The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-09-18
The Strange Location OF the Pueblo Of
AcOmn In New Mexico.

AcOmn In new Mexico.
The pueblo of Acoma, situated 90 miles
west of Albuquerque, is one of the most
remarkable communities in the world.
To reach it you take the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad to McCarthy's Station,
and then transfer to pony and ride Is
miles. south by east When near your
journeys end you descend almost imper-
ceptibly into valley six miles in width,
in the middle of which stands huge
mound, and on the top of this is Acoma.
Eight hundred people are living in this
place, and they and their ancestors have
gathered their possessions there for nearly
three centuries.
This mound is one of many that are
the remains of range of hills which has
been worn away by the erosion of the
ages, and survives only in the fiat topped
elevations here and there. The valleys
between are fertile, and untold genera
tions of men have seen them covered
with grain and flocks of sheep. Some
time in the 18th century the Laguna or
Valley Indians made war upon the AGO.
mas for possession of the country, and
the latter, being the weaker, occupied
this mountain as position believed to be
imprcgnable. The height above the val
leys is nearly 400 feet, and the walls in
several places nearly perpendicular.
There are two means of ascent. One
by a flight of steps cut into the face
of the wall and rising at an angle
of AZ degrees, and the other by a
fissure in the rocks leading up into the
heart of the mountain. Both ways have
been trodden by human feet until the
steps are followed out like shallow
troughs. Either one is exceedingly diff
cult neither Is tolerably safe. We choose
the one along the fissure. With all the
danger and fatigue, it is a laughablc
sight to see a person-some other-make
the ascent. One has to stride over the
fissure, one foot on the right hand side
| and the other on the left, and at the same
time press the hands alternately against
the rocks for support. An Indian will
throw live sheep around his neck and
60 up quite rapidly without touching the
rocks with either hand, but l am salts
fiend could never do it. They told us OF
pathetic incident that occurred on the
outer stairway some generations ago
Several men started up, each with sheel
on his back. When nearly to the top tn,
sheep carried by the formost man be
| came restless, and the shepherd in tryinl
| to hold it fast lost his footing, and in fall
ing swept his companions over the preci
| pice, and they all fell on the rocks in ;
lfeless heap. The Indians have carved 6
representation of the incident on .rocl
near where it occurred, which scarcel,
serves to steady the nerves of those VIII,
so by that route.
The top Of the elevation is level ant
contains an area of 10 or 20 acres. A
one side stands the pueblo, blunt pyra
mid of adobe and stone honeycombet
with rooms, at the other the church anC
graveyard, and near the center pond o
pure water 30 feet in depth and severa
rods in extent. The priest was made &C
Guainted with the object of our visit, an,
the ringing of the church bell brough
the inhabitants of the village around us
AS night approached a number of tn
men who had been at work in the vale
came up, bringing delicious peaches an,
grapes, which we were glad to accept
We slept in the church wrapped up i
our Navajo blankets, and never felt NOR
secure or happier in our lives.
When the dawn appeared through til
little mica window panos it revca.e
great roof beams more than o foot i
diameter and 80 or 40 feet long. and
bell that was cast in ITO. How thes
immense timbers and this bell We're &c
up to the top of this cliff no one livin
knows. The Indians shake their head
and the priest shakes his, but no on
ventures an opinion. The timbers ar
there, however, as witnessed, and morn
ing and night, as the seasons come an
go and generations pass away, the be
speaks for itself in the silvery tones tina
pleased its founder in far off Spain, whe
King George was on the throne. Th
adobes-or the earth of which they wer
made-were brought up from the vale
also, for the top of the butte was a bal
rock in the beginning. And the cart
for the graves came the same way, II
quiring 40 years, the priest said, to con
plete the graveyard. --Pearson's Weekly