Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-10-27
OLD Oh NEW 2


.'The Return Of the Jews to Palestine" Seats
free, but collection will be taken.
OLD Oh NEW9
W here Are the Best Climate and the
Greatest Wonders Found?
EDITORS HERALD-When we see steam
ship after steamship leave New York in
the fall and winter months carrying many
thousands of American citizens to for
eign countries in search of warmer
climate, or with desire to see the
wonders of nature and of art in the
world beyond the seas, we are apt to ask
ourselves whether many of these thou
sands know aught of the wonderful
climate Of the Pacific Coast, or of the
wonders both of nature and of the
art of man that are to be found in that
wonderland OF the great West consisting
OF California, Arizona and New Mexico.
The citizen of New York can by three
and a half days of easy travel in Pull
man car over the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railway, reach the country of
the ancient Aztecs, and still more
ancient Toltecs-a country rich in ruins
of cities that were great in the
days Of Montezuma, and rich in
the masterpieces of natures handi-
work. The railway passes through the
old city of Laguna, in New Mexico.
city now inhabited by the remnants Of
once powerful Mexican tribe. These are
the "cliff dwellers"-so called from hav-
ing their cities built upon the tops of iso-
lated mountains, the approach to which
is by single tortuous, narrow path
aleng the face of the mountain, Here
is one of the temples of Montezuma.
Further on we pass near Acoma,
and then near Zuni. We are
now in the country of the celebrated
''seven cities of Cibola," Zuni will well
repay a visit. The Indians are very
friendly. Near Zuni is the ancient city
of Cibola, perched on the top of solitary
mountain that rises almost perpendicu-
larly 1000 feet above the level of the
surrounding plain. Here are the ancient
groves and affairs of the Aztecs, and here
the Zunis come to worship. Scattered
about on the adjacent plains are the ruins
of more than thirty cities, and the
ancient zanjas or water bitches
can be traced for over forty miles.
Near by is the celebrated GEL Moro"
rock, covered with ancient Toltec and
Aztec hieroglyphics, and with more re-
cent Spanish inscriptions. The earliest
of these Spanish inscriptions having a
date is the name of Don Jose de Baum
zalles in 1926. On the top of GEL Moro"
are the ruins of an ancient city. Some of
these ancient ruins are so old that
there is no Indian tradition of
the present races concerning them, al
though the Indian lore of the Zunis and
Moquis is rich in traditions of the time
of Montezuma, and even of earlier times.
Near here is the wonderful "Jacob's
WE'LL" 100 feet deep and 600 feet across
on the top. At the bottom is an ice.cold
spring that is reached by stone steps
that were laid before the time of Column
bus.
In Central Arizona are to be found thu
ruins of "Montezuma's houses" or
"Casas Grandes," built many hundred
years ago. Father Kino tells us in his
book that he celebrated mass in casa
Grande," the largest of these buildings,
220 years ago, and that it was then in
very good order. In Chihuahua are
similar ruins. In the Canon of the Chaco
are the ruins of city that was built in
natural excavation in the side of the
mountain. On the Salinas are the
ruins of more "Casas Grandes."
In Central Arizona were the rich mines
of gold and silver which yielded such an
immense revenue to the Spanish Gov
eminent in the early days of Spanish
acquisition. The richness of these
mines may be judged from the fact that
the archives of the old Custom House at
| Guaymas, Sonora, contain the record of
& suit brought by the Spanish King to
recover from mine proprietor mass of
virgin silver weighing over $500 pounds.
The King claimed that all curioeities
that were found in Mexico belonged to
the crown, and that this large lump of
silver was curiosity, and therefore be-
longed to him. These mines, with all
their hidden wealth, lie neglected, await
ing the coming of the steady proprietor.
Felix Aubrey, who visited Arizona in
| 1S49, says that the Indians used bullets
of gold when lead was scarce. When
the railways were first built through Ari-
IONA and New Mexico the Indians used
to bring to the stations large quantities of
gold and silver, which they would con-
vert into powder and ball at one-twen-
tieth of their value.
South of Albuquerque, in New Mexico,
is the wonderful petrified forest, where
hundreds of trees, some of them 100 feet
long and ten feet in diameter, have been
converted by some wonderful chemical
process into solid jasper of variegated
colors. Old Mexico is near at hand
with its pagan teocallis or pyramids to
the sun and war gods, that were old and
ruined in the days of the Aztecs.
Near Flagstaff, in Arizona, live the
"Moqui" Indians-the "cave jewellers"
as they are called, from living in caves
in the precipitous sides of the highest
mountains in the vicinity. The approach
to their dwellings is by narrow path
along the steep side of the cliff. A three
hours drive from the railway station at
Flagstaff will bring the traveller to the
"Grand canon of the Colorado" where
the river during countless ages has been
cutting it's way deeper and deeper into
the clay of its banks, until for miles the
banks are over mile in height, and the
stream looks like slender silver cord as
seen from the top. But to get correct
idea of the grandeur of this most wonder
full work of nature one must 60 down to
the rivers side and look up at
the towering and overhanging
walls that seem to reach almost
to the clouds. The DEVILS canon"
that is crossed by the railway before
reaching Flagstaff fills you with awe as
you look down into its depths, yet it il
not 800 feet deep, while the awful rift
that you gaze down into from the banks