPENETRABLE PAIL.
As to the builders, the queries, who
whence? whithers remain unans wcrea.
Did war, famine, pestilence or some mighty
convulsion Of Nature destroy them? Time
has so nearly oblitersted all evidences Of
their existence that their history has become
almost Psychological. 1t is probable that
they we're iillers of the soil, aud that their
civilization was not greatly in advance Of
that Of he Moquis or Zunis. Their cities
were in ruins when the empire of the Mon.
tezumas was at its meridian splendor,
hence they could have had no connection
with that remarkable people Some enter.
tain the belief that this vanished race we're
the same as the Indians of the Pueblo towns
Of the ella river, and that the savage
Apache WAS the author of their downfall
AN APACHE STRONGHOLD.
Over the cactus plains of Central Arizona
and through the awful wastes Of the Colo.
RADIO Plateau, the Grand Canyon of the
Colorado river is reached. 1t is the most
s'upendous gorge on the globe, being four
hundred miles long and from one thousand
to six thousand feet deep. Through count
less ages the Colorado river, in its mad
course from the mountains to the sea. has
cut through the eruptive rock, forming this
mighty and awe-inspiring chasm. This
canyon and adjoining ones, in the broken
and almost inaccessible region of the Colo.
RADIO, have long been the hiding place and
stronghold of the marauding Apache. This
lshmaelite Of the hills, so long master of
mountain and plain in Arizona, could here
carry on his work of bloodshed and plumber
with comparative safety, for once in his