Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-13
The suN.WORSHlPPERS.
A Stone Roadway Built by Them 1,2oo
Feet Up Mound.
fcan Eranctsc Chill

Charles !. Wimple, one of tho wealthiest
miners of Mexico. Is a recent ARRIVAL IN the
citv. Toa representative of the eau be
told the following wonderful story last
night:
of the interesting mountain my friend
Jesse ID. Grant and myself saw during our
trio through Mexico ~ route 20 TINS CITY.
We'll. that mountain is at once one OF the
most gigantic exhibitions of mans handi-
work and something almost beyond ere
deuce were we not already familiar with
the works Of the AZtecs. 49,
" inst imagine valley forty by thirty
miles in area and from its centre rising
mound over 200 feet IN height. Ihenyou
can realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came before the hill | am
10 describe. Nv foreman was with us, and
had uarflv prepared US for the surprise, but
we had treated his story with ncredulOus
remarks and had by no means suspected he
had but given a modest description OF the
mound.
eyes 20 follow the windlngs OF road down
to the base. We went around the base ana
coniectured il was about one and hall
miles in circumference. Then We started
for tho summit Inc roadway vas punt u
solid rock clear 10 the pinnacle, and was
from thirty 10 forty feet IN width. wall
Of solid rock formed a foundation and an
inside wall at the same time. Inc outer
edpe 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 a floor. and Is covered with broken
pieces of eartheuware water vessels.
Half way up the mountain IS an altar
cut IN solid rock; IN the nlch IS 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 no inscriptions; IN fact,
we had no time 10 spare IN making a
| searching investigation. We aga look Tor
arrow-heads or other warllke nipple
mcnts TO satisfy ourselves that. the
mound had not been used for deien-
| eive ~ offensive purposes. Nor was there
any evidence 10 prove that the road
vav had been built for the purpose OF wit
Messing bull-hghts and other sports IN the
valley. L could only conclude tho Aztec
sun-worshippers expended years of labor
on the hill IN order that they might have
an appropriate place 10 celebrate their I'M
/ posing festivals, inasmuch "a the roadway
! was strewn with broken earthenware, and
| those scions of bygOne and notable race
! we're known 10 carry at sunrise large guam
] titles OF water IN earthenWare Jars TO an
! eminencc and there pour out the hquid
and smash the vessels.
when We descended we brought with
us number of small sca-shells which had
/ Mortified, and il You look at these on my
| table Won will see how they have been per-
! fOrated los the Indians. We again took a
/ long look at the mountain and saw 1t was
/ oblOnc IN shape, and that the upward
! road commenced on the eastern side.
! have travelled on both sides Of the noun
tains from British Columbia. to Central
! America. and on either side Of the Sierra
| Madres where tho chG-dwellers have lett
/ such remarkable mementos Of their skill
and customs, but have never witnessed
| ANYTHING so wonderful and magnificent as
| the mound which 1 have been telling you
about.
"The valley is about 600 feet above the
| sea-leyol and Is about seventy miles from
| the coast. 1t is situated in Sonora, be-
! tween the cities Of Altar and Magdalena,
and near the AIagdalena river. We called
the curiosity Palisade Mountain. and II IS
well named"