New-York tribune., 1896-11-01

,,,. Ar,,ona and Mexico He Assistant
Commissioner OF Arizona 1T the Worid s raH at
New-Oreans in 1884 He discovered the minera@
thoro-cummite yttridlite and nivenite In Liano
County Texas in 1889. and aguilarite AZ Juan
arnato Mexico in 1891, all Of which were new 70
go,o,ce and "a n life member of the American
Museum OF Natural History and member OF tns
Now-yorl, Academy OF Science and tho Brooklyn
Institute.
A letter from Mr. Niven dated September a al
Chilpancingo State OF Guerrero. ard received he's
October . says: II have taken 800 photographs Oh
the ruins OF. Ouechomictlipan. which cover mucn
wider area than had at first supposed-somethihS
like OOo square miles, and instead OK three 'em-
niles there are more than twenty. nave pno'o-
graphs OF them and Of objects which found IN the
ruins In short, my trip has been highly success
full"
The discovery OF tie ruined city was made ny
Mr.. Niven in the summer OF 1891, although az tha'
lin. bs did nor know that 4, covered wide an
.r.a as hls letters now say. The discovery ha'
been known to few persons for some une, pu'
was not made widely known pending negotiations
with the Mexican Government Tor the risn' Vi ~
nloration This concession to archaeo'ossts MAS
granted last summer was published IN Inc
Tribune OF July L. .
r. Tho course of a prospecting tour through the
c,a,o NJ Guerrero In the fall OF 1891. MI NNeh
visited the State Museum at Snnpahcns'' INV
can,tal The display Of Archaeological oojec'S' pa'
ticularly OF jade and trachyte, was renha go 80
.nd no was surprised to learn that the locality
uhere they had been discovered was an uhhno".
field 10 the explorer. In 1894 M Niven h'eses"
v,rris X lesup president OF the American Mus'-
nm az Natural History. In the matter ana was
engaged by him to make trip OF aoo'' ia"
days on horseback through the territory. a.
result OF the trip. Mr.. Niven got more tnan w
archaeological objects. wnch arc 10" U" e~"'''
ton at the museum
Niyen left the Town OF Nudut-
J., and forIed the Las Basas River into the State
OF Guerrero. with n servant and hVe rid'ng anu
mack animals. In the following three weeks heAFV
every town visited had some prehistoric rushs'
mostly mounds Xochipala was reached on June
% and the next day Yerbabuena were found
evidences OF prehistoric structures. among he"
what must have been great temple. covering
space of 300 by 200 feet An altar OF solid masonry
WAS In the centre. 1t was 10 feet square. wen pre-
served and 20 feet high The foundations ana pa"
of the walls OF circular towers. feet thick. |"
each corner were plainly visible. For ten miles
Mr.. Niven rode among the ruins OF what he was
convinced mus, have been great city. The houses
of stone and lime had been from to 80 feet squars
Nanv of their walls were standing and were from
: to feet high their thickness varying from 10
feet The next day the party went 10 the ho'V
Oh another foothill OF the Sierra Madre MountalhS
and after rough Journey found themselves T'ans
over the ruins OF prehistoric dwellings. The use
Of the pick showed that they were tho foundation.
Of houses which had been substantially bui't OF
STONE and lime. Another temple was found SINH
lar to the one at Ycrbabuena. with a larger si'a'
and part Of the stairs still remaining About eSn'
hundred yards further on was another hu!'o'"s
nearly as large the hrst and on It's corners
were circular towers. the walls about feet hsn
There were quantities of broken pottery touh1
around IT, enough to load dozen mules. FROM
this point until the party reached place ,1av nm11
the ridge abruptly terminates In Derpein..rs,,s s,s
ta Ia .lO fee, below, the ruins "oss
scattered every hundred yards. . ..-..
Altogether. Mr.. Nven found the ruins OF ,us u,us
temples about 800 by 200 feet each. within sn,
OF five miles. with affairs standing In TWO OF 80
70 feet high. and ruins. houses and moulas 'n, 'ss
covering an area OF twenty-;our square n;a
This was In a part OF the country five days '''7
on horseback from the railroad