Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-23
MOUNTAIN DWARFS.
DO NEW MExIcos CLIFF Dwell
LERS STILL ExIsTP
Evidence That Number of the Pyg-
mics Still Live in Mountain Fast
nesses-T Their Little Stone Houses
and Miniature Pottery.

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81 am dead sure that when / am 60
ing to write to you You won't believe
but it is the gospel truth and In
willing to make cath to it, and / vii
do it if yon require it, SAID Jim Blair
an ld-timer, Of New Mexico, as brave ;
hunter, as handy fellow with a gun
and, withal, as respectful TO truth as an,
of the hardy prospectors abont Chloride
Writes an Albuquerque (Mew Mexico
correspondent of the New York World
Jim had come into the camp abou
dead from exposure in the great snow
storm of January, and for the first few
DAYS had maintained an ominous anc
uncommon silence as to his adventures
The night before his adventures Will
me, in answer to some insinuation as t
his whereabouts during his absence
jim had declared that he had seen sights
that were worth more than all the gold
in the Black Range. Further than this
his comrades could learn nothing.
The next day Jim was morose and un
communicative and it took innumer
able pipes to bring him into anything
like storytelling humor Finally he
promised to write out his adventures,
and this he did after the World cores
pendent had left Chloride and come
northward. After rather stilted apol-
ogy for poor penmanship and lack OF
time, the letter gave the following
graphic account, and Blair's own Ian
guage is used, which shows him TO be a
man of education and dramatic power
of expression. Whether the story was
but the fantasy of his brain crazed by
his terrible suffering, or he saw what lie
claims, is left the intelligent reader TO
argue out to his own satisfaction. Says
jim:
During the recent great snow-storm
which Black Rangers will remember for
many years TO come, / was out hunting
on the headwaters of the Gilla River.
The evening was dark and gloomy, with
that peculier stiffness that prevails when
snow is falling. l had stopped, being
uncertain of my way, near an overhang-
ing cliff which seemed to be hundreds
of feet high, when CHANGING to cast my
eyes downward was literally paralyzed
by seeing tiny footprint in the snow.
Knowing there were no inhabitants
within many miles of the place, almost
doubted the evidence of my own eyes,
and vague and superstitious fear began
TO creep over me.
s'But curiosity got the better Of my
fears and | resolved to follow the trail Of
the unknown being, which led by cir
cuitous and toilsome route up the but
ting face or the cliff. 1t seemed /
climbed for hours, passing over narrow
lodges that would have puzzled an expe-
rienced hunter to maintain his foothold,
but in my excitement scarcely noticed
it. All fear had now left me and my
desire to see the little being which had
been following had completely driven
out all other thoughts from my mind.
81 arrived Mt last on broad ledge of
rock completely sheltered from the storm
and as smooth as if it had been polished.
Its entire surface was carved with the
most beautiful hieroglyphics. Pictures
and characters of all kinds covered the
face of the cliff, done in the most artis-
tic manner, but differing greatly from
our style Of drawing. 1t seemed to be
cut in the rock and then filed in with
some brilliant coloring matter. In the
cliff, about twelve feet from where /
came on to the ledge, was an almost
round hole about large enough to admit
a water bucket, which from constant use
had been worn perfectly smooth, and in
this hole had no doubt my mysterious
friend had vanished.
''My interest was so great that had I
not noticed the flight of time, but now (
with dismay found the night closing
around me, and night on that barren I
rock without blankets or fire meant /
almost certain death. But there / was,
and there / must remain until the COM
ing day would lend its friendly light to
guide me back to Mother Earth, pro-
gided | had not persisted with cold.
The snow was still falling, and the pine
.rees far down beneath me had ceased
heir signing and their boughs were
bending under their glistening coat of
nail. A silence as profound as death
all nature in close embrace,
when suddenly there broke upon my ear
he sweetest sound that it has ever heard
"a low, sweet, plaintive melody such as
/ loving mother would sing to soothe
retting child.
"The sound came from the opening
previously mentioned, and, falling ON
ny hands and knees, crawled as nois-
essly as possible toward the hole.
Raising my face | looked in, and the
light that met my gaze will be forever
tamped ON my memory. The room was
levin from the solid rock, and there,
Gated ON the rough, stone floor, was a
'roup of what l will call Clifftons, for
hey were undoubtedly the relics of the
ncient cliff jewellers of which you and /
lave seen so much sign. In height l
would judge them to be about 2 IL to 3
eet, dressed warm and snugly in skins,
With the hair inside, fitting skin-tight
o as to give free use to the limbs. l
ormed the idea that they were father,
Mother and daughter. Their color was
dark bronze-something like our indi-
ms, but more bright and clean. The
mallest one, which 1 took to be the
laughter, was leaning affectionately on
er mothers shoulder, and humming
oft, low melody, that filed the little
DOM with music without breaking into
ny definite sound and it was undoubt-
n