Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-24
ANCIENT PLAcERs IN MEXICO.
An English Travellers Idea as to q
Group of Curious
Ruins.

DIR. T. s. Bulmer. a learned Englishman,
who has Travelled all over the world. has
been in Casas Grendes, Mexico. for over
a year studying a curious group of mines
located about three miles southwest of
Ell Paso. Tex. Ever since the coming of
the white man into that part of Mexico
travellers and scientists have been puzzled
to account for this group of ruins, but at
last DR.. Bulmer offers 4 plausible theory.
Casas Grandes is a typical Mexican town.
perhaps a century and a half old. and now
having between 1000 and 3.WC inhabitants.
Beginning q mile south of the town and eX-
tending two or three miles up the valley is
a straggly series of ruins belonging to an
earlier period and another race or people.
These ruins are of three classes-remains Of
old and massive adobe walls. which give
the name to the town of CasaS Grandes.
Big Houses" about 4 dozen mounds of
earth eight to ten feet high, the tops near
ly Level and measuring. two or three rods
across. with remains of stone walls plain
ly visible about the foot of the mounds,
and about fifty peculiar looking basins
followed out in the earth; in some places
ed together. The basins were evidently
formed by scooping up the earth and stones
and throwing them up in a circular en-
nkmen The basins are now two or
three feet deep and one or two rods across
on the bottom. !
DIR. T. S. Bulmer has written a good deal
on chronological subjects. and his name iJ
found in Il recently published photography
from the Smithsonian institution at Wash
liSton as tHe author Oh Il NOluINe On tue
Chinook jargon. or language of the Indians
of the Northwest.
II have reached the conclusion" said DR..
Bulmer, that these peculiar-looking basins
among the old ruins We're made by placer
mining. l lave lGhg been familiar with
Australia and elsewhere: l have examined
these grounds thoroughly, and everything
confirms me in the belief that the basins are
ancient placer claims. their regularity and
shape indicating that the people who
worked them had q Well developed system
or precious stones | cannot say. Rubies
are found occasionally here and opals rare
L.. The surface of the ground Is sprinkled
with small, brilliant. translucent crystals
that cut glass like a diamond. The natives
call them fire stones and also star stones.
as well as in the rock about here.
Formerly a mighty river ran through
this valley. These plaCers are full of small
rubble. The Indians built extensive walls
or bikes the ruins of which can be followed
for many rods in some places. These bikes
to supply water for placering. Relics of
ollas and other pottery here show that
three distinct races of people have lived
here. 1t is impossible to tell when or why
they disappeared from this locality. 1t
may have been because of an earthquake
ward to more profitable mining fields. or
they may have been driven out or extermi-
mated by more warlike ~eighbors On the
summit of a high mountain eight or ten
miles south of the town are ruins of what
may once have been n fort or may have
There are marks on the walls of the can
yOns a few miles to the south, establishing
the fact that some of these vanished peo-
pies were sun worshipers."