Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-21
CLIFF JEWELLERS.
Remains Of a Race Thousands
Of Years Old.
The GREAT CLIFF PALACE.
u Is 5uIIl About 100 Feet Up Inc CIlH-Archi.
lscIural Skill Of the cllH-dweIIers Mum
niles, Weapons and Agricultural In
plemenis Found.

Denver, Col, Jan. 20.-In the South.
western part Of Colorado, nestled In the
sides Of the canons. are found the re.
mains ~ race that biologists say has
ofsh eItinct thousands Of years. To
roach tile ruins OF the ciiff-dwellefs'
houses one must travel on horseback
nlong ah Indian trail for thirty miles,
traversing canon after canon, where In
many piaees along the TRAN one misstep
means a fan hundreds of feet below.
Many OF the houses are built on the
side of the cliffs about midway up and
and under overlanging rocks They are
reached by way Of notches usually found
cnt N the rocks. When finally you reach
the desired house you find instead of
uo0r nothing but a small sized window,
through which you are compelled 70
climb IN order to get Inside.
In exploring these ruins there have
been found many relics buried ia trash
haps' la the rear Of the houses. Il is
said in their haste to escape from some
wariug tribe the clif-dwellers buried all
their rclies IA tbs odd plw Facts boar
out THIS theory 10 certain extent rs
many Skeletons have been found lying
across Che Threshold with their skulls
crushed
Your CORRESPONDENT visited the Man
cass valley, accompanied by MIR Richard
Witherlll, of the historical department
Of Archaeology Of the Worlds fair eX-
hibit of this state together with his
four brothers. They are said to have
been the FIRST white men to visit this
region. and the credit Of discovering
nearly all the ruins belongs TO them.
The clin palace is the largest house
known TO have been built by this race.
IL IL about one hundred and fifty feet
up the side Of the elf, aud Is built In a
| space IN the side of the elf Its length
is 400 feet, and II has 244 rooms, many
of Them well preserved. Small towers
surmount the palace and are pierced
| by many holes, supposed to be loOpholes
| for arrows. The palace belonged, no
| doubt, 10 the chief Of the tribe Many
| of the outer walls have crumbled, but
| the inner courts and rooms are Ia good
| condition. IL Is FIVE stories high. Some
| twenty rooms. that Ia all probability We're
used as council chambers, are Of cir
| cular shape. six large pillars supporting
| a roof of sticks and clay, In the centre
| of which is left hole for the stone
| chimney, The room Is ventilated 10y
! air-chanihers extending down the side
OF each pillar, with openings like fire
places
Another interesting house. the Balcony
| house, is found few miles M the can
Won. II is two stories high, with a ball
cony extending from tue second story.
IL Is not as large as the palace, but in
! preservation Is nearly perfect. The re-
! mains Of the balcony are considerable,
and the beams Of red cedar still remain,
with rough flooring of wood and clay.
| Owing TO the dryncss of the climate
the wood used has become almost pet
| ri6ed 1t il very brittle, and when
| thrown against rock has n metallic
| ring In one Of the rooms loom was
found with a piece of cloth neatly woven.
II Is the only loom that has been dis
covered In all the ruins. The cloth was
made of feathers woven with yuca. and
as this cloth was found In abundance II
would seem as though there were more
1 Of the looms. Ii ~ therefore believed
that they were considered very valuable
aud were either destroyed by the elm.
dwelers nj the time of the war or else
cnrned off their enemies
The ruin known as the spruce tree
palace II nearly two miles from the cliff
palace. The outer walls have crumbled
and out of the dirt and debris OF the
fallen walls spruce tree has grown
nearly 100 feet IN height. Recently, this
tree was cut down to determine It's age
aud Il was found that IL was lOl years
old. Pieces of the trunk Of this tree
viii be on exhibition, together with many
of the relics taken from this house, ~
the Worlds fair. The interior Is built
In manner very similar 20 apartment
houses Of today, and contains courts
and small balconies.
In two rooms and the tower all open
ings were found closed with solid ma
sonry. Access 10 them was obtained by
climbing to the roof and then descending
There Is large stone tower built oil
rectly in front of this palace.
The next most interesting place Is the
graveyard In the rear of one clfi-hous'
a skeleton was dug up In perfect con
dition with all the weapons the living maj
had used With other skeletons wer'
found agricultural implements ston'
axes with oak twig handles, sklnnlnl
knives made Of bone and wood, slat'
tools for making pottery, pieces OF feathe
| cloth. avis and kneedles made of turke,
hone. bands of cloth resembling carpet
! earth ladies', sandals stockings OF yuci
fibre and deer hair, willow bands, corn
cobs and corn husks, together wlth man!
iine pieces Of pottery.
4 The mummies found here are so wei
preserved that IN many instances IN
= | eyebrows of the children have not faded
The hair is usually found In good con
dition. The color of the hair of ont
of the mummies taken out was auburn
and extended midway down the PACK o
\ the mummy Others were darker ana
o few were found to have been decide'
blondes la many instances the skele
tons had the knee joints broken and IN
legs doubled over Upon investigation
we discovered that this was done onl
In cases Of adults Of large stature. Tn
!, supposition that the race was OF sina
= stature is mistaken, as many OF ID
skeletons measured nearly six feet
! Al the foot of the canyon stands
, stone tower 80 feet high, and near TN
tower, on the side OF tue cEll, merosp
phics are found in great profusion, an
the supposition Is that this was thel
place of worship. Professors OF archa'
ology are now working over these scraWl
Az 10 the religion of the race nothin
can bee learned The fact that IN a
The discoveries no idols have been foun
would hardly lead one to believe thi
they were an idolauous race, Som
think that they were sun worshippel
because their houses were an Duilt
face the san There Ia no question by
tbat the race was far superior 70 u
Indian race Of today, as the ruins shO
architectural skill of high quality, 1--we
the Aztec race, of which some claim u
:. oliff-dwellers were section driven tro
3 Mexico by some war, do not SHOW y
aanna industry or knowledge OF arcl
lecture as the clia dwellers, AgrlcI
ture. from all appearances, was u
chief occupation Of the race Ihey rals'
corn In great abundance Beans ~
sauashes were also grown. One OF Y
things found in nearly all elm houses
=. the stone boz used for grlndlne graz