The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-09-06
DUST FOR MANY AGES.l
The Industrious Cliff- -Dwellers Of
Southern Colorado.



Ane aio,'soiosists OF penver snouiu DO
happy' ALMOST at their very aoor tney can
now see the skulls and handiworlS of men
and women of pre-historic time. The caves
Of the elif-dwellers on the Mancos, Of
Southern Colorado. have been once mora
entered BY yandals, but this time oniy ruin
and the dust Of departed centuries were to
be found,
The sx;stsnee of thase covss no. ,or,
heen hnown MT n to,,,, ~ .sn .s;s,'
was ever made until a few months ago,
when Charles MpI,nvd. n urosnectoy and
lninerof the San Juan. and fou, com,,anions
concluded that Ii yyould he a. least, 4 larlr ~
look into the abandoned dwellings a rcriter
in the Denver Rennbl;can ,,ascTihes M VI II
suit Of their investigations. No definite
iaaa ~ securns . 4 cols,si,,, 80 ~
but after wandering from one rum to an.
other on the TOP Of the cliffs. and where the
land could be made fertile, they commenced
exploring the caves. Among the frat
entered little Of interest was to be found.
but they finally came to q place that was nj.
most inaccessible. On the mesa above 4
large reservoir was to be seen. and il il the
opinion Of the explorers that this GREAT
tract Of ground was once titled by the ueo-
pie who lived in the caves below. Rut now
pinon trees Of great are are standing IN an
sides. and how many Of them have snr,,r !,
up, lived their days, decayed and then have
been succeeded BY others. no man living to-
llay knows--it NAV have been hundreds. II
may have been thousands of wears ago
Mr., McLoyd saws that the dvellings IN
Montezana County were foupd on the s;das
of walls of the CANYON of of the Mancos and
its tributaries in wind.worn caves or crew
ices caused BY falling water, and were so
completely protected from the elements
that many of their effects were found n a
perfect state of preservation. AZ q ,u,a
these caves are IN almost ;naccessihls
places. When inhabited thev xye,,,s rtsscha5
uuite Frequently nv rotches r,,t II tba ,.ncs
and at other times rome ladders mnst have
been used.
,uita a nnn,,,sr ~ +ha to,... e.,.,
~ ii,,,.,,,s;c,,s
hnild ! 1rra,,,d ,,,',s a. ssss pels
no ,so,,,s ana on =, ~, - mou aie
hf,ils sot,
toyar ami rras h,,ilt of d,.assad 49,, "..n
cement maae of tbe snr,onrS;,,, rr sao Aau W, "
niv,d with j s,,hstonca ~, ,,,,i..s ~,
tba i ,,,.,,, ,o,,li y. 49, ~.
ogthe pon,or Ii, ,,os;od IA ''s- - e'iea 'nas
Tha ro,e ,,,,,c,, ,,,1,at;4oa "a =
sta,, ,s ,s,,t.,s y, IA y
T,,ahlas ond i = ,,,,,'-.a t.o tiiu
,as,r,.s ~ sb,.., r,ss- 80 ~
,,,,r s,,,,,s;t;s,,, ,,,d u, ~
f I'M, ~
III s lsinSa IA ~. ~ - ~ ei'0' = uiiler-
60 N. .,,--S'.
III M, seeolu uins ~ ny tneorY advanced
y W s'ni.uSolilan ins.itute, existed about
49,. en .loaa.S ','s., ysa.s ~ ms theory y
oaseu uIon w iusa lilas sne people lived
~ " ~ u u lile SAT- river be-
Aol1 ~ ss. - y e.as stfedil was changed
ana ing nluihs U srees anu Inngl IN the
lno = .iJoilihs natives, Inc Navaloei are
.ho oniy ias1 eiiae nave any tradltlon con-
cern1is ,aose peopie' anu theirs Is that the
eih'uwcllers pecalle * 3tllct py Delng oyer
come py huInbers, ana, prelerflng aeath by
uroWning ra1lie. 'nan ~ tae hanas foltne
enemy, lul1psa lnto 'ns water below their
noniss, a. anu ~. nistean Oh drowning became
nsn. Aae cuh,oWeners were q quiet, IN
onensise racss Juusihs ifoin the LACK Of IN
=. slluniehts VI Mar anu the many articies
lnas Were nseu ~ taeir crude metnod OF
farming. ~
PhreHologlcally speaking, they wore quiet
and peaeeabie, the back part Of theskull be,
ing very fiat and often depressed, while the