Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-14

has been made in this gypsum district, the
largest and most extensive in the world.
neither under the homestead or pre-
cmption laws nor under the mineral laws
OF the United States.
CURIOUS ROLL.
Ages ago thorc lived in portions of Ari:.
zona and New Mexico curious race OF
people who evidently could not trust their
fellow-men. Their houses were suspended
in the air, 70 TO speak, built against ellis
and precipiccs, OF were carved out OF solid
masonry in the side of PERCEPTIONS hiilsand
80 high that IL was impossible TO reach
people who lived in these strange abodcs
kept focks and herds, TILED the ground,
and pursued agriculture generally, yet so
careful were they of their own precious
hides that the general custom 1T
night was TO climb up into their
dwellings and pull the ladders up
after them. There are about six
covered by these curious dwellings, and
though little of from railroads and out
of the way Of travel, yet a visit of inspec-
tion 10 any one Of them would richly pay
the arch@ologist who has the nerve and
endurance to undertake the task. The
average clin-hOuse is of firm. neat mason
nv. attached or ccmented TO the cliffs in
most marvellous fashion, and evidently
cost great outlay of energy and ingenui-
ty in its construction. In some cases the
rock aud mortar of which they are built
have been brought hundreds Of feet up
the most precipitous places, and this with
out the aid, apparently. OF mechanical
contrivances of any kind. Some OF the
houses were constructed of adobe bricks.
for which an everlasting cement was used
In the Apache country Of Arizona, near
the entrance Of wild, rugged mountain
gorge, are series Of remarkable chh
dwellings.
In reality they are not cliff but cave
dwellings; yet, as in the former case, the
only mode of access is by means OF ladders,
for they underlie tremendous preciplce
The doorways are square holes from four
TO six feet in diameter, and crawling into
one of these murky, damp places one must
be careful Of reptiles and vermin, which
seem TO have taken absolute possession
since the rghtful owners have departed.
The ceilings are seven OF eight feet high,
walls a square of about the same diameter,
and the whole interior in some cases Is
decorated with stars, comets, and other
astronomical figures. Who the cliff-dwell-
ers were no one now can tell. They proba--
bly, preceded the Aztecs, who emigrated
from the region, and perhaps they were
contemporary with the Toltecs, who are
said to have been extinct before the Aztecs
were people.
MoNTEzUMA's WE'LL.
At the base of these cliffs is another re-
markable curiosity known as Montezuma's
Well. II was built by the inhabitapts OF
that period, supplying them with the ne
cessary moisture 10 sustain life. The Won
der of all curiosities however, in the South
- ha ADaehp
county. Arizona. What makes IT more re-
markable than it otherwise would be IS the
fact that the forest never grew on the spot
where it now lies, but was transported bodi-
~ from some region by force OF nature
that we can little imagine. There are no
stumps or trunks of trees left In the
ground-no roots, small limbs. or anything
to show that vegetable matter could live
and thrive in the volcanic ashes of the sec
ton, and yet mammoth tree trunks turned
into hard adamantine stone lie here In the
greatest profusion, millions of tons In
sight and no definite answer is there to
the puzzle. In some cases the trees are OF
gigantic size, having q diameter of Is or 20
feet at the base, and height of more than
$50 feet
The scene reminds one of Sindbad's
dream or Aladdin's cave. As far as the
eye can reach pieces of chrysoprase, car
nelian sard, and chalcedony are scattered
bits of amethyst, jasper, calcite. and agate
glitter in the sunlight, blazing with in
describable brilliancy, and 50 thick on the
ground that one can hardly step without
placing his foot on gem of "purest ray
serene" This mineralized wood is
scattered over more than two thousand
acres of surface. Situated i'll desert
of lava and ashes, although, rs remark
ed, millions of tons of the material
are in sight, yet all the mass must be a
mere bagatelle to what is really concealed
beneath the volcanic ruin, which at one
time swallowed the whole country in its
deathly embrace. 1t is scarcely possible
TO solve the mystery that surrounds the
wonderful chalcedony. park of Arizona.
There is something in the soil that silicl-.
fees wood, for on the northern border OF
Arizona, near the Colorado line is cabin,
built some years ago by mountain despe-
RADIO, which has since been converted into
stone probably the same petrifying ac-
ton operated upon this as upon the Arl-
iona forest.
1t seems reasonable since the trees are OF
mammoth proportions and similar 10 those
now growing in Oregon and California
that at some distant period of time ire
mendous flood or glacier swept down from
the Northwe st and transported the forest
bodily TO its present location IN the Apache
Valley Possibly a volcano or earthquake
finished the ruin, leaving the enigma for
future ages to solve as best they may. At
any rate, the ashes and lava are there, the
trees have been shattered and smashed
into every conceivable form, and the spot
is truly the greatest natural wonder on the
continent. The Government should set it
aside as a national reservation.