Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-12-05
PREHISTORIC RUINS.
The Remarkable Hidden Mysteries of
Guatemala and Yucatan.
A Rich Field That Ought to Be Explored
The Stephens and Catherwood Discoveries
Remains Of Loaf Race Whose Civilization
Was Of High Order.

Syria and Greece and occasionally I'M
earthing some piece OF statuary. the
section OF an architectural ruin, some
tool or utensil, or perhaps q sculptured
monolith inscribed in hieroglyphies
that nntedated letters with some short
chapter of the history or tradition Of
the place where IL is found, says a
writer in the New York Times, Il field
for archaeological research remains on
this western hemis sphere more extern
sive and promising than any in the old
world, and one which has for more than
three centuries been left untouched.
Only twice since the Spanish discov-
erers overran old Mexico and Central
America and ruthlessly laid waste
many of those monuments OF the ancient
and apparently degenerate civilization
that might have furnished the connect
ing links between the present aud that
mysterious past, has the civilized ex-
plorer turned his attention to the vast
fields OF architectural ruins in Guate-
mala and Yucatan.
They visited and investigated and
sketched more than a score OF ruined
centers OF some time dense popula-
ton, the only evidences of which still
existing were found in the remnants.of
vast, spacious, towering and gorgeous
ly sculptured temples, castles, pyri-
mids, strongholds and terraces OF the
utensils in domestic use by the build
ers and occupants of these majestic
piles, their implements OF toll and
warfare, or even the places and manner
of their sepulture, so few we're found
that little or nothing OF the dark cloud
OF mystery that enshrouds the origin
of these stately ruins was removed and
the much more important question,
"Whence came the mighty race that
reared these stupendous piles and
where are they now?" Is still rs deep
ly involved in mystery as when. in
1917, the flag of Caucasian civilization
was first planted on their shores.
In the extensive ruins OF the Central
American states there are convincing
evidences of the existence OF dense
population-densera and more puissant
apparently than its successors in
possession in this later part of the
nineteenth century. That population
has left in its architectural remains
evidences OF n knowledge of physics,
mathematics, mechanics and sign
language. In the gorgeous costumes
in which their sculptured heroes and
deities are set forth is also proof that
the mechanical art has reached n high
state OF development only the most
rudinentary principles OF which re-
mains in the denizens OF the early part
OF the sixteenth century.
In the royal magnihcence OF their
surroundings, their Jewelry, their
sculptured thrones, and implements OF
war, as shown in the statues and bas-
reliefs, are evidences of system of
fine arts and knowledge OF the use OF
metals. Yet of tools, implements of
war, or ancient fabrics no signs have
been found. But some OF the statuary
still retains the colors in which it was
originally decorated while in some
few respects the buildings and their
decorations. the monoliths or idols OF
stone, and the hieroglyphics resemble
similar creations found among the
ruins OF the old world. there are
principles OF construction abse from
the Yucatan and Guatemalan struct-
ures which proves them 10 have been
of an order Of architecture altogether
independent OF the ancieot schools.
Stephens, in his story OF explora-
ton, says: "Volumes without num-
Der have been written TO account for
the first peopling of America. BY
some the inhabitants OF the continent
have been regarded as a separate race,
not descended from the same common
father with The rest OF mankind;
others have ascribed their origin to
some remnant of the antedilu Wan in
habitants of the earth, who survived
the deluge which swept away the
greatest part of the human race in the
days OF Noah, and hence have consid-
cred them the most ancient race of
people on the earth. Under the
broad range allowed by descent from
the sons Of No III, the Jews, the
Canaanites, the Phenicians, the
Carthaginians, the Greeks, the
Scythians, in ancient times; the
Chinese, the Swedes. the Norwegians,
the Welsh, and the Spaniards in mod
ern times have had Inscribed TO them
the honor OF peopling America The
two continents have been joined to-
gether and rent asunder by the shock
OF an earthquake; the faded island Of
Atlantis has been lifted out of tho
ocean, ana, not I'd Oe OenlnOnanu, an
enterprising American has turned the
tables on the old world and planted
the ark itself within the state OF New
York. The monuments are architec-
tural remains OF the aborigines have
heretofore formed but little part OF the
groundwork for these speculations.
He quotes DR.. Robertson's skeptical
impressions concerning these ruins,
and thus demolishes the author:
"At that time distrust was perhaps
the safer side for the historian, but
since DR.. Robertson wrote a new flood
OF light has poured upon tho world.
and the field OF American antiquities
has been opened"
Confident then that in his and Gith-
erwood's and Poultney's work OF ex-
ploration q beginning had been made
which would never be abandoned until
the soul OF the great mystery had been
laid bare, he proceeds to castigate the
subjugators and inheritors OF this all
bountiful and terribly misused land
after this fashion,:
"The Ignorance, carclessness and in
difference OF the inhabitants OF Span
ish America on this subject are matters