Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-09-01

jewelry Of turquoise and other precious
stones, Of all ordinary sizes and hgures.
Among the latter was a stone like those
worn by Indian royalty Of ages ago, on
state occasions. Il Is rare Kind Of
precious stone Of deep green color, cap
able Of the highest polish, and known
to the natives as the chal.chi-villi stone.
Auistically traced symbols and char.
acters. the cOlos apparently as fresh
and brilliant as though they had Just
left the artists hands, were to be seen
on some OF the finest vases.
Deeper down, the investigation re.
vcalcd that the people who had dwclt
there were idol worshipefs, or at least
had figures representative Of dciiics or
cnshrlncd pcronages, just as some pro-
lesscd Christians OF today have statues
OF ST. Peter, the Virgin Mary and
| other notable characters IN religious
history, to which they bow In alteration.
There were two classes Of idols, those
OF clay and those Of stone, many IN
each class exceedingly well formed,
showing high knowledge OF the sculp.
| tor's art. The clay idols show great
variety and are not always OF the kind
that might be regarded as sacred Some
/ OF the carved faces wear the tragic
mask, but one particular figure was
| that OF a iat, poi'bC lied, round faced,
| plump.cheekcd chap. the incarnation Of
mefumcnt aud good living. Among an
| idolatrous people he might be easily
| regarded as deserving reverence as the
/ god Of humor.
Chisclcd from a hard brownstonc, and
/ representing n person In rcCumbCnt
| position, with head erect and the chin
| on a line with the body, was one figure,
| the head face and neck Of which were
/ cut to perfect finish. but the sculptor
evidently had not had time to complete
| his work on the entire body The lace
Is a striking likeness IN contour and cN-
/ preston 10 the features OF the Hebrew
/ race; while a smaller unfinished stone
statue IS a type OF the ideal Lamlnitc Of
/ today On the head OF each Of these
| figures Is q remarkably well executed
warriors helmet, mounted with a clear
/ cut TUT or crest Of feathers hanging over
q fimlcss front. Encircling 1t IS a wide
/ band, well UP on the forehead, ona.
mcntCd with quadrant figures In has.
| relief set closely one within another
/ from the outer lines 10 the center, all
/ arranged with perfect maihemaic pre-.
/ cisIon. The figures evidently were in.
/ tended as monuments Of great military
| leaders. Ia its makeup the helmet
| closely resembles the pictures handed
/ down TO us OF the hcadgcar worn by the
| prr,OrIan guards Of Rlmt
Other figures there we're, OF more or
| less merit and IN different states OF
/ preservation, and all representing the
| Indian type Of character except one
which had the Monaghan cast OF slant.
/ Ing moon eyes. There was the ilat nose,
/ the high cheek bones. aud il may be Il
/ was intended to preserve the peculiarly
/ interesting features Ui some distin.
| guished persen.
In the actual remains Of former human
/ life there was deeply interesting field.
/ This was not reached until one OF the
! excavations extended thirty feet below
/ the surface, when az the foundation
| level Of several houses were found many
human skeletons, scattered about the
floors as though they had fallen there
| hy some sudden casualty. Some were
| lying down, and Others were len the Sit.
| ting posture, Just as they were oyeflaken
| by the storm Of mud and water which
| sealed their fate aud consigned them 20
| the tomb unattended by funeral service
| OF ceremony. When these skeletons we're
| removed rom the debris. some Of them
broke and crumbled. but others re-.
NAMED firm. Several OF them were over
| six feet IN length. two OF three nearly
seven feet. Many were In good state
7 OF preservation, some being very beauli-
| iul In form, One In particular attracted
| attention from IT, perfection aud sym.
/ mctry. As was the case with most OF
them, the forehead was broad and high,
the cheek bones prominent, aud the
| chin projecting, The finely nodded
hands and feet indicated refinement and
cultivation. What was the occupation,
the character Of the one whose frame u
had been In life, and who will claim Il in
the rcsuuccion'
"Say. d.d heic fingers dg,ye tll mi y.
] or with rs euuel Wl.cs fhuei
! To hcw the rock of wear ihs gem
! Con little now avail 20 them.
! But u thr page of Truth they ought
or Cum'ot 10 thr m0uuc- brought
! These hands a richer need shall claim
! Ihan all tha, wait on wealth or fame.
Ayails h whether bare or nod
These feet t'lc path ~ duty uoi'
n from thc bowers ui gIsc they He'd,
1osegk ailloulna humble she'd.
| II grandeur guilty bnht they spgrucl,
| And home 10 virtues cot returned,
| These feet with angel wing shall vie.
And tread the palace Of Che sky
In several vases IN the rooms excavated
| was noticeable a eaiurc which might
| lead one to b. ieye that this people had
| esteemed the mead as the lOule part OF
the body, and at death had It severed
from the trunk and kepti, as a sacred
| relic. In glazed clay vases, ornamenled
| with crude figures IN Eaucy color, were
many human skulls 10 some Of the
vases these heads were placed In an up
! right position, the chin on level with
| the rim OF the vase; boz others they were
| face inward. In sonic, and Il probably
! had been the case with ALL precious
stones were placed IN the mouth, and
what appeared TO bcnose Jewels lay in
the nasal cavity.
From what has been uncovered there
| Is no doubt that the place was a thlckiy
| populated city, Of whose record the
| natives have lost all knowledge. The
relies have nor been examined yet by
arrhnologists, who may be able to give
some additional light on the manners
and customs OF the stranger dead.
! There is much more eXCdylting to do,
and probably further rich finds IN store
| The excellent state OF preservation and
the undoubted great antiquity OF the
! relics the chronological suggestions OF
the carvings and sculpture, and the de-
! gree OF culture indicated by the paint.
| mus, engraviugs and other features,
make the place especially attractive to
7 ...,td,r. and ID is believed bv those