Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-10-17
SAN JUAN'S WONDERS.
THE MARVELLOUS PREHISTORIC PIC.
Tuae oALLERles or UTAH.

THE MARVELLOUS PREHISTORIC P'o-
TuRs GALLERIES or UTAH.
Nsvsss lfssstaia's Evssy DsviAsr -
s.sssA ssrf.ss Covered VIA Weird.
ys.sastis 80 rssshi.s spssinsas q
Bsrsasss Al 81 Leg Ass.
Wsstsru nswspapsr consspoudsnts have
for ysars as irregular intervals discoursed
~ cone length upon the wonders Of the Rio
Gan Juan, and In the catagoFy Of the mar
vslous this mountain tributary Of the grsat
| Colorado has taken ~ plaos By the side OF
the far famed and mystsfious ella The
elf ruins Of the Ban Juan valley have BEEN
the csuter Of attraction, have bean viewed
| from all sidsa. and their wonders have been
told and rstold 10 the world time and time
again. Scientific men have visited this ~
zion. have penetrated southeastern Utah
and have considered this valley place Of
especial interest because thess cliff and cave
dwellings are probably the oldest In this
strange country. bsing the hrst built In
that mysterious journey southward OF .
great bat unknown peopla For 20 yeas
the prospsctor has followed this bold little
river and gased with careless unconcen on
the rough and broken walls 20 full Of inter
sst TO the archeologist.
Whether this n region that Will ever
show rich pay dirt" the writer knows not,
but he can say without hesitation that Il
IN one of the most wildly picturesque and
beautiful REGIONS In the world. The bleak
old Navajo mountain Rises abruptly and
towers like . grim ssntinsl over the Sur.
rounding mesa, while In . canyon gorge
more than 5000 feet below IT. base the Rio
Ban Juan appears like silver thread.
The Navajo mountain, the jutting buttss
that line the canyons vergs. the huge bowl
ders that are lodged on the canyons sidee
and the straight walls Of the canyon proper
are all points of wonderful interest, for
they are the canvas upon which aredepicted
some of the most strange and beautiful
photographs that have ever been discovered
In this country. Nearly every bowlder II .
picture gallery. and nearly every smooth
surface IL covered with weird and fantastic
figures.
On the mountain these continue TO the
summit, and a. the browning piece shuge
block OF sandstone stands on tho top, the
four sides presenting smooth surfaces These
faces are more than 100 feet square, and on
each face 10 picture Of The sun. with the
figure of seven warriors bowed, a. 70 the
earth. In prayer. Beneath the warriors are
many hieroglyphic characters, probably .
prayer to the sun god.
On bowlder BY the verge OF canyon II
the picture Of . woman knesling In prayer
TO the sun.
On one of the canyon walls, moro than 100
feet from anything that could have fur.
nished the barbaric artist . foot or hand
hold, there Il . weird panoramic view In
three soeneA Under q tree . child 10
slseping. One little hand lies across its
breast, while the other has fallen care
lessly By its side. A few feet from the
sleeping babe largo snake, evidently .
rsttlesnake, 10 coiled to strike. Down the
canyon toward the west IL scene q The
snake IL crawling away, and the limbs Of
the child are drawn ~ though In the last
convulsions Of death. The snake has done
its deadly work. Still further down the
canyon IL scenes. Awarrior, evidently the
father of the child, with one arm clasps
the dead babe; with the other hand be holds
Q club. Upon his face the rude artist has
depicted q look Of mortal anguish and
hate. A snake lies dead at his feet. This
u probably the most beautiful picture ever
executed by savage hands.
On one of the canyons walls warrior and
a maiden are represented, gayly tripping
along hand In hand, while two 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 catamount are all TO be found. Many
of these are evidently Of recent date and
have probably been executed by the Naya-
joes, but here and there one meets with .
dim Photograph that bears evidence Of great
age.
On one wall, In an apparently inaccessible
place, there In o picture undoubtedly In
tended to represent the mastodon. The
trunk. the tusks, the massive body. are all
there, and the long, shaggy hair tells Of an
other than the modern elephant. Close by
these Is representation Of q camel. The
conception of the mastodon may have been
obtained from the great north, but whence
that Of the cameli It II well known that
the camel Is an oriental beast and found In
America only In the menagerie, with one
noteworthy exception.
A few years since the United States gov
eminent imported few Of these ships OF
the desert to be used a. q means OF trans
portation In southern Arizona and the Cali.
fornis desert, but the scheme proved im-
practicable, and today these camels are
roaming at large. The Navajo Indians may
have had an opportunity to zee the camel,
but these photographs are not Naval work.
They were undoubtedly placed there by an
other people. This Ii one Of the many pus-
xling questions concerning this people,
| whom for sake OF convenience we call AZ
tees. Could II be possible that they were
of eastern originf
Another striking feature Of this rude
picture gallery In the number OF times that
the mysterious Biblical number seven oc-
ours. On the verge of the canyon, a. APP
preached from the south, seven powders
stand side by side. On the east end OF each
bowldsr are the pictures Of seven animals,
while on the south side are hieroglyphics
arranged In rows, of which there are seven
ON each stone. Down In the canyon, near
the river, Il q bowlder with fiat top, on
which are the pictures Of seven snakes. A
rude attempt was made to supply the rat
ties, of which each snake Is supplied with
seven.
Anew miles from the Colorado river, where
the canyon Is not more than 800 or 1000
feet from wall to wall, and where the walls
are perpendicular and smooth. on the right
wall are the pictures Of seven warriors with
bows drawn to the last notch, while across
lhe river on the opposite wall are the pho
lures Of seven antelope, apparently In full
run to escape the hunters. These pictures
are well executed and are In the most mac
srssibls places. Evidently the artist was
lowered from Q ledge hundreds Of feet
above the picture and held suspended while
he performed his tedious task.-St Louis
Globe Democrat.
The shsh's Cat.