The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-21
THE sun WORsHIPPERs.
A Stone Roadway Built by Them 1,SOO
Feet Up . Mound.

A Stone Roadway Built by Them 1'*OV
Feet Up . Mound.
Charles J. Wimple, one of the wealthiest
miners Of Mexico, is recent arrival in the
city. To representative of the San Fran.
story last night:
"You have asked me to give an account OF
the interesting mountain my friend, Jesse
d. Grant and myself saw during our trip
through Mexico en- route to this city. Well,
that mountain Is at once one of the most
gigantic exhibitions of mans handiwork.
and something almost beyond credence
were We not already familiar with the
works of the Aztecs.
Gust imagine a valley forty by thirty
miles in area, and from its center rising
mound over l 200 feet in height. Then you
can realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came before the bill am
to describe. My foreman was with us, and
had partly prepared us for the surprise, but
We had treated his story with incredulous
remarks. and had by no means suspected ne
had but given modest description OF the
mound.
1--WE gazed to the top and allowed our
to the base. We went around the base and
conjeotured it was about one and q half
miles in circumference. Then we started
for the summit. The roadway was built OF
solid rock clear to the pinnacle. and was
from thirty to forty feet in width. A wall
of solid rock formed foundation and an
inside wall at the same time. The outer
edge of the road vas unguarded. These
stones weigh all the way up to ton each,
and are not cemented. The roadway is a.
level as floor, and is covered with broken
pieces of earthenware water vessels.
.'Half way up the mountain is an altar
cut in solid rock; in the niche is boulder
which must weigh at least six tons. The
boulder is of different stone from that used
in the walls. The rock in the walls are
dressed by skilled workmen, but are. not
polished. We saw no Inscriptions; in fact,
we had no time to spare in making search
ing investigation. We did look for arrow
heads or other warlike implements to salts
fly ourselves that the mound had not been
used for defensive or offensive purposes.
Nor was there any evidence to prove that
the roadway had been built for the purpose
of witnessing bull fights and other sports in
the valley. l could only conclude the ne
labor on the hill in order that they might
have an appropriate place to celebrate their
imposing festivals, inasmuch as the road
way was Rtrewn with broken earthenware,
and those scions Of a bygone and notable
race were known to carry at sunrise large
an eminence, and there pour out the liquid
and smash the vessels.
"When we descended we brought with US
number of small sea shells which had pet
riied, and if you look at these on my table
you will see how they have been perforated
by the Indians. We again took long look
ut the mountain and saw it was oblong in
shape, and that the upward road COM
menced on the eastern side. Ihave travelled
on both sides of the mountains from Brit
ish Columbia to Central America, and on
either side of the Sierre Madres where the
cliff-dwellers have left such remarkable
mementos of their skill and customs, but
have never witnessed anything so wonder
full and magnificent as the mound which
have been telling you about.
1.-The valley is about six hundred feet
above the sea level, and ia about seventy
miles from the coast. It is situated in
Sonora. between the cities of Altar and
Magdalena, and near the Magdalena river.
We called the curiosity Palisade mountain,
and it is we'll named"