The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-17
GETTING NEAR THE SUN.
A Mound Twelve Hundred Feet High
Built by Old Sois MOrshinper..

Charles j. Wimplc, one of the wealthiost
miners Of Mexico, is a recent arrival in san
Francisco. To representative Of the Call
of that city he told the following wonderful
story: "lOu have asked me to give an ac-
count Of the interesting mountain my friend,
Jesse ID. Grant. and myself saw during
our trip through Mexico en- route 10 this
city. Well. that mountain is 1T once one Of
the most gigantic exhibitions Of mans ham
dlwOrk, aud something almost beyond cred
ence were We not already familiar with
the works Of the AZtecs. Just imagine
valley forty by thirty miles IN area, and
from lis center rising "A mound over 100
feet in height. Then you can realize the
first effect created upon our minds when we
came before the hill | am to describe.
My foreman was with us, and had partly
prepared us for the surprise. but we had
treated his story with incredul0us remarks.
aud had by no means suspected he had but
given a modest description of the mound.
I'VE gazed 10 the top and allowed our
eyes to follow the wndngs of "A road down
% the base. We went around the base and
cOnjectured il was about one aud "A hall
miles in circumference. Then We started
for the summit. The roadway was built
Of solid rock clear 10 the pinnacle, and was
from thirty TO forty feet in width. \ wall OF
solid rock formed foundation and an inside
wall 1T the same time. The outer edge OF
the road was unguarded. These stones
weigh all the way up to ton each, and are
not cemented. The roadway is as level as
iOOr. and is covered with broken pieces OF
earihenware water vessels.
Half way up the mountains is an altar
cut in solid rock; in the niche is a boulder
which must weigh at least six tons. The
boulder is of different stone from that used
in the walls. The rocks in the walls are
dressed by skilled wOrkmen. but are not
polished. We saw 10 inscriptions; IN fact.
we had no time 10 spare in making search
ing Investigation. We did look for arrow
heads or other warlike implements
to satisfy ourselves that the mound
had not been used for defensive or oilen-
siye purposes. Nor was there any eNi-
dence to prove that the roadway had
been built for the purpose Of witnessing
bull-hghts and other spots ~ the valley.
could only conclude the Aztec sun wOr-
shippers expended wears OF labor on the hill
in order thai they might have AN apprOpri-
ate place to celebrate their imposing iestl-
walls inasmuch a. the roadway was strewn
with broken earthenWhrc. and those sciOns
OF bygOne and notable race were known
10 carry at sunrise large quantities Of water
i'm edrthenware jars t0 an eminei ce. and
there pour out the liquid and smash the
vessels.
"N hen We descended We brought with
Us a number Of small sea shells which had
petrified. and if YOU look at these on my
liable YOU will see how they have been per-
fOratcd by the Indians. We again took
long look at the mountain and saw it was
OblOng in shape. and that the upward road
commenced on the eastern side. have
Travelled on both sides Of the mountains
from British Columbia to Central America,
and on either side Of the Sierra Madrcs
where the clif-dwellers have left such r.
markable mementos of their skill and Gus
toms. but | have never witnessed anything
50 wonderful aud magnificent a. the mound
winch have been telling YOU about.
"lhe valley Is about six hundred feet
above the sea level. and is about seventy
miles from the coast. II j. situated i'm So
nora. between the cities Of Altar and Mag
,ialena. and near the Magdalena river. We
called the curiosity ralisade Mountain, aud
L is well nampd.'