The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-13
WONDERS Of San juan.
The Marvellous Sights in thsaPrs-
historic Picture Ghlsriss
Of Utah.
Navajo Mountains Covered With
Specimens OF Barbario Art
OF Long Ago.
Whsncs tbs Idea of Osisatal
Aninnais?

r
Wsstern Newspaper correspondents have
Tor years at irregular intervals discoursed
at some length upon the wonders Of the Rio
San Juan. and In the category Of the mar
~slous this mountain tributary Of the great
Colorado has taken its place by the side of
the far famed and mysterious CHA. Tho
cli6 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 tho world time and time
again. Scientific men have visited this re-
gion, have penetrated southeastern Utah
and have considered this valley 4 place OF
especial interest because thsse cliff and save
dwellings arc probably the Oldest in this
strange country, being the first built in
that mysterious journey southwark of a
great but unknown people. For 20 years
the prospector has followed this bold little
river and gaxed with careless unconcern on
the rough and broken walls SO full Of inter
est to the ~archoologist. +
Whether this Is n region that will ever
show rich ''pay dir" 80, writer knows not,
but he can say without hesitation that 1t
is one of the most wildly picturesque and
beautiful regionsi in the world. The bleak
old Navajo mountain rises abruptly and
towers like a grim sentinel over the sur
rounding nesa, while In a canyon gorge
San Juan appears like a silver thread.
The Navajo mountain, the jutting buttes
that line the canyons verge, the huge bowl
ders that are lodged on the canyons sides
and the straight walls of the canyon proper
are all points Of wonderful interest, for
they are the canvas upon which n depicted
some of the most strange and beautiful
photographs that have ever been discovered
in this country. Nearly every bowlder is a
picture gallery, and nearly every smooth
surface is covered with weird and fantastic
figures. ~, .s--~.
On the mountain these continue to the
summit, and Us the browning piece ahuge
block of sandstone stands on the top, the
four sides presenting smooth surfaces. These
faces are more than 100 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 characters, probably a
prayer to the sun god.
On bowlder by the verge OF a canyon is
the picture of q woman kneeling in prayer
to the sun.
On one Of the canyon walls, more than 100
feet from anything that could have fur
ulSucO Ulo DuFDtElC uEt1sU Il 1OOb Ut udllu
hold, there Is q 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 care
lessly by its side. A few feet from the
sleeping babe a large snake, evidently a
rattlesnake, is coiled to strike. Down the
canyon toward the west is scene q. The
snake is crawling away, and the limbs of
the child are drawn. as though IN, the last
commissions of death. The snake has done
its deadly work. Still further down the
canyon is scene 3. A warrior, evidently the
father of the child, with one arm clasps
the dead babe; with the other hand he holds
q club. Upon his face the rude artist has
depicted a look Of mortal anguish md
hate. A snake lies dead at his feet. This
is probably the most beautiful picture ever
executed by savage hands.
On one of the canyons walls a warrior and
a maiden are represented, gayly tripping
along hand in hand, while two doves ore
circling around their heads. Photographs
Of the bear-in one place a bear followed by
two cubs-tke dog, the mountain lion and
the catamount are all to DO found. Many
of these nre evidently Of recent date aud
have probably been executed by the Nava-
joes, but here and there one meets with a
dim photograph that bears evidence of great
age
On one wall, in an apparently inaccessible
place, there is a picture undoubtedly in
tended to represent the mastodon. The
trunk, the tIsks, the massive body, are all
there, and the long, shaggy hair tells Of an
other than the modern elephant. Close by
these is a representation Of Il camel. The
conception of the mastodon may have been
obtained from the great north, but whence
that of the cameli 1t Is we'll known that
the camel is IN oriental beast and found in
America only in the menagerie, with one
noteworthy exception.
a few years since the United States gov
eminent imported a few of these ships of
the desert to be used as a means Of trans
portation In southern Arizona and the Cali
fornia desert, but the scheme proved i'm
practicable, and today these camels are
roaming ut large. The Navajo Indians may
nave had an opportunity to sec the camel,
but these photographs are not Navajo work.
They were undoubtedly placed there by an
other people. This is one of the many pug
cling questions concerning this people,
whom for sake of convenience we call Az
. tees. Could it be possible that they were
of eastern origin?
Another striking feature of this rude
picture gallery is the number Of times that
the mysterious Biblical number seven &C.
ours. On the verge of the canyon, as ap-
preached from the south, seven powders
stand side by side. On the east end OF each
howlder are the pictures OF, seven animals.
while on the south side are hieroglyphics
arranged in row of which there are seven
on each stone. Down in the canyon, near
the river, is n bowlder with u 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.
few mllesfrom the Colorado river, where
the canyon Is not mora Thar 500 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
tho river on the opposite wall are the pic
lures of seven antelope, apparently in full
run to escape the hunters. These pictures
are we'll Executed and are in the most mac
cesslble places. Evidently the artist was
lowered from a ledge hundreds of feet
above the picture and held suspended while
he performed his tedious task.-St. Louis
Globe Democrat. -. Ef#
On Fire In a Street Car.
A peculiar incident occurred on a Ycsler