Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-29
MOUNTAIN DWARFS.
The Ancient Cliff Dwellers Still Exist
in New Mexico.
AN OLD HUNTERS sTRANGE'sTORY.
The Diminutive Family Discovered in {
Mountain Cave.
OTHERS WHO have SEEN THE PIGMIEi
An EndeavOr to be Made at Once to Capture Liv
Cliff weller.

Cliff weller.
A remarkable story comes from Los An
geles. 1t is told by an old prospector. He
says he has seen living descendants of the
ancient cliffdwellers in mountain cave in
New M exico. His statement is corroborated
by others who have seen one of these links
between the present and the prehistoric past
A party will shortly start out for the pur-
pose of further investigating the matter,
and if they capture one of these pygmies it
will afford the chance of lifetime for
some enterprising museum manager.
Los ANGELES, April 2S.-James Blair,
an old-time prospector apd a great hunter,
arri we'd here to-day from New Mexico, and
told remarkable account of his adventures
with descendants of the ancient Cliff
DIV ellers, the truthfulness of which he is
willing to swear to. He says:
'During the recent great snow storm,
which Black Rangers Will remember for
many years to come, I was out hunting on
the headwaters of the Gila river. The
evening was dark and gloomy, with that
peculiar feeling that prevails when snow is
falling. 1 had stopped, being uncertain Of
my way, near an overhanging cliff which
seemed to be hundreds of feet high, when,
CHANGING to cast nv eyes downward, was
literally paralyzed by seeing a tiny foot
print 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.
"But curiosity got the better of my fears
and resolved to follow the trail of the un-
known being, which led by circuitous and
toilsome route up the butting face of the
cliff. It seemed climbed for hours, pass
ing over narrow lodges thatwould have puz-
zled an experienced 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.
A MYSTERIOUS MELODY.
"I arrived at last on broad ledge of rock
completely sheltered from the storm, and as
smooth as if it had been polished. Its en-
tiful hieroglyphics. Pictures and charac-
ters of all kinds covered the face of the
cliff, done in the most artistic manner, but
differing greatly from our style of drawing.
1t seemed to be cut in the rock and then
filled in with some brilliant coloring mat
ter. In the cliff, about IL feet from where
I came on to the ledge, was an almost
round hole about large enough to admit
water bucket, which from constant use had
been worn perfectly smooth, and in this
hole I had no doubt my mysterious friend
had vanished
f'My interest was so great 1 had not no.
ticed the flight of time, butn with dismay
I found the night closing around me, and a
night on that barren rock without blankets
or fire meant almost certain DEATH But
there was, and there must remain until
the coming day would lend its friendly light
to guide me back to Mother Earth, provided
had not perished with cold. The snow was
still falling. and the pine trees far down be-
meath me had ceased their signing and their
boughs were bending under their glistening
coat of mail. A silence as profound as death
wrapped all nature in a close embrace,
when suddenly there broke upon my ear the
sweetest sound that it has ever heard--a low,
sweet, plaintive melody such as loving
mother would sing TO soothe fretting
child.
''The sound came from the opening pre-
viously mentioned, and falling on my hands
and knees, crawled as noiselessly as posi-
BILE toward the hole. Raising my face I
looked in, and the sight that met nv gaze
will be forever stamped on my memory.
The room was hewn from the solid rock,
and there, seated on the rough stone floor,
was group of what I will call Clifftons,
for they were undoubtedly the relics of the
ancient cliff dwellers of which you and L
have seen SO much sign.
A DIMINUTIvE FAMILY.
I'm height would judge them to be about
2X to feet, dressed warm and snugly in
skins, with the hair inside, fitting skin
tight, so as to give free use to ali the limbs.
I formed the idea that they were father,
mother and daughter. Their color was
dark bronze-something like our Indians,
but more bright and clean. The smallest
one, which took to be the daughter, was
leaning affectionately on her mothers
shoulder, and humming soft, low melody
that filed the little room with music with
out breaking into any definite sound, and it
was undoubtedly she that had first heard
singing.
''In form and features they were the ex
act counterpart of ourselves, though very
diminutive, and their eyes were clear and
uIlSuI WAsnVut tudt scdreu, W1lu look LnaL
characterizes most wild nations. The cold
had now become extreme, and was forced
to seek exercise to keep my sluggish blood
from congealing in my veins, so 1 abandoned
my vigil at the aperture and sought the
other end of the rock. where, pacing up and
down, spent that long, dreadful night,
with no sound to relieve the terror of the
night, except the occasional scream of a
wild cat, as he prowled his way through
the drifting snow. At the first streak of
dawnI hastened to leave my unwelcome
perch, and after long and perilious jour
ney reached the place where had first
| seen the footprints. After carefully mark
ing the place, set out to try and find camp,
and after travelling all day, stumbling
through snowdrifts and falling over hidden
logs, staggered into Cartwright's ranch,
where told my story.
''They looked at each other and said,
That's all right, of course you saw them.
You have been lost in the snow; you are
sick. Go to bed, old fellow, and you will
feel better in the morning.
"But it was no delusion I know what I
saw, and 1 want you to come up and 60
with me to find these strange people. I
give you my word of honor it is no myth. ("
CoRRoBoRATIvE TESTIMONY.
A letter has been received from Don Ar
mado, of San Mateo, n. NJ, Mexican
gentleman of irreproachable integrity, in
which he says: "For a number of years
past have been told by very old residents
of this neighborhood, especially by Don
Rafael Baca, now deceased, who died at the
age of 104 years, a man of intelligence and
| intaOrifv that there wara q faxu n1iH 1,r.I1