Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-05-16
WONDERFUL RUINS
Scientific Exploration Of the Cliff
Dwellings In Chaco Canon, San
Juan County.
AT WORK FOR -FOUR YEARS
Wealthy New Workers Are Interested In
the Investigation The Relics Are Sent
to the American Museum of Ma
tural History.

N. NJ. the energetic head and front OF
the Hyde exploring expedition, was ir
the city yesterday on business mis-
sion. In conversation with a New Mex
lean reporter he expressed a sincere
hope that some early action be taken
the New Mexico authorities, looking tc
the preservation of the prehistoric cliff
dwellings located in San Juan and San
ia Fe counties. He said 1t was the duty
of the present generation not to permit
the wrecking and destruction of these
communal houses by pot-hunters whose
sole object it is to unearth their curious
and varied contents and sell them to
spectators.
AN EXPERIENCED EXPLORER.
Mr.. Wetherill has for fifteen years
been engaged in making scientific re-
searches in the cliff dweller ruins Of the
southwest. He was the first to explore
along such lines the Mesa Verde and
the Rio Mancos ruins, which the wom-
en- of Colorado are striving at this time
to protect from vandalism. He also
spent several years among the buried
cities of Utah and Arizona, and four
years ago took up his work In Chaco
canon, in San Juan county, this ter
ritory, which he says is by far greater
and more interesting than any other re-
gion within the United States. New
Mexico doesn't know what wonderful
things she has buried over there at
Chaco, near Aztec, in San Juan coun-
ty," said he. "In the interest of science
and education she ought to look after
them, and in such undertaking her col
lege professors and men Of learning
should take the lead"
INTERESTED CAPITAL.
Mr.. Wetherill is a New Yorker by
birth, and New Mexican by preference
and adoption. He had been so highly
successful in his Investigations into
these cliff dwellings and had discovered
and donated so many curious things to
various educational institutions of New
York that his work attracted the at
tention of Messrs. B. T. B. and F. E.
Hyde, Jr., the wealthy manufacturers
of the Babbit soap, with the result that
he was placed in charge of the Hyde
exploring expedition sbme four years
ago and sent to New Mexico to make a
thorough exploration Of the ruins in
Chaco canon. Since then the work has
been prosecuted continuously, and ev-
cry fall car load or two Of pottery,
vases, copper implements and all man.
ner of kindred things used by the cliff
dwellers in their every day avocations
have been hauled eastward free of
charge by the Denver & Rio Grande
road and turned over as gift to the
American museum of natural history,
located at Hyde Park New York. One
or the other of the Messrs. Hyde comes
out annually to inspect the working
force. One of them spent several days
in Santa Fe last fall. At the museum
one entire floor has been dedicated to
the use Of this growing collection. AS
the excavations proceed everything ta-
ken out is photographed and measured;
every space cleared in the great houses
is also measured and photographs ta-
ken of their interior and exterior, and
careful data are made eventually with a
view to the publishing of a scientific
book upon the work Of this expedition.
WONDERFUL BUILDINGS.
There are fourteen communal houses
extending along Chaco canon for thirty
miles. Mr.. Wetherill has worked out
500 rooms in one Of these, which is rs-
timated to contain 1900 rooms. The
houses are of dressed stone, and some
of them are five stories in height. Many
of the rooms are intact and under roof.
At present force of 100 men Is en-
ployed, mostly Navajo Indians. These
do the work of excavating, and look aft
er the expeditions stock and freighting.
For this they are paid cash, which In
turn they spend for merchandise at the
expedition's main store at Pardo Boni-
to, or at the branch trading stations To-
Gated at Ration Springs, Vecinte place
and on the road from Gallup to Duran
60.
COLORADO woMENs WORK.
Colorado women are doing their best
to preserve to the country one of the
treasures that it now neglects. but Will
lament If lost-the cliff dwellings on
Mesa Verde. Mrs. Virginia McClurg, the
chairman of the committee appointed
by the state federation of womens
clubs, has been bending every energy
to impress upon the public that these
interesting relics of past civilization
will before long have passed out OF
reach.
Mesa Verde is portion of the Indian
reservation which contains hundreds OF
cliff and cave dwellings. The women
wish to lease 1t of the Indians, build
trail leading up to the cliff dwellings
have custodians, and ask a fee tina,
shall help defray the expenses. Mrs
McClurg has interviewed the chief OF
the Navajos, who is willing to lease the
property, and If congress will sanction
a lease. and the Colorado women car
raise the money, the plan may be tried
In that case historian will probably
be appointed by the federation to give
a detailed account Of the ruins, and col
lect all data that may lead to better
understanding Of the prehistoric race
The pottery found in these ruins Is o.
great interest, but is being carried
away piecemeal by explorers, which
spurs on the women to renewed efforts
Milwaukee and return, $500, June
and 2, Santa Fe Route.