The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-21

nan. .na pitches Built Thousands OF
Years Ago.
Tucson Age
AZ the question of irrigation. ancient and
modern. Is nov being discussed oy the
pres. of the entire West. the following
facts obtained from E. l. Wetmore, OF this
city. win be appropriate;
The e iy pioneers o. Arizona mention
the outlines and ruins OF an ancient paenia-
known additionally as Pueblo Verlo, that
had crumhIed 10 its foundation. four miles
northweSt of Tucson, within the fork OF the
santa Cruz and Riisito rivers. Ancient
uotterv and broken oilas were scattered
around promiscuously. No record has
been handed down TO posterity as to what
manner OF people they might have been
who built and lived in the city Other
ruins have been discovered on the Santa
Cruz and Rillito rivers at the point OF the
Tucson mountains. Hierogiyphics on the
rocks of these mountains, ii translated,
might inform us Of the history of these
people There cannot be . doubt that
their chief resources were agriculture and
mining. The ruins of 8 dam can be traced
in the vicinity of the pueblo, short dis
lance west OF the narrow-gauge railroad,
tina, evidently caused the overflow Oh
nearly a0,0o0 acres OF land.
The eariy pioneers inform US that when
they visited Tucson thirty years ago. the
land now cultivated west of Tucson, on the
Santa Cruz. was q lagune, covered with
rushes and cattsils, and the home OF myri-
ads of water fowls. DR.. ]. H. Goodwin, an
old pioneer. took possession of quarter
section of land on the Santa Cruz. near
where the railroad now strikes it, and con-
ceiyed the idea of constructing ditch run
ming in a southerly direction toward the
city, at point near the location of this la
gune, and secured permanent water within
q few feet of the surface. He noticed the
evidence OF all ancient people in excayating
for the ditch. Stone hatchets and hammers
were taken out.
AT Fort Lowell, seven miles east of Tue
son, the ruins OF an ancient people were ex-
humed on the south bank OF the Rillito
river, their skeletons lying pronliscuously on
the ground and evidences that cooking was
under way. the ollas with charred wood
and ashes underneath, indicating that they
had come to . violent death. During the
spring OF lss7, when work was progressing
on the Wetmore ditch on the south bank OF
the Riliito, near J. II. Hancock's ranch, in
excavating two feet below the surface,
cobblestones were encountered in the sandy
soil and continued down to point six feet
below the surface, where two skeletons
were found that crumbled to dust when ex-
posed to the air. They were buried in u
sitting posture. and were only a few feet
apart.
At this point the Rillito shows evidence
Of having run in westernly direction, and
can be traced through the Hancock. Jones,
Samaniego. Haynes and Wetmore ranches
to the vicinity of DR.. Goodwin's ranch.
striking the base of the mesa. and indicat-
ing flow of water fully forty feet IN width
and OF uniform grade. What other con-
clusion can be drawn than that this was an
ancient ditch that furnished water for irri-
eating sevssal thousand acres of land in
the vicinity 81 the old pueblo? The land
along This ancienr water way is covered
with mesquite and catclaw: the soil is of q
sandy nature, and water can be had from
fifteen to thirty feet below the surface in an
unlimited supply. The water is pure from
the gravel and sands below. being part of
the old river channel and supplied from
the watersheds of the Santa Catalina
Ricou, Milestone and Santa Rita noun
tains.
Along the line of this ancient ascequa
the farmer of today with his pillow and
spade turns up the broken ola, relics of an
ancient race who were tillers of the soil, and
the present occupants are now profiting by
their example.