Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-07-30
PREHISTORIC RUINS.
Remnants Of Colorado Cliff DWELL
ings to Be Preserved.
Women Of That State Orgaaiss q
Look After the Ruins and study
The Life Of Former De-
0uDants.

~ oAA0 VI III
state from the depredations of AN
dals, and at the same time try to add
to the worlds stock of knowledge con-
corning those remarkable people, the
cliff jewellers. With these objects in
view the Colorado Cliff Dwellings as
ISOLATION has been organized. The as
ISOLATION has been regularly incor-
porated under the laws of Colorado,
so that it may legally acquire and hold
property. 1t is now the intention of
the women to acquire title to the
ruins OF the cliff dwellers, either by
purchase or by a grant from the state,
which it is believed will be glad to
hand these famous ruins over to the
women for care and preservation.
The association, says the Chicago
Inter Ocean, is not a hastily formed
one. On the contrary, it is the out
come of nearly three years of agita-
top and education of the women of
the state. In October, 1897, Mrs. NAH
lon D. Thatcher, then president of the
State Federation Of Women's clubs,
appointed a committee Of women who
had for years been personally inter
ested in the protection Of the states
prehistoric heritage to act with the
federation and clubwomen as a spe-
cial committee for the spreading Of
knowledge concerning the ruins, the
collection and preservation Of relics,
and the ultimate bringing forward
into the light of to-day Of the wonder
full old ruins which have been SO long
Swallowed by the cliffs in the Rio Man
cos canyon. Since it's appointment the
committee has had visions Of work
done by it which would present to
the world antiquity Of far greater in
terest than any now known in the old
world, and with a setting of deep
canyons, rugged mountains, and great
of blue mesa land-a park
containing q museum OF unknown
The area of prehistoric ruins in the
covers q tract of 5000 |
miles, extending from 1.-THE
corners" into Colorado, Utah,
New Mexico and Arizona. Therefore,
the tract of land most valuable for q
park has been a grave question at is
sue with the committee. They have
had an accurate and comprehensive
map made of the section called Mesa
the green tableland, in the
southwestern corner Of Colorado. It
is their wish to include in the park
that portion of the mesa and adjoin-
ing canyons which contains the most
ruins.
It should be understood that Mesa
the probable location of the
future park, is a strikingly singular
1ivide between the Mancos and the
valleys. Throughout its
it is gashed and scanned by in
deep canyons and ravines.
The uplands are crowded with forests
# pinon trees in such close array that
me finds 1t difficult to pick a passage
through them. Ruins Of the houses of
he mesa-dwellers are thick upon the
The canyons, which split the divide
INTO tongues and islands of precipit-
US rock, r lined with the houses of
he cliff jewellers. The sides OF the
anyons are sheer walls Of yellow
a%ndstone, ranging in height from 500
o 1000 feet. As a rule, the dwellings
tand 50 or 100 feet below the rim Of
he heights, in a sheltered recess over
Jung by beetling masses of rock. In
great many instances 1t IL impossi-
lie to climb to the houses from the
ottom of the canyon. Most of them
to be entered from the top of the
lifts. There are no; definite roads or
rails leading to them, and the Mfi-
ulties to be overcome and the
Anglers to be dared in visiting the
lif houses are many. The difficulties {
nd dangers only show how necessary
is to build roads and trails and a
house. 10 that people with great
but little strength may
isit the ruins. l.
The Cliff palace and the Spruce Tree
ouse are two of the cliff houses in a
uded in the tract SET aside for the
ark. The Cliff palace is $50 feet long,
} feet high, 80 feet broad, and con-
Inns r27 rooms on the ground floor, /,
nd accommodations for probably i
900 people. The Spruce Tree house ;
only a short distance from the Cliff !,
slace, and is one of the most finished .
'ecimsns Of prehistoric architecture :,
1t found. A visit to one or both of :
lese ruins would repay one for a. y
ost any amount of fatigue, and the :
Cliff Dwellers association in '
.nds to be the pathfinder for the >
enthusiast as well as for the ,,
'awny relic hunter. II
0s0Rgia's Fruit Industry. e
In addition to its other new indus q