St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-26
A STRANGE FORMATION.

ness from civilization is awing. The
wonder of it all begins on the wild,
picturesque ride over the Rockies.
through scenery which dwarfS any
thing in Ward McCalliSter'S dear
Abroad" From Denver it is sos miles
to energetic little Durango.in the south
westernmOst corner of Colorado. Here
one takes a narrow railroad about
thirty miles over the mountains to a
tiny hamlet called Mancos, there ell
cages guides for trip through the
Unsurveyed, WaterIess Country.
Without them is suicide, though my
private opinion is that half the time they
are trusting their stars in the day time
to bring them whence they started.
After that it's pure novelty: one must
carry provisions OH burroS, sleep on the
ground under the stars. give up washing
as a luxury. for the alkali water takes
off what little skin the pinOns leave. and
ride great distances over fearful trails
up and down the mountains. These
trails are hard to find, but easy to lose.
They are perilous and fatighing, and
much of the time wind through the low
growing pinOnS, which are generally
considered trees. but which | know to be
cunnngly disguised demons, delighted
in f1icking out a bit OF cheek,
turning back a foot, gouei ing out
an eye, or even attempting to pull
a man bodily off his horse. have rid
den over 200 miles under these circum-
stances on a brOncho with an extremely
diSagreeable disposition, am absolutely
bow-legged. and have climbed places it
makes my hair rise to think Of now; but
I'd do it all twice over rather than miss
what l have seen in the cliff dweller
region. The most important groups of
their ancient houses are found about
the corners of the only place IN the
United States where's four states
squarely join-COlorafo, Utah, Arizona
and New Mexico. A stone erected by
the government to mark the exact spot
is now down, which will be greatly re-
GREETED by travellers who delight IN do
ing such fool things as lying upon this
stone with hands and feet upon the
ground so as to be able to assert that
they have been in four states at once
as if that isn't common thing for
woman to be!
On my trip had the great advantage
of being part of the time with the II.
Jay Smith Exploring company. lie has
made the most scientific exploring vet
accomplished. About a year ago he
fitted out a party, engaged the most
competent guiles and spent several
months Of hardest work in
The Cliff Villages.
lie not only thoroughly explored the
region and hamlets. but made maps,
measurements and pictures of them.
He had an expert photographer with
la xul,n cnonra6 E.n viz nf
places never before seen; a taXidermiSt
who preserved animals to be found
tnereauoulS; an artist, A. j. FOurnier.
who made hundreds of sketches in oil,
water colors and ink. The results of
this expedition are very valuable to
science. and will be shown at the worlds
fair. The unique building. which will
hold the mummied bodies, pot
terry, and all the relics found in the
ruins OF the cliff dwellings, is
now almest completed and represents
the curious mountain called battle
Rock" which | visited while there. 1t
is 200 feet long, high in front, but slOp-
ing irregularly to the ground. 1t is near
to the fac-simile ruins of the beautiful
stone palace of prehistoric Yucatan,
which United States Consul Thompson
came to this country to erect; near also
to the forestry bdilding. and will form
one of the most attractive parts of the
department of archaeology and ethnolo-
gy. The worlds fair will do much to-
ward enlightening and increasing the
but lately awakened interest in Aneri-
can archaeology. With such man as
the learned enthusiast Chief Putnam,
professor of archaeology and ethology at
Harvard and curator of the celebrated
Peabody museum, that department Is