The Red Cloud chief., 1893-10-06
ANTIQUE BEAUTIES.
The Marvellous Mountain Tributary
Of the Colorado Rivor.
CiiGs and l'owidcrs which bear the
Print of Artistic Hands of n Mys-
FERROUS Race Homes Of Pre-
Historic Cavc Dwellers.

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-famcd 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 retold
to the world, time and time again.
Scientific men have visited this region,
have penetrated southeastern Utah,
and have considered this valley q place
OF especial interest, because these
cliffs and cave dwellings are probably
the oldest in this strange country, be-
ing the first built Is that mysterious
journey southwark Of n great and un.
known people.
For twenty years the prospcctor has
followed this bold little river and
gazed with careless on tho
rough and broken walls, SO full of in
tercst to the archaeological; but tho
mind OF the prospector has no room
for %curios, and he has no time for
archaeological investigation, say n
Phoenix correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Tribune. lie secs only the glitter
of the gold In tho sand, and thinks
only of the time when he shall have
made his stake" In November of
1882 hundreds of gold hunters rushed
madly into the canyon north of the Nav
MO mountain, Travelled three hundred
miles over bleak, desert tablclands, suf-
fcred terribly from cold, hunger, and
the long, wearisomc journey; in a
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 color of
gold, and to-day have nothing to show
for il but the stakes.
Whether this Is a region that will
ever show rich pay dirt the writer
knows not, but he can say, without
h~cGi.ation, that II is one of the most
wildly picturesque and beautiful re-
gions in the world. The bleak old
Navajo mountain rises abruptly and
towers like n grim sentinel over the
surrounding mesa, while in n canyon
gorge, more than 5000 feet below its
base, the Rio San Juan appears like a
silver thread. The canyon is several
miles wide, and n descent can be made
to the river by a prccipitous trail. but
rs the river approaches the great Col
orado the canyon becomes more mar
row and the walls more perpendicular,
and when it merges into the grand
canyon 1t is scarcely more than q deep,
dark channel.
Tho Navajo mountain, the jutting
buttes that line the canyons verge, the
huge powders that are lodged on the
canyons side, and the straight walls Of
the canyon 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 n picture gallery, and near
ly every smooth surface is covered
with weird and fantastic figures.
On the mountain these continue to
the very summit, and, as the browning
piece, n huge block Of sandstone stands
ON the top, the four sides presenting
smooth surfaces. These faces are more
than n hundred feet square, and on
each face is u picture of the sun, with
the figures of seven warriors bowed, as
to the earth, in prayer. Beneath tho
warriors are many hicroglyphic charac.
tiers, probably n prayer to the sun god.
On II bowldcr, by the verge of the can-
yon, is the picture of u woman knecl-
ing in prayer to the sun.
On one of the canyon walls, more
than II hundred feet from anything
that could have furnished the barbaric
artist n foot or handhold, there is q
weird panoramic view In three scenes.
Under II tree n child Is sleeping. One
little hand lies across its breast, while
the other has fallen carclcssly by it's
side. a few feet from the sleeping
babe, a large snake, evidently a rattle
snake, is coilcd To strike. Down the
canyon, toward the west, is scene two.
The snake is crawling away, and the
limbs of the child are drawn rs though
in the last commissions of death. The
snake has done its deadly work. Still
further down the canon is scene three.
a warrior, evidently the father of tho
child. with n arm clasps his dead
babe; with the other hand he holds q
club. Upon his face the rude artist
has depicted a look of mortal anguish
and hatc. a snake lies dead ut his
feet. This Is probably the most beau
tiful picture ever executed by savage
hands.
On onc of the canyon s walls n war
rior and u maiden are represented,
gayly tripping along, hand In hand,
while two doves are circling around
their heads. Photographs of the bear
In n place a bear followed by two
cubs-thc dog, the mountain lion and
the catamount are all to be found.
Many of these are evidently Of recent
date, and have probably been executed
by the Nayajos, but here and there one
meets with adm Photograph that bcars
evidence of great age.
Emperor william and Ills Gun.