The Bossier banner., 1893-11-09
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SAN JUAN.
WoRGerful Work of Prehistoric Artists In
Southeastern Utah.

southeastern Utahs
western newspaper correspondents
have for years, at irregular intervals,
d1scoursed at some length upon the
wonders 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 Gila.
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 great but unknown
people. For twenty years the pros
pector has followed this bold little
river and gazed with careless uncon-
eern on the rough and broken walls, so
full of interest to the archeologist;
but the mind of the prospector has no
room for curios, and he has no time for
archaeological investigation. He sees
only the glitter of the gold in the
sand, and thinks only of the time when
he shall have made his stake" In
November OF 1892 hundreds of gold
hunters rushed madly into the canon
north of the Navajo Mountain, travelled
three hundred miles over bleak, desert
tab!e-lands, suffered terribly from cold,
hunger, and the long, wearisome jour
ney; in few days staked off all the
available land for fifty miles up and
down the river, and then returned
home without having obtained so much
as a color of gold, and to-day have
nothing to show for it but the stakes.
Whether this is region that will
ever show rich pay dirt" the writer
knows not, but he can say, without
hesitation, that it is one of the most
wildly picturesque and beautiful re-
gions in the world. The bleak old Ma
vajo mountain rises abruptly and tow
ers like grim sentinel over the sur
rounding mesa, while in a canon gorge,
more than three thousand feet below
its base, the Rio San Juan appears like
silver thread. The canon is several
miles wide, and descent can be made
to the river by precipitous trail but
rs the river approaches the great Colo
rado the canon becomes more narrow
and the walls more perpendicular, and
when it merges into the grand canon
1t is scarcely more than a deep, dark
channel.
The Navajo mountain, the iutting
buttes that line the canon's verge, 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
the summit, and, as the crowning
| 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 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, probably prayer to the sun god
On bowlder, by the verge of the
canon, is the picture of woman kneel
ing in prayer to the sun.
On one of the canon walls, more than
one hundred feet from anything thai
could have furnished the barbaric artist
foot or hand hold, there is weir6
| panoramic view in three scenes Under
tree child is sleeping. One little
hand lies across its breast, while the
other has fallen carelessly by it's side.
| A few feet from the sleeping babe &
large snake, evidently a rattlesnake, /:
coiled to strike. Down the canon toward
the west is scene 2. The snake is crawl
ing away and the limbs of the child
are drawn rs though in the last con
vulsions of death. The snake has don,
its deadly work. Still further dowr
the canon scene 8. A warrior, evi
IDENTIFY the father of the child, with one
arm clasps the dead babe; with the 9th
er hand he holds club. Upon hi.
face the rude artist has depicted lool
of mortal anguish and hate. A snake
lies dead at his feet This is probably
the most beautiful picture ever execu
ted by savage hands. 7 Q r>5
On one of the canon's wallsa warrior
and maiden are represented, gayly
tripping along hand in hand, while TIVE
doves are circling around their heads
Photographs of the bear-in one place
bear followed by two cubs-the dog
the mountain lion and the catamoun
are all TO be found. Many of these ar,
evidently of recent date and have prob
ably been executed by the Navajos
but here and there, one meets with
dim photograph that bears evidence o
great age. z.4
On one wall, in an apparently inac
cessible place, there is picture un
doubtedly intended to represent tn,
mastodon." The trunk, the tusks, tn,
massive body, are all there, and tn,
long, shaggy hair tell of another thar