Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
CLIFF JEWELLERS.
Ruins in Arizona Leave Traces of q
Race Of Stalwart
Men.
A Great Population Destroyed by
Mighty Commissions of
Nature.
Interesting Facts Relative 10 an Inter
esting People Who Inhabited Amer
erica Years Ago.

Interesting Facts Relative 10 an Inter
esting People Who Inhabited Amer.
erica Years Ago.
Few subjects are OF greater interest
/ to the scientist and the layman alike
than the investigation OF the origi1
and habits OF the races that peopleG
this continent far prior to the time O
which the most ancient history com
mences. The one fact that stands
out clear and uucontradlcted is that
this continent was once peopled by a
numerous race, or u number OF races,
OF whom the only traces that now ex-
ist are in the shape OF mounds, cliff
dwellings and the ruins ofgreat towns,
and in the southwestern portion OF
the United States is the unmistaka-
ble traces of extensive systems of irri.
CATION, by wnlcn vast population
must have obtained Its sustenance.
Particularly is this the case in Ari-
zona, where indication points to the
tact that what are now dry, barren.
deserts once supported Il dense popu-
latlon, and We're centuries ago under
high state OF cultivation. In many
localities among the eprecipitous banks
OF streams that are still flowing, as
well In canons and valleys whose wa
ters once Enthusiastically abundant
have long since dried up, may be
found the ruins OF hundreds OF cliff
dwellings. Some doubtless are the
creations Of the last three or four cen
turles. Others are OF the greatest an
tiquity, the growth OF trees and the
changes that have taken place in and
about them showing that many cen.
turies must have elapsed since the dis
appearance OF the race by whom they
were constructed and inhabited.
That these people must have been oil
q more or less warlike character is
shown by the substantial character o.
the buildings erected by them
and by the commanding loca
tions chosen, which mostinvariably
denote great strategic skill. The
skeletons that have been exhumed in
number OF cases show this race to
have been uniformly of good stature
and robust build, in some instances
even attaining a remarkable height.
One theory that seeks to account for
the destruction OF the people is that
they fell a prey to the warllke race
whose DEFENDANTS are the Apaches of
to-day, to whom tradlti IN assigns in
the past the same inhuman, blood
thirsty characteristics.
Whatever may have been the fate
OF these hundreds OF thousands OF peo-
pie then, they We're certainly not
massacred, nor did they perish in de-
tense OF their homes. The fact that
fire is accountable for the destruction
OF the woodwork OF these dwellings
may be accounted for in two ways
that are even more plausible than the
theory that the destruction wills. the
work OF some savage tribe. Thus,
when the people, FROM whatever cause,
determined to leave their homes in a
body, they may have applied the
torch in order that those coming after
them might find no shelter. Or they
may isave left their homes in thes same
condition as when inhabited, and the
fire may have been the work OF
nomads who traversed this region
subsequently. Since there ls nothing
to show that the exodus OF the cliff
dwellers and the burning OF their
homes occurred at the same time,
there is nothing but the merest sup.
position to support the theory OF an
invading host OF savaees carrying fir,
and sword in their hands.
The cause ofthe eabandonmento of the
country must belooked for somewhere
else. Manifestlv the exodus was not
accom- panied with the destruction OF
life incidental to an invasion by a
warlike tribe bent on the annihila-
tion OF their opponents. Why, then,
may it have not been due to natural
causes? Let us look into the situa-
tion az 1T existed in these valleys
many centuries ago-how many there
is absolutely no means of knowing.
The valleys OF the Salt and Clio riv-
ers were covered by a network OF ca
nails conveying water over hundreds Of
thousands OF acres. Not only
were the valleys OF the streams
flowing through the valleys utilized,
but the storage reservoirs were also in
existence fol the preservation of sur
plus water during the rainy season. 80
that it might be used later on. he
mains of these canals and reservoirs
are still to be seen in many localities
Although these people were versed in
masonry as shown by the ruins of
their cities, no thought ever seems to
have occurred to them to use stone in
the construction OF reservoirs and ca
nal. Earthen banks we're their sol e
reliance for the holding i'll storage or
conducting to the fields OF the life Civ
ing waters.
Many OF these canals present un-
mistakable evidence of thegreatest EN-
gineering skull as well as the most pa
tient toll. That their builders were
highly intelligent is proved from the
fact that in laying out the lines OF the
canals, levels were chosen by which
the largest area possible was put I'M
der irrigation consistent with giving
just the amount of fall necessary to
cabry tEe water The skill of modern
engineering science has not been able
to improve upon the work done so
many hundreds OF years ago, and IN
| more than one case the lrrigators of
this latter nall OF the 10Th century
have profit ed by the skill OF the for
gotten race, ana have even made. use
OF the ruins OF the old canals.
The vast amount labor expended
upon these works can only be appre
ciated by those who have visited the
ruins and no ed he size and extent OF
the canals. In one case there is a
canal 100 miles in length, portions oi
which are l 0 to 20 feet in width and
excavated to a depth OF 20 to 80 feet
IN the solid rock. So far as can be
learned the aborigines had nothing but
stone and wooden tools with which tc
accomplish this vast work, and the
amount OF perseverance demonstrat
ed is one OF the strongest arguments
in support OF the belief that this rae,
WAS anything but an enfeebled and de
fenseless people.
| The area OF land supplied will
water by the ancient canals in tn