The San Francisco call., 1897-11-10
Demolished Abodes, Occupied by a Once
Powerful Tribe Of Sun Worshipers,
Visited by "The Calls"
Expedition.

hlerog yphics carved on the walls on the
inside OF the house. These were exactly
like those carved on the famous Poston
Butte, near Florence, Arizona. The rock
is almost identical
1t is covered with the blackened surface
caused by the volcanic fires This has
been Clipped away in the desired places,
leaving the image in plain view. On the
rocks of Poston Butte there is a certain
sign used very frequently. This looks
some ething like the astronomical sign for
the planet Mars.
This same sign is carved in a mum Der of
places on Black Mountain, showing con-
clusivelv that both must have had the
same origin. but there are also mum Der
OF other signs that can be positively iden-
titled. Some might think that these signs
were carved by vandas for the purpose of
deceiving people. This, however, can be
set at rest. In the first place, the signs
are carved with too much exactness to be
done by mlscreant
A learned man interested in them would
not 10 such thing. In the second place
the carving was done so long ago that
the rock has been discoored. This can be
proved by giving a slight scratch with
knife blade in the sign and exposing the
tighter colored rock underneath. \ mag
nifying glass shows that the surface has
changed in structure, TINS could not
take place in the locality in less than 200
years.
The shape of this house was also exactly
like those on Poston Butte. 1t was also
about the same size. The houses on Pos
ton Butte also have doors facing the east.
From indications the houses on both
places were built in the same manner.
That is, they were made by laying the
| rough, uncarved stone in the mud, then
plasterlng the outside 10 keep out the
| wind and the walls were done. The
roofs were put up with imbers and
covered with clay. This is ali that the
houses consisted of.
! On Black Mountain the rains of CEN
turies have washed out all the clay and
the stones have fallen down. The clay
has also piled up around the walls, there
! by reducing their height. The same
! thing is OBJ >ervable on Poson Butte.
| The more these two localities are COM
pared the more similarity there is between
them; in fact, there can be no doubt but
thai the Two are of the same origin. AS
| y
years of study, have pronounced the
former inha bitants OF Po>ton Butte to
| have been SUM- worshipers there can be no
doubt that the former residents OF Black
! Mountain were also sun-worshipers.
Over sma IL hill still further toward
the west peak there were a number of
! other ruins ranged about a large central
court that was built on natural pile Of
powders. In the center of this was a
monster bowlder, nearly square, having
1 fiat top with circle carved on it.
The circle was rude in the extreme ana
| shalIowly carved, but there cln be no
/ doubt OF what it was intended for OF
| course, there can be no positive proof of
what this was used for but as a surmiseit
is sa e to say that the large fiat rock was
! an altar and that the circle was intended
to be a representation of the sun.
This ruin was one of the most interest
ing on the whole top of Black Mountain.
| The west peak Itself rises almost like a
/ perfect cone, about $50 feet bove this fiat
| place Just described. From below it did
not appear as if there colid be anv habi-
tations mp there. The place looked too
steep and rugged.
But climb to the top disclosed the fact
that there were three RUNS up there.
These were circular houses, not more
Than six feet IN diameter. but having their
walls almost complete. From the size of
these and their location it would sem