The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-10-19
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SAN JUAN.
Wonderful Work of Prehistoric Artists In
Southeasfern Utah.

| PHOTOGRAPHS OF The SAN JUAN.
Wonderful Work of Prehistoric Artists In
| Southeastern Utah.
Western newspaper correspondents
have for years, at irregular intervals,
discoursed at some length upon the
woIders of the Rio San Juan, and in
! the category of the marvellous this
mountain tributary of the great Col
orado has taken its place By the side
OF the far-famed and mysterious ella.
The cliff ruins of the San Juan valley
have been the center of attraction,
have been viewed from all sides, and
their wonders have been told and re-
told to the world time and time again.
| Scientific men have visited this region,
have penetrated southeastern Utah,
and have considered this valley place
| of especial interest, because these cliff
and cave dwellings are probably the
| oldest in this strange country, being
the first built in that mysterious jour
| ney southwark of a great but unknown
people. For twenty years the pros
| pector has followed this bold littil
| river and gazed with careless uncon
Germ on the rough and broken walls, 81
full of interest to the archRologis;
but the mind of the prospector has nd
room for curios, and he has no time fG
archaeological investigation. He ses
only the glitter of the gold in tie
sand. and thinks only of the time Wild
he shall have made his stake" -
November of 1892 hundreds of golk
hunters rushed madly into the canon
north of the Navaj 10 Mountain. travelled
three hundred miles over bleak, desert
table-lands, suffered terribly from cold,
hunger, and the long, wearisome jour
ney; in few days staked off all tht
available land for fifty miles up an,
down the river, and then returnei
home without having obtained so nue.
as color of gold, and to-day have
nothing to show for it but the stake.
Whether this is a region that vii
ever show rich pay dirt" the writer
knows not, but he can say, withmt
hesitation, that it is one of the most
wildly picturesque and beautiful re-
gions in the world The bleak old Va
vaJo mountain rises abruptly and bw
ers like grim sentinel over the,ur
rounding mesa, while in canon gc'ge,
more than three thousand feet blow
its base, the Rio San Juan appearslike
a silver thread. The canon is se'eral
miles wide, and a descent can be made
to the river by PERCEPTIONS trai, but
as the river approaches the greatColo-
RADIO the canon becomes more n.rrow
and the walls more perpend;cula', and
when it mergcs into the grand ,anon
it is scarcely more than a dee1, dark
channel.
The Navajo mountain, the utting
buttes that line the canon's veire. the
huge powders that are LODGED on the
canon's sides, and the straight walls
of the canon proper, are all points of
wonderful interest, for they are the
canvas upon which are depicted some
of the most strange and beautiful pic
tographs that have ever been discov-
cred in this country. Nearly every
bowlder is picture gallery, and nearly
every smooth surface is covered with
weird and fantastic figures.
On the mountain these continue to
piece. huge block of sandstone stands
on the top, the four sides presenting
smooth surfaces. These faces are more
than one hundred feet square, and on
each face is a picture of the sun, with
the figure of seven warriors bowed, as
to the earth, in prayer. Beneath the
warriors are many hieroglyphic char
acters, proba bly, a prayer to the sun god
On bowlder, by the verge of the
canon, is the picture of woman lIneel-
ing in prayer to the sun.
On one of the canon walls. more than
one hundred feet from anything that
could have furnished the barbaric artist
a foot or hand hold, there is a weird
panoramic view in three scenes. Under
a tree a child is sleeping. One little
hand lies across its breast. while the
other has fallen carelesSly by its side.
4 few feet from the sleeping babe
large snake, evidently a rattlesnalze, is
coiled to strike. Down the canon toward
the west is scene ,. The snake is crawl
ing away and the limbs of the child
are drawn as though in the last con-
of death. The snake has done
its deadly work. Still further down
the canon scene s. A warrior. evil
IDENTITY the father of the child. with one
arm clasps the dead ba be; with the 9TH
err hand he holds a club. Upon his
face the rude artist has depicted a look
of mortal anguish and hate. 4 snake
lies dead at his feet. This is proba bly,
the most beautiful picture ever execu-
ted by savage hands.
On one OF the canons wallsa warrior
and maiden are represented. gavly
tripping along hand in hand. while two
doves are circling around their heads
Photographs of the bear-in one place
a bear followed by two cubs-the dog,
the mountain lion and the catamount
are all TO be found. Many of these are I
evidently of recent date and have prob |
ably been executed by the Navajos, |
but here and there one meets with a |
dim Photograph that bears evidence of |
great age.
ON one wall, in an apparently mac
cessible place, there is a picture I'M
doubtedly intended TO represent the |
mastodon. The trunk, the tuslls. the |