Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-01-17
AZTEC MONUMENTS.
y Roadway Built by the Sun Worshipers
1000 Feet Up ii Mound.

\ Roadway Built by the Sun WOrshipers
LOO Feet Up Mound.
You have asked me to g we an account
of the interesting mountain my friend
jesse D. Grant and myself saw during
our trip through Mexico en- route to this
city, says C. J. Whimple in the San
Francisco Call Well, that mountain is
at once one of the most gigantic exhibit
tons of mans handiwork and something
almost beyond credence we're we not
already familiar with the works of the
Aztec.
Just imagine valley 40 by 30 miles in
area, and from its center rising a mound
over l, 200 feet in height, then you can
realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came lefore the hill |
am to describe. My foreman was with
lis, and had parily prepared us for the
surprise. but we had treated his story
with incredulous remarks. and had by no
means suspected he had but given a
modest description of the mound.
We gazed to the top and allowed our
eyes 10 follow tie windings of a road
down to the base. We went around the
base AID ,njectured it was about one
and a half miles i'll circumference. Then
we started for the summit. The road
way as built of solid rock clear to the
pinnacle, and was from 30 to 40 feet in
width A wall of solid rock formed
foundation and an inside wall at the
same time. The outer edge of the road
was unguarded These stones weigh all
the way up to a ton each and are not
cemented. The roadway is as level as a
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 bowl
der which must weigh at least six tons
The bowlder 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 in
scriptions but we had no time to spare
in making searching investigation.
We did Look for arrowheads or other
warlike implements to sati,fy ourselves
that the mo;nl lad 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. ] could only conclude
that the Aztec sun wOfShi per5 expended
years of labor on the hill in order that
they might have an appropriate place to
celebrate their imposing festivals, mas
much as the roadway was strewn with
broken earthenware, and those scions of
a bygoue and notable race we're known
to carry at sunrise large quantities of
water in earthenware jars to an emil
hence, and then pour out the liquid and
smash the vessels.
Wien we de cended we brought with
us il number of small s,ash lis which
had pctrfied. 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 commenced on the
eastern side have travelled on both
sides of the mountains from British
Columbia to Contra! A Gerica, and on
either side of the Sierra aIadres where
the cliff jewellers have left such remark
able mementoes of their skill and Gus
toms, but have never witnessed any
thing so wonderful and magnificent as
the mound which 1 have been telling
you about. The valley is about 500 feet
above the sea level, and is about 10 miles
from the coast. 1t is situated i'll Sonora,
between the cities of Altar and Magda-
lena, and near the Magdaena River.
We call the curiosity Palisade Mountain,
and it is we'll named.