Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-26
pasnlsroRIc ARIZONA.

Ittt Nftfoua was tnuauiteu UIotV Wv
dawn of history, and by q people, per,
hap. two race. of people, we'll advanced
In the art. of civilization, IL beyond
question. The trace. of their occupancy
srr 20 the elearrst aud most unmistak-
able character, aud while the period In
whlch they possessed u aud the cause
aud manner of their expulsion are
shroadei In impeneirsble mystery,
proofs Of their presence for perhaps
thousands of years are to bc found In
the caves, mounds, ruined cities, and
canal. which abound along the salt and
ella Rivers from the point Of their In
crp,Iou To their confluence With the
Colorado. The Little Colorado, the
Verde. and the san Pedro also sho y
many trsces Of = people well Informed
In ccriain civilization, and Who have
for at least q thousand years been ex-
tlnct.
The peculiar dryness of the atmos-
pher. has had q wonderful eff,St In pro-
iscting the ancient relics from the raw
sgcs of time. In the mounds which are
scattered through the country, aud which
represent ruined houses, may be found
ola. fllsd with par,hod corn and
beans, In as good q state of preservation
a. they were the day they were hidden
from the elements by the fearful sand
storm that must have prevailed when
they were buried.
IN. loayes In the ash-ooyeic'i ovens of
romp.il were preserved on the same
principle. The fine sand of the desert
must have driftcd over everything, aud
they were thu. preserved as the mute
historians of q vanished race. Their
erection ~ concr-,e bulldlng. through
out the country shows these lost people
to ha,. been well ycr.ed In the con-
.,ruction of c,iiaccs adapted To the re-
gion and n. climatic changes.
By far IN. most interesting remains Of
thl. people are their network of canals,
which prevail through all the valleys of
the Territory. The longest is the Que
tapping the ella River, and which sup
piled with water the ancient city, now
only marked by one standing bullding.
hi. 4. the Casa Grandc, about which so
much has been written and which has
excit.,i so much Interest among archr-
ologi.t. during the last ten years. This
canal was fifty-h,e mile. In length and
for most of the distance tv.niy-eighi
feet In width, With . depth 81 sixteen
feet. The volume of water taken out of
ia. river must have been Immense. for u
supported both the animal aud yeg-ta-
ble life of a valley containing millions of
acres. In place. thi. canal has become
iilled with drifting ssnd, but for the
most part it, course IL easily traced.
One of the mos, notable specimens of
these canal. I. In the salt River Valley
aud only three mile. from the present
city ~ l'hgulx. IL taps the salt River
opposite Tempe, and for Two miles run.
almost parallel with that stream. The
old headgate 4. partly standing, and for
thi. di.tsncc the ditch l. perfectly open {;
aud all that would BE- necessary for " Ia
supply the country with water sgain
would be- "a open the headgate by re-
moving the stones and concrete With
which II IL fllloi. Two mile. from its
head the engineers Who locaied the
M.ricops Canal made use of the old
AIt.c ditch. aud to-day the water runs
over u. pcbbly bottom just ~ u dbl two
or three thousand years ago, but how
different l. the condition of the people u
supplies.
The ditch was only niue miles In
length aud not 50 large as the one on the
desert of the Casa GraDde, but u ran
through the heart of city with a popu-
lation of no less than 10000.
For miles aud miles the mounds, in
perfectly regular order, tell the tale of
house. destroyed by tir ravagcs OF timc
aud 81 a magnihc-ncc not excelled to-
day. Lieut.. cushing directed hi. atten-
ton principally to excsvsting In this
section during hls re.carche. for the
New England Historical society, and he
wa. rewarded by uncarthing many stone
axes, vessels, aud even skeletons. Ills
conclusion was "ihst the people must
have lived In the stone Age, long before
the Infancy even Of the Egyptian ci'ili-
Estlon."
Phoenix was built ON the ruins of thi.
ancient city, hence its name; and not a
month pas.e. but some one picks up q
stone knife, axe, or some other relic !;
but they are dumb a. Ia the history of
their former owners. The only hero
ylyphlc. the Lost race have left ar. those
on the painted rocks acros. the Salt
River from PhTnlx.
One thing I. apparent to the student
of thing. ancient when be look. ou these
canal. aud ruined citie. permeating both
this country aud Mexico, and that is
that the civilization of Egypt was only
In its Infancy when these people had
been exterminated for ceniuries.-San
Francisco Chronicle.