The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-03
CuartaIego, First Kansas Town.

For some years certain remarkable
ruins have been known to exist in the
valley OF Beaver creek. in Scott county,
Kansas. and a preliminary notice Of them
was published in the Wichita Eagle sew
eral months ago from the pen Of Prof.
Williston Of the State University. Re-
Gently these ruins were thoroughly ex-
pIored. with exceedingly interesting re-
suits, by Mr.. H. T. Martin OF the dep art
ment Of PaieontolOgy OF the University
From his investigation it is evident mat
there was a considerable village OF Pu-
eblo Indians and white men in that %
cality long before any hitherto known
settlement of the state.
The chief structure explored was
large adobe and stone building about
fifty feet in length by thirty feet IN
width. and containing seven rooms This
building had all been leveled to the
ground and covered deeply with soil. 50
that scarcely a trace OF the structure
was left The original walls OF the struc-
ture. however. remained nearly 10 the
surface of the ground. All the debris and
soil has now been removed from the
foundation, leaving walls about two and
a half feet high. In the middle Of Zach
room there is kiln or oven, evidently
for the making of pottery. None Of the
rooms show any indications OF doors
through the smoothly plastered walls, but
each contains the remains Of ladder
that was evidently used for ingrsss ard
egress after the fashion Of the Pueblo
Indians. Two cavities OF unknown use.
and covered with large rocks, were DIS
covered in the floors.
The excavating OF the rooms brought
to light numerous implements and tools.
which will be preserved in the musaIm
of the University. Among them Is a part
II much rusted iron axe. THIS - e
closely resembles the stone axes Of Z c
Indians. that is. IT has a groove about
il instead OF an eve 10 receive the handle.
In one Of the cavities in the door was
found half OF clam shell. sawed through
the middle by a toOthed saw, the mark
ings of the teeth being evident. These
two implements prove cOnclus'vely t1st
the building was Inhabited by white men,
or that tools made by white men were
brought to II.
Other indictments discovered in the eX-
cavations were stone pipes Of different
kinds, stone and bone needles. scrapers
of bone and stone, grinders for puiver-
izing grain, a flageolet made from wing
bone Of a large bird. and numerous ar
row heads OF various sizes. Scatts I'd
over the nO0rS IN aDQHudUCt were N.Y. =
and parts Of ears OF charred corn. which
is of a small kind. like the prim' tive
squaw corn. One ear preserved neGrly
entire shows ten rows Of kernels.
These ruins explored by Mr.. Martin for
the University. prove beyond all DOUBT
the existence here in the past Of con-
siderable Pueblo village which was also
the habitation Of white men. DR.. WINS
ton has succeeded in finding some cf the
history of an ancient Pueblo village in
western Kansas which was almost GER
tainIy located here The name % tAis
village was Cuartaiego. and the provinces
Whereabouts was known as San Luis II
was founded about 1850 by some refugee
PuebIos from the upper valley Of the Rio
Grande in New Mexico. who went out on
the plains 10 escape the oppression OF
the Spaniards then in control Of New
Mexico. For nearly a century 1t was
very important place. occupied during n
large part OF this time as stronghold
of the Apaches. then allies OF the Pue'-
los. In the beginning Of the next centu-
~ II was occupied for some time by
French colonists. Here certainly was 10
Gated the first habitation Of white men
In the state of Kansas. and here II was
that irrigation was first prac;iced In tne
state.