The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-03-05

1 and n0nnIIH AIOnnHnNANV aG|nD|.IE0 Win
h;arayIvnhies buynt into The wars with
mineral oTIdes The iar containing the
remains 4 then placed in a series Of larger
one. af,er which n Il placed At consid.
eTnbIe deuth in the sround,
How populous these yalleys once were
Ia the first thought that comes to the
mind. How great the skill and inge-
nuity that this prehistoric people pos
sessed for their time and day IL the next.
Never has the level Of the best Of modern
engineers been able to improve on the
lines Of the ruined canals which they LEFT
behind them while in the selection Of
locations Of which to take the water from
the riversis always exhibited the great
est skill and intelligence. It was these
ruins that In the early seventies Inst gave
the American settlers the idea OF reclaim
ing the valley where now stands Phoenix,
the capital Of the territory, surrounded
by population OF nearly 1000 souls,
the first canal constructed simply follow
ing the line Of prehistoric one. In the
selection Of the routes Of the subsequent
ones It was merely the question Of pick
ing out Of the labyrinth Of ruins the lines
Of the main canals and following them.
This at times was dificult work. for some
Of the laterais were Of considerable size
and capacity.
How extensive the entire system Of
irrigation In the Salt river valley alone
was may be inferred from the fact that
the amount Of land practically covered
BY the lands was over q quarter Of q
million Of acres, nearly treble the area Of
the lands ct present actually cultivated
within the county Of Los Angeles, Cali
fornia. The population supported must
have been very great, for Il is almost i'm
possible to find an acre within the line Of
ancient acequias on which fragments Of
pottery, shell ornaments or stone imple-
ments cannot be found, while the ruins
Of ancient adobe habitations can be seen
In every direction where they have not
been obliterated by the settler. These
are always Of the style still to be found
among the Zuni, Moqui and other Pueblo
Indians Of the southwest, thick strong
walls with few openings for doors and
windows, and small rooms, with the
buildings clustering so closely together as
TO form almost one tenement Estimat-
ing the acreage Of the past as being one
acre to two persons, the present. rule
among the Pueblo tribes, the population
supported by the bitches would not fall
short Of 6OO,OOO-an estimate the best
authorities consider conservative.
The canals themselves with their prin-
eipal laterals must have exceeded thou
sand miles in length, and the ruins Of
many Of them give evidences Of the vast
labor Of their construction. Chief in this
respect Is without doubt the canal at
present supplying Mesa City and vicinity
with the water required for irrigation.
This aeequia, now known a. the Mesa
canal, Is taken from the south bank Of
the Salt river about twenty-five miles
east Of Phoenix, and after leaving the
river runs for several miles through q
formation Of hard volcanic rock. So far
as known, without explosives Of any kind
and with the simple tools Of stone age,
the aboriginal constructors Of this ditch
excayated Il through the rock TO q depth