The record-union., 1897-07-21

of this terrace the half-mummified bod
les of two small children were last
summer exhumed by a "relic hunter
prospecting for finds"
While some distance from railroad,
this ruin is by no means inaccessible
to the travelling public. 1t may be
reached by a fifty-mile trip from Pres
cott or Flagstaff or a thirty y-mile trip
from Jerome, and is we'll worth going
much further to see. The entire region
in which it is found, too, is covered with
aboriginal ruins; and only eight miles
away is that unique phenomenon
known as Montezuma Well
Last summer the friends Of Monte
yuma Castle, alarmed by the damage
done it's walls by reckless excavations,
determined to make an effort for the
preservation of this and the other an
tiquities of the Southwest. A number
of endeavors had been previously made
to obtain some general legislation of
similar nature, but without success.
Urged on by the danger to the castle,
however, It was determined to try once
more and Congress was asked to give
protection to aboriginal remains and to
set aside a small appropriation for put
ting some of the more important ruins
in repair The only result attained,
and this after some haggllng, was an
amendment to the Indian appropr1a-
ton bill prohibiting the removal of rel
les from the public lands without per-
mission from the Secretary of the In
terror.
Then the Arizona Antiquarian Asso-
h in nf III
President, DR.. J. Miller of Prescott, as
sailed the Arizona Legislature with Pc
titions for similar measure. Dr. MIL
Ter offering his large private collection
of relics as the foundation for Terri
torial museum If one were eStabl1Shed.
The sage Solons of the Nineteenth Leg
islature were not to be caught with
chaff, however, and expressed them
selves somewhat in this wise: IF them
Eastern tenderfeet come out here
a-relic huntin', they'll leave money be-
hind 'em. Let 'em come and do what
they please" There was no resisting
such unanswerable logic, and the legis-
lation prayed for was denied.
The Arizona Antiquarian Association
was not so easily defeated. If public
must be found to save MonteZuma Cas-
tie. Accordingly subscription papers
were circulated in Prescott and Flag
staff, and the necessary amount to pat
the ruin in repair was soon raised. The
work is now in progress under the per-
sonal supervision of DIR. Miller, and in
very short time the association can
have the satisfaction of knowing that
| through its efforts this, perhaps the
finest single ruin within our national
borders, will be preserved for future
generations.
The plan is to anchor the building to
the cliff by means of long iron rods, re-
place a portion of the foundation, pro-
tect With corrugated iron the exposed
portions, clean the castle throughout,
and erect and securely fasten in place
good approaches. This will make it
not only secure but easy of access for
all visitors.
| But, while the threatened destruction
| of Montezuma Castle has thus been
averted, there are many other fine
| specimens of aboriginal handiwork in
this region which are speedily going to
| destruction either through decay or
| through sheer wantonness-many of
which are already past rescue. A very
| little time and money judiciously ex-
pended will mean the preservation of
these interesting and valuable deposits.
| It is a national disgrace if nothing is
done Immediate action is demanded.