Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1889-06-11
AZIEC RUINS or SER.
RI COUNTY,

Mexico pasS sht1u oI d EtNei hia
more extensive luinter III Aztt'
iuins tliau Little Sierra" ye
oanla all uui wealth 1T gold and sil
yer ana the wonderful Vie ON
Park, We are not wholly deyold q
tlle additional attraction Of sub
stantial evidences OF uns semi his
toricsl, yet MT mythical. TINT mys
ticsl ,,eol,le 81. far ns the write
Is aware al this time, there are no
visible ruins OF tle AEtecs III thi
County only upon the Rio Animas
near All. j JLu Olgenorths farn
ranch, sixteen miles east of here
aud tins, too, at only one Iaace al
the sAtire length OF the river
During the last raid If Geronimo
iiis... y-nl 1886, being hhrd press
eI we,,s ught prot, ctioa ben-aii
he friel'&ly roof "f Oh ale s-'a
gee, the holi.. .st-lder, and later on
INC .r,-ntee of4.a, benuulul tract
Of bolt LII las,,:.. ~ Was sever"
days before Vt ds. ed'asn'ure tnr-
tLer tihan the door, bad S4Aen ~;li.
gan iu band and an arinGry * cat.
ridges about our waists. A M.u-
can, whose name Is forgotten, Wan
also our fellow s. j,nIner for safe
t. at t.fe home of the now deoeas
ed ranchmsn barits Lougee.
AS tine wore away We beeuiled the
many days and almost sleepleos
nights with stories. adventures siHi
escapes, when the subject of this
article WAS came to In It's turn 10y
the friend If the American Mexi.
can refugees. Tie described the
RUNS, which are iucaten halt a
lnile north OF Nj Opgehortb = anl
even went 80 lar as 10 rumulage
down ni an old box of rubbish aLd
brlng fnth q numb of pieces oi
oiu pottery he mad lich'd up ON
tile site OF she ancient Aztec tow n.
A TRIP vas planned to be nade the
first opportunity that offered lts"it
with, ut tiSlng any chances If in-
IN Apnche bullets. 1t
WAS about the fifth day after our
ARRIVAL there, that We dared ven
tnre forth: But one bright alter
noon i'll earl, june we crossed the
vide belt Of timber that frnged
me ilyrr and beyond the ter Al.
)ther strip ol "niergrowth ard t'r
ut tlees, which brought tine trlp II
ellie hunters IL The fout Of the m4
u. Ii was on the second level, il
memory serves US right, that We
'topped immediately at the begin.
ing of once habltable Aztec vii
age, or town The walls If the
,ld ruins were clearly outlined
lbove the ground. Az elsewhere
II Aztec ruins IN Southwestern
New Mexico, the town had not
,een laid off with any prelensions
os luares and right angles, but ap-
to suit the convenience
4 the builder in the matter of 10
alton fronting TIE RIVER and the
,icturesqurly beautiful foresi be
Dw aud the stretch If h lis and
seHks iey"n.l. The foundation
,alls of the buildings are perfectly
lnare, and were az cJnpnctiy snd
+ nicely placed together ~ Can be
ona by mason of today. bnt
he greatest curiosity was the thlu,
lat rock "f wlii,i The wmla were
ullt. and there lis ever 4 feruriiug
uestion as to al. re- they caue
rom. These rock, 81 tia' sfolee,
i'll not come from ihv he'd Of the ,
yer below, rs All examination uf
IL character aud form of the rock
lere proved. n d,d they come I
om the hills and mesas Of the
,untry adjacent, but must have
aen without doubt carried from :,
ng distances away. s
The sigi s ot the OLD habit. ii ms /
ould suggest population { 500 i
800 .eople. hut their object - |
aiding So far from the cohven- II
nces of wood and water, il prssad v
'er to the antiquarian to solve.